Out & About

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The New York Sun

Executives from more than 40 companies gathered Monday night for the New York Public Library’s annual corporate gala, which raised a record $1.4 million.

The event honored the chairman and chief executive of the Bank of New York, Thomas Renyi, who is only the latest to watch over the bank’s relationship with the library, which has been a customer since the library’s founding in 1895.

And why is it important to support the library? “It’s the fount of all knowledge,” Mr. Renyi said.

He is a fount of knowledge for several nonprofits. He serves on the boards of the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, and the New York Botanical Garden.

So it wasn’t surprising to hear his response to the question, “What have you been reading?”

“I’ve got some catching up to do,” he said. “My wife is the deep reader.” (Mrs. Renyi last read “Night” by Elie Wiesel). One book he did complete was Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton, who founded the Bank of New York in 1784.

Indeed, many bank executives joked about having read Mr. Chernow’s book. “It wasn’t required reading – but a lot of us got free copies,” one guest said.

The president of the bank, Gerald Hassell, has been reading “State of Fear” by Michael Crichton. Robert Sussman, a history major in college, had raves for “The Petticoat Affair,” by John Marszalek, which tells the true story of a “scandal in the White House that doesn’t involve Bill Clinton – it was Andrew Jackson’s term,” Mr. Sussman said.

Among the overachievers were, of course, book jugglers. The chairman of the library, Catherine Marron, is reading Zadie Smith’s latest novel, “On Beauty,” and Jeannette Walls’s memoir, “The Glass Castle.” William Kurz is in the midst of a biography of Wagner, “Moneyball,” and “The Art of the Algorithm.”

At the table of the firm that represents the Bank of New York, Debevoise and Plimpton, Paul Lee cited “The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America,” and Andrew Ceresney remembered only that the last book he read was by Philip Roth.

The connection between the bank and the library was wonderfully expressed by the selection of Mr. Chernow as the keynote speaker. He often worked in the library while he was writing his book on Hamilton.

Companies with a presence at the dinner included the Blackstone Group; Emmet, Marvin & Martin; Hearst Corporation; McGraw-Hill; Sotheby’s; Pfizer Inc., Quadrangle Group, and Tiffany. Steuben provided the crystal lion that served as Mr. Renyi’s award.

Had only some major fashion empires done their part, the crowd would have looked more chic. They did all right, though, especially once ensconced in the garden decor created by David Monn in the Celeste Bartos Forum, with bright yellow tablecloths, brass lanterns, and a wraparound wall covering of green leaves. And these non-waif corporate citizens actually ate their meals (lobster, beef, and strawberry rhubarb cobbler).

agordon@nysun.com


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