Retired Democratic Rep. Grace Napolitano, who spent 26 years in Congress and most recently represented San Gabriel Valley residents in California’s 31st Congressional District, has donated her congressional archives to the University of La Verne.

Besides photographs, speeches, copies of bills she sponsored or co-sponsored and correspondences with constituents, the collection features U.S. Military Challenge coins and a wrestling belt “symbolizing her staunch advocacy for mental health awareness,” according to a news release.

It will be housed at the university’s Wilson Library.An exhibit showcasing much of the collection will be on display at the Harris Art Gallery, next to the Wilson Library, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays until May 1 and again from June 1 through July 15.

Napolitano attended Cerritos College and was mayor of Norwalk and a state Assembly member from 1992 to 1998 before being elected to Congress.

In July 2023, Napolitano, then 86, announced that it was her final term in Congress. Rep. Gil Cisneros, D-Covina, was elected to replace her during last year’s general election.

Napolitano has had a longstanding relationship with the University of La Verne.

The university invited her to be a commencement speaker in 2019. She also helped secure $2.2 million in federal funding in 2023 to establish the university’s Institute of Mental Health and Psychological Well-Being.