Like all who had the good fortune to cross paths with Jay Oliva throughout his illustrious career as a pre-eminent educator and ultimately as the president of NYU, I mourned his passing, on April 17th.
Many years earlier, Jay had insisted that I trot into my Western Civilization history class with 3 infants in tow, rather than cut his class at the lofty NYU University Heights campus.
Jay was a cheering fan and forceful motivator for kids like me, whose parents were not presiding over their educations. And, he was a strong voice who taught me the value of the NYU credo–perstare y prestare. He was an unwavering supporter of my decision to found a business with a mere $1,800 in savings and a freshly minted Bachelor’s Degree as my contribution to the venture. Jay’s lessons never faded though our contact was scarce during the next two decades.
Some 25 years later, while president of the university, Jay tracked me down and invited me to lunch. He told me there were many important things about which I could take pride, including my attendance at NYU, an ever-blossoming university And, he said he would be most proud of me, if I would choose to give back to the University. And so I have. But, but the debt to Jay for his sage advice can never be repaid.
From the beginning to the end of this uniquely interesting acquaintanceship, Jay Oliva lit a fire to raise my own standards.