INFORMATION FOR
Pictured left to right: Dr. Kenneth Cheng; President Richard J. Helldobler; Pamela Ferguson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement; Gail Hansen, Trustee of the Nicholas Martini Foundation; Bill Duffy, WP Foundation; Nancy Weiner, Cheng Library; the Hon. William J. Martini, United States District Judge for the District of New Jersey; Marissa Martini-Cyprys; Edward Owusu-Ansah, Dean of Library Services, William J. Martini, Jr.; David Williams, Cheng Library; Michael A. Seeve, Chair, WP Board of Trustees; Brad Neilley, Board of Trustees; Lauren Locker, Vice Chair, WP Foundation; and Anne Ciliberti, Dean Emeritus, Cheng Library.
The David and Lorraine Cheng Library received a grant from the Nicholas Martini Foundation for the renovation and expansion of the library electronic resource center. Featuring 24 Microsoft Windows terminals, 12 Apple iMac workstations, and display cases showcasing memorabilia from the collections of Passaic Mayor Nicholas Martini and Judge William J. Martini, the Martini Family Electronic Resource Center replenishes a heavily used lab space and introduces state-of-the-art technology, with new furniture, a comfortable and relaxing seating area, and a multipurpose printer. The modern layout and state-of-the-art functionality resulting from this generous donation further enhances the facilities William Paterson University provides. An additional endowment from the Martini Foundation will replenish the Center as the need arises, ensuring student satisfaction and appreciation for years to come.
Mayor Nicholas Martini established the Nicholas Martini Foundation, a philanthropic Charitable Family Foundation, in 1986 to support programs in the fields of youth and education, public health and welfare, the arts and humanities, and community development. Born September 17, 1904, in Paterson, New Jersey, Nicholas was elected Passaic City Commissioner and Director of Public Works in 1935.
He was re-elected for consecutive terms in 1939 and 1943, serving five terms as City Commissioner of Passaic over the next twenty years. In 1937 and again in 1940 he was elected to the Passaic County Board of Freeholders and was appointed Director of the Board in 1941. Nicholas was appointed Passaic County Counsel and became Mayor of the City of Passaic in 1943. That same year, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt appointed Mayor Martini a member of the American Relief for Italy Committee. In 1947 he received the Star of Solidarity, the highest honor awarded by the Republic of Italy, for his contributions to the reconstruction of Italy following World War II. Nicholas Martini retired from Passaic City Council in 1961 but remained active in regional politics until his death on March 10, 1991.
Born February 10, 1947, in Passaic, New Jersey, Judge William J. “Bill” Martini received a B.A. from Villanova University in 1968 and his J.D. from Rutgers University School of Law in 1972. He served as a legal clerk for the Superior Court of New Jersey, Hudson County, and Assistant Prosecutor for the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office before his appointment as Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey in 1974. Judge Martini was elected Councilman for the City of Clifton, New Jersey in 1991. That same year, Judge Bill Martini joined the Nicholas Martini Foundation as a trustee and President. He was elected a Passaic County Freeholder two years later and won election in 1995 to the 104th U.S. Congress representing the 8th District of New Jersey. As a Congressman, Bill Martini was instrumental in preserving the Sterling Forest watershed and supporting flood prevention and environmental infrastructure projects. He served as a Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey from 1999 to 2002. Judge Bill Martini was appointed U.S. District Judge for the District of New Jersey in 2002.
The dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony took place on Tuesday, February 7, 2023, attended by distinguished guests including Judge Martini, William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler, Provost & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Joshua Powers, Vice President for Institutional Advancement Pamela Ferguson, and Dean of Library Services Edward Owusu-Ansah. The Cheng Library serves as the archival repository for the Nicholas Martini Collection, and future plans include accessioning Judge William Martini’s papers documenting his congressional and judicial careers, and an interview hosted by veteran journalist and Communications Professor Nicholas Hirshon in the University’s Martini Broadcast Studio, a previous contribution to the University by the Nicholas Martini Foundation.
Pictured L to R in front of a display case featuring memorabilia from Judge William Martini are: Michael Seeve, Chair, WP Board of Trustees; Lauren Locker, Vice Chair, WP Foundation; the Hon. William J. Martini; President Richard Helldobler; and Pamela Ferguson, Vice President for Institutional Advancement.
