Donor Spotlight: Aaron Nayer

June 3, 2026

Our Donor Spotlight series recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to help further Delaware Humanities’ mission. Whether they are local Delawareans, humanities professionals, or established philanthropists, our Spotlight series serves to highlight their stories and celebrate their efforts to keep the humanities thriving in Delaware.

As a former teacher, part-time librarian, and full-time history buff, Aaron Nayer has devoted much of his time to the humanities. After a long career in finance, Aaron happily retired in Delaware and continues to champion the humanities through volunteer work and supporting organizations like ours. We spoke with Aaron to learn a little more about his background, his passion for history, and why furthering the humanities in Delaware is so important to him.

Delaware Humanities: Will you please tell us about yourself?

Aaron Nayer: I was born in Brooklyn, New York; [I had] one older brother, [and then] myself and my twin. We were the first generation in our family to go to college. Education is crucial in all our lives. I have taught high school-level history and current events as well as religious school from 3^rd to 10^th grades. I am married over 51 years to my wife Carolyn; we have two sons and four grandsons. I also spent 40 years in financial institutions in the finance field, and to top it off, [I’m] very much a history buff with degrees in Political Science, English, and Accounting.

DH: What brought you to Delaware?

AN: After living in New Jersey for many years and initially retiring to Charleston, South Carolina, my wife and I missed being near our children, our grandchildren, and the Northeast. With one son and family in Herdon, Virgina and the other in Wellesley, Massachusetts, we decided to look for some place in between that we can travel to by car…hence Middletown, Delaware.

DH: How did you learn about Delaware Humanities?

AN: As I said earlier, I am a history buff. When we moved into [our neighborhood], a 55 and older community, there was nothing educational being offered to our residents. I sent out a notice to join me in a meeting to set up a history forum club. The club brings in speakers (sometimes residents themselves) 10 months out of the year; monthly tidbits – a 600 word or less essay on something historic event that happened each month; and four field trips a year to various historic sites within one hour from our community. Looking for speakers brought me to the Middletown Historic Society [which led me to] Delaware Humanities and your Speakers Bureau.

DH: What other activities keep you busy?

AN: In addition to running our history forum, which is quite time consuming, I am the part-time children’s reference librarian at the Appoquinimink Library working 18-25 hours each week, substitute teach at the Albert Einstein Academy Day School, and have a series of history lectures I have presented here in Delaware and in South Carolina.

DH: What are your hopes for the future of humanities in Delaware?

AN: First and foremost, a continuous presence of superior speakers from the Bureau along with all of the educational activities Delaware Humanities offers to the people of Delaware. Keeping history alive and relevant and real and actual to our students, adults, and seniors will empower us to pass our relative knowledge to future generations without allowing others to attempt to re-write history or erase it.

DH: Is there anything else you’d like to add?

AN: Donations from individuals, organizations, communities and townships are so important to ensure we as a people continue to create our current history every day. We should shout this from our rooftops, our classrooms, our homes and on our streets for everyone to be made aware.

Thank you to Mr. Nayer for sharing his story for our inaugural Donor Spotlight! If you are a current or previous donor who would like to be included in a Donor Spotlight, contact us here. If you are interested in booking one of our Speakers from our Speakers Bureau, learn more here. To make a donation or learn more about ways to get involved with Delaware Humanities, visit our Donations page here.