Nava to Donate New Documents to CSUN

Julian Nava, Cal State Northridge history professor and former U.S. ambassador to Mexico in the Carter administration, will donate his papers to the university’s Oviatt Library on Friday, ending a three-day symposium on U.S.-Mexico relations.

The papers include personal notes, newspaper clippings, photos and letters from former President Jimmy Carter during Nava’s term as ambassador from 1979-1981.

“He came at a really great time,” said Robert Marshall, a CSUN archivist. “He was seen by the people of Mexico in very high terms because he was an educator.”

Nava was the first U.S. ambassador to Mexico of Mexican American descent and had relatives living in Mexico while he was ambassador.

He will present his papers at a ceremony Friday, following the three-day symposium. The activity starts with an event today at the downtown Bonaventure Hotel to raise money to pay for preservation work needed to store Nava’s papers. It is expected to cost $7,000, Nava said.

The papers are expected to be on exhibit before the archiving process begins, likely to take several months, Marshall said.

Nava’s donation will complement a previous collection he gave to CSUN of documents from his 12 years as a member of the Los Angeles Board of Education, on which he served from 1967 to 1979, authorities said.

Highlights from Nava’s papers are expected to be available on the World Wide Web sometime next year, Marshall said.