Leila Cook Barber (January 4, 1903 – December 4, 1984)[1] was an American art historian and professor, specializing in the Renaissance art and Medieval studies. She was a Professor Emeritus at Vassar College, where she taught from 1931 until 1968.[2][3]

Leila Cook Barber
A young white woman with dark hair, standing in front of steps and smiling, wearing a casual dress with pockets and a ribbon tie at the collar
Leila Cook Barber, from the 1925 Bryn Mawr College yearbook
Born(1903-01-04)January 4, 1903
DiedDecember 4, 1984(1984-12-04) (aged 81)
Other namesLeila Barber
Occupation(s)professor, art historian
Known forRenaissance art and Medieval art
Academic background
Alma materBryn Mawr College (AB)
Radcliffe College (MA)
Academic work
InstitutionsVassar College (1931–1968)

Biography

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Leila Cook Barber was born January 4, 1903, in Chicago, Illinois, to parents Leila Cook and Courtenay Barber (1877–1951).[4] Her father Courtenay Barber was active in many of the churches in Chicago including the Brotherhood of St. Andrew and served as a trustee of the Seabury Western Seminary.[5] Barber had two siblings.[5]

She received a B.A. degree in Art History in 1925 from Bryn Mawr College, studying under Georgiana Goddard King.[2][6] She received a M.A. degree from Radcliffe College in 1928.[2][7]

In 1931, Barber joined the Vassar College Art Department as their third art historian, where she remained until her retirement in 1968.[2] She served as the Chair of the Art Department from 1965 until 1968.[4] During her time at Vassar starting in 1935, she lived in Josselyn House, serving as the Head Resident and later as a House Fellow.[4][3]

Barber was a member of the College Art Association of America, The Renaissance Society of America, and the Friends of Vassar Art Gallery.[3]

She died December 4, 1984, at Vassar Brothers Hospital in Poughkeepsie, New York, at the age of 81.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Askew, Pamela; Carroll, Eugene; Drouilhet, Elizabeth; Hunter, Mary Alice; Murphy, Joan (December 1984). "Barber, Lelia, [unknown]-1984 -- Memorial Minute". Vassar College Libraries.
  2. ^ a b c d "Barber, Leila Cook". Dictionary of Art Historians. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d "Retired Vassar faculty member Leila Cook Barber, dies at age 81". Newspapers.com. Poughkeepsie Journal. 5 December 1984. p. 16. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  4. ^ a b c "Leila Cook Barber". Vassar College Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2021-03-02.
  5. ^ a b "Deaths". The Living Church. Morehouse-Gorham Company. 1951. p. 20.
  6. ^ Bryn Mawr College Calendar, Volume 20, Part 3. Bryn Mawr College. May 1927. pp. 16, 25.
  7. ^ "Barber, Leila Cook G'28". HOLLIS for Archival Discovery. President and Fellows of Harvard College. Retrieved 2021-03-02.