Jay I. Kislak (W’43), real estate magnate and long-time supporter of the University of Pennsylvania, died October 3 at his home in Miami, Florida. He was 96.

Passionate about rare books, manuscripts and historical artifacts, Mr. Kislak donated $5.5 million to Penn (Almanac September 17, 2013), a gift that was key to renovating Van Pelt-Dietrich Library’s 5th and 6th floors and created the sleek, modern Kislak Center for Special collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, which debuted in 2012 (Almanac April 16, 2013). To date, it was the largest cash contribution from an individual donor in the Libraries’ history.

Mr. Kislak, a native of Hoboken, New Jersey, got his first real estate license in high school. After earning an economics degree from Wharton, he served as a US Navy pilot in World War II. In the 1950s, he moved to Florida and expanded his family’s business into a privately held real estate and financial services empire.

Mr. Kislak’s passion for rare books, manuscripts and historical artifacts began early. Starting first with books, he began to focus his collecting interests on Florida and the Americas, later turning to art and artifacts. Collaborating with his wife, Jean, he assembled widely diverse collections encompassing many interest areas. In 2004, more than 3,000 books and other objects from their collection became a gift to the nation, now known as the Jay I. Kislak Collection at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC. He also made notable donations to create Kislak Centers at the University of Miami and Miami Dade College’s Freedom Tower.

He is survived by his wife, Jean; children, Jonathan, Philip (C’70) and Paula; stepdaughter Jennifer Rettig; grandchildren, Rebecca, Jason, Tamara, Libby (W’10) and Jane; great-grandchildren Ezra, Simon, Kayla, Julia, Stokes and Aura; and his brother, David.