Jack Valenti

At the Scopus Dinner held in Los Angeles in December 2000, the American Friends of the Hebrew University honored the late Jack Valenti, former Chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). At the Dinner, it was announced that the premises housing the Spielberg Jewish Film Archive would be named The Jack Valenti Pavilion. Funds raised at this event were used by the Archive for making approximately eight hundred films accessible via the Internet.

Jack Joseph Valenti was born in Houston, TX in 1921. During WWII he was a pilot and commander of a B-25 bomber in the Army Air Corps and was honored with numerous decorations. After graduating from Harvard University, he co-founded the Weekley and Valenti advertising/political consulting agency eventually working on the staff for both Pres. John F. Kennedy and Pres. Lyndon Johnson.

In 1966, he was appointed President of the MPAA where he is best known as the man primarily responsible for the movie ratings system. He retired in March 2004 at the age 82.

Jack Valenti passed away in 2007.