The National Comedy Center on Friday said it is receiving archives of comedy legend Carl Reiner.

The Reiner family is donating the material to the center, including rare creative papers, scripts and artifacts spanning Reiner’s seven-decade career in comedy as a writer, director, producer, author and performer will be preserved.

In addition, the National Comedy Center will formally name its ongoing work to preserve comedy’s heritage in honor of Reiner, who was a founding advisory board member for the Comedy Center. The Carl Reiner Department of Archives and Preservation will serve as the central hub for all archival and preservation work within the Comedy Center, as it continues its mission to present the history of comedy and preserve comedy’s heritage for future generations.

Reiner, who passed away last June at the age of 98, was an early advocate and instrumental supporter of the National Comedy Center and its vision to celebrate comedy as an art form. With a multi-faceted career spanning television, film, stage, record albums, books and even social media, Carl Reiner was a twelve-time Emmy award-winner, a Grammy award-winner and a recipient of The Kennedy Center’s Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Reiner’s 99th birthday would have been this Saturday, March 20.

“Carl Reiner’s comedic legacy is unmatched,” stated National Comedy Center Executive Director Journey Gunderson. “His distinctive wit and remarkable talent enabled him to take the ordinary and transform it into indelible and timeless comedy, influencing generations of artists, and entertaining millions. From Your Show of Shows and The Dick Van Dyke Show, to his inimitably funny collaborations with Mel Brooks on the 2,000 Year Old Man, to his beloved comedy films, Reiner built a body of work that is a testament to his creative genius, and the power of comedy to inspire us, enliven us — and touch the human spirit. We are proud that our nation’s first cultural institution dedicated to comedy developed and opened with Carl Reiner’s blessing, and we are honored that his legacy will live on as an enduring anchor of the National Comedy Center’s work.”