Remembering Vivian Mason with a Law Library for Ghana

Books For Africa lost a dear friend on June 18th when Vivian Mason passed away. Vivian helped create the law book program for BFA, which was launched in 2008 at BFA's 20th Anniversary Gala. It is a partnership with Thomson Reuters, which donates new textbooks to form a reference law library.

The program was named the "Jack Mason Law & Democracy Initiative" to honor Vivian's husband. Jack had been a BFA board member when he died in 2002. He often urged BFA to include law books in shipments, in addition to the primary, secondary, university and general reading books BFA was already shipping.

Vivian made his dream happen! She not only agreed to allow the program to be named in honor of her husband Jack, she also enlisted two of their friends, former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan, and former US Vice President Walter Mondale to co-chair the program's Advisory Board.

Vivian has been a constant strong supporter of Books For Africa these last 12 years. She served on the law program Advisory Board, booksforafrica.org/law, since its inception, attended many events, was a generous donor, and always had a special interest in where law libraries had been sent. She was a strong advocate for girls’ education and for women lawyers.

Gifts made in Vivian's memory will go to ship a Thomson Reuters reference law library to a women lawyers association in Ghana later this year. A plaque honoring Vivian will accompany the law library.

Vivian will be missed but not forgotten.