Gustave L. Levy memorabilia and awards

Identity elements

Reference code

US AA131

Name and location of repository

Level of description

Collection

Title

Gustave L. Levy memorabilia and awards

Date(s)

  • 1950-1976 (Creation)

Extent

  • 6 boxes (72 inches)
  • 1 oversize item

Name of creator

(1910-1976)

Biographical history

Gustave L. Levy was Chairman and then President of the Mount Sinai institutions from 1962-1976. Gustave Lehmann Levy became a trustee of The Mount Sinai Hospital in 1960. At his death on November 3, 1976, he was Chairman of the Boards of the Mount Sinai Medical Center, The Mount Sinai Hospital, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Gustave Levy was born in New Orleans on May 23, 1910. He was educated at Tulane University and took his first job on Wall Street in 1928. He spent the rest of his life working in the financial district of New York. He became a partner at Goldman, Sachs and Company in 1946 and was still with that firm at his death. In 1934 he married Janet Wolf. They had two children: Peter A. and Betty Levy Hess. Mr. Levy was very involved in philanthropic activities. The list of organizations he worked with, or was an officer of, is tremendous. Of note here is his work with the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, beginning in 1954, and the United Jewish Appeal of Greater New York, Inc., from 1968. During his years at Mount Sinai Mr. Levy oversaw the most intense period of change in the institution's history. When he became a trustee in 1960, the planning for the medical school was in its initial stages. The ensuing years, with Levy as President and then Chairman, saw the establishment of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the achievement of a university affiliation, the $154 million fundraising effort for the medical school building and endowment, the planning and erection of the Annenberg Building (in recognition of Mr. Levy's contributions the library was named after him and his wife), the purchase and renovation of the Cummings Basic Science Building, the recruitment of faculty including the first Dean of the medical school, and the graduation of the first classes of medical students. On October 26, 1976 Gustave Levy suffered a stroke while attending a meeting of the Commissioners of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He died at Mount Sinai Hospital on November 3. He was 66 years old.

Content and structure elements

Scope and content

This collection consists primarily of artifacts and memorabilia from the collection of Gustave Levy which commemorate achievements in his financial career and his philanthropic efforts. It includes medals, certificates, paperweights, photographs and an assortment of other memorabilia. The majority of this material came to the Mount Sinai Archives from the Levy Library, where it was removed from display during the renovation of the Library in 2009. Additional material was received from the Development Office, where it had been in storage. The origin of each item has been noted in the container list. To ensure preservation, framed items have been removed from their frames and stored according to standard archival procedure. Of note is the fact that some of the framed items had Goldman, Sachs and Co. labels on the back, indicating that they had once hung in Mr. Levy's office there.

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use elements

Conditions governing access

This material is available for use. Contact the Archives (MSArchives@mssm.edu) for access to these materials.

Physical access

Technical access

Conditions governing reproduction

Languages of the material

  • English

Scripts of the material

    Language and script notes

    Finding aids

    Generated finding aid

    Acquisition and appraisal elements

    Custodial history

    Immediate source of acquisition

    Appraisal, destruction and scheduling information

    Accruals

    Related materials elements

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related archival materials

    Related descriptions

    Notes element

    Specialized notes

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Legacy ID from CMS

    AA.000490

    OCLC Number

    882089387

    Description control element

    Rules or conventions

    Sources used

    Archivist's note

    Processed by Nicholas Webb in 1/2011.

    Access points

    Subject access points

    Place access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Accession area