Former Art Museum Director Dies at 81

John P. Coolidge '35, Boardman professor of fine arts, emeritus and former director of the Fogg Art Museum, died on July 31, at Massachusetts General Hospital. He was 81.

Coolidge's career as a scholar and teacher spanned nearly six decades and also included a term as president of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.

"He was a man of great sympathy and compassion," John M. Rosenfield, Rockefeller professor of oriental art, emeritus and former acting director of the Fogg said in a statement. "He regularly used his authority as professor and museum official to help young scholars and promote new causes. Born into a family long distinguished for its service to Harvard University and, indeed, to the entire nation, John Coolidge had a profound, instinctive sense of social responsibility."

Rosenfield said, "The many persons whose lives he touched will never forget his personal qualities of great civility and lyrical gentleness."

"In losing John Coolidge we have been deprived of a good friend, a fine scholar, a generous teacher," President Neil L. Rudenstine said in a statement. "When I first met him in the early 1960s, he was encouraging graduate students and junior faculty members to view the Fogg as a place to pursue their interest in [for example] Frank Stella, Jackson Pollock, Anthony Caro, and Kenneth Noland--as well as in the Mannerists, in 20th-century photographers, and in Dutch and Flemish print makers. This wise eclectic spirit nurtured the Museum, and infused the Department, in a way that allowed individuals and the University to flourish together.

"John Coolidge was the soul of courtesy," Rudenstine added. "He also embodied an aesthetic taste and intellectual style which combined New English naturalness with the cultivation of a well-traveled and well trained eye and mind."

"When he began at Harvard and at the Fogg, he found things in fine and fresh early bloom," Rudenstine aid. "By the time he left, he had brought them to full flower. We shall miss him: for himself, and also for the way that he allows us--through him--to reach backward in time, touching the very origins of our history in the serious study and collection of art, and in a serious effort to understand and respond imaginatively to art at Harvard."

Cabot Director of the Harvard University Art Museums James Cuno said in a statement, "It is with a profound sense of personal loss that we acknowledge the recent death of John Coolidge. John was more than a colleague to us. He was a generous, personal friend to students, faculty colleagues, and museum staff. His cheerful presence will be deeply missed.

"I first met John as a graduate student 18 years ago," Cuno continued. "As he did with many students, he sought me out, introduced himself and took me to lunch. He loved meeting students and talking with us about our hopes and aspirations. And in the bargain he instilled in us a reallove of the institution, both of the Art Museumsand of Harvard."

The son of Julian Coolidge, a former Harvardprofessor of mathematics, John P. Coolidge wasborn in Cambridge on December 16, 1913. Hereceived the A.B. degree from Harvard in 1935 andthen studied at Columbia University ArchitecturalSchool in 1935-36. For the next 12 years hestudied at the Institute of Fine Arts, New YorkUniversity, from which he received an A.M. in 1939and a Ph.D. in 1948. He was also a founding memberof the Society of Architectural Historians in 1940and served on its Board of Directors. During thistime he taught at Vassar (1937-39) and served inthe U.S. Navy (1943-46). He also taught at theUniversity of Pennsylvania before coming toHarvard as an assistant professor in 1947.

In 1948 Coolidge was named Associate Professorand Director of the Fogg Art Museum. During his20-year tenure as Director, he championed andstrengthened the holdings in the Fogg,particularly in contemporary art, and committedthe museum to expanded educational services. Hetrained dozens of students intending careers inthe museum profession. Under his supervisionstudents organized special exhibitions and soughtworks of art for acquisition. The works heobtained for the Fogg Art Museum during his tenurewere notable for their high aesthetic quality.

Stuart Cary Welch, Curator of Islamic and LaterIndian Art, Emeritus, described Coolidge as"completely dedicated to the arts at Harvard andthe Boston Museum of Fine Arts, perhaps atconsiderable cost to his work as a scholar. He wasalways extremely helpful and encouraging to me. Hewas a man of great breadth in his appreciation ofart, overseeing the growth of the Fogg'scollection in many areas."

"John led the Fogg Museum during a mostimportant period in its history," said James Cuno."At the terribly young age of 35 he succeeded thegreat co-directors, Edward Forbes and Paul J.Sachs, whose success had been enormous and whoseinfluence was still pervasive. His job was to movethe museum forward in the immediate andfinancially precarious post-war years, and he didso with characteristic good judgment and clarityof purpose.

"Of all the many things he will be rememberedfor as director, at least among students of mygeneration, will be his trust in students whowished to work with the museum and who wanted tobring contemporary art into its collections. Itwas typical of John that he encouraged the youngscholar Michael Fried to mount a provocativeexhibition of recent American painting, ThreeAmerican Painters: Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski,Frank Stella (1965) and to publish what quicklybecame the signal statement on the new paintings'style and purpose. At the same time, he acquiredfor the Fogg our first paintings by thatgeneration, Morris Louis' Color Barrier and BlueVeil, and Kenneth Noland's Hover and Karma (giftof the artist)."

Coolidge became a full professor in the FineArts Department in 1955. He resigned as Directorof the Fogg in 1968 and after a year's sabbaticalreturned to teach at Harvard in 1969-1970. Hecontinued to teach at Harvard until 1984.Professor Coolidge was a Trustee of the BostonMuseum of Fine Arts from 1949 to 1975, and heserved as President of the Museum from 1973-1975.

Professor Coolidge is the author of Mill andMansion (1942), a socioarchitectural study ofLowell, Massachusetts, Studies on Vignola: AStudy of Central Italian Architecture in theMid-Sixteenth Century (1950), Patrons andArchitects: Designing Art Museums in the TwentiethCentury (1989) and Gustave Dore'sLondon (1994). He also wrote a number ofarticles on American architecture and Baroquesculpture. In 1983 the Journal of the Society ofArchitectural Historians dedicated an issue (March1983) to John Coolidge in honor of his 70thbirthday.

In her "Homage to John Coolidge" the Editor,Naomi Miller, wrote: "Few occasions could haveelicited such an outpouring of gratitude--aneagerness to participate in paying tribute to ascholar, teacher, and friend who has been activewith this journal since its inception...Thequality of the contributions bears testimony toJohn Coolidge's prominence in the field."

Keith N. Morgan, president of the Society ofArchitectural Historians, stated that "JohnCoolidge was one of the dominant scholars in thediscipline of architectural history and one of themost generous individuals anyone could ever havethe privilege to know.

His widely read scholarship ranged from studiesin the Italian Renaissance to a monograph on theindustrial architecture of nineteenth-century NewEngland. He was a teacher whose influence willcontinue for many years."

Professor Coolidge was appointed BinghamProfessor, University of Louisville in 1985. Hewas appointed Samuel H. Kress Professor for the1991-1992 academic year at the National Gallery ofArt's Center for Advanced Study in Visual Arts.The position is reserved for a distinguished arthistorian, who, as a senior member of the Center,pursues scholarly work and counsels predoctoralfellows in their dissertation research.

The funeral service will be private. There willbe a Memorial Service at Memorial Church, HarvardUniversity, in October.

Professor Coolidge is survived by his wife,Mary Welch Coolidge; his daughter, Mary-ElizabethWarren; his brother, Archibald Coolidge; hissisters, Theresa Cerutti, Rachel Kimball, JaneWhitehill, and Elizabeth Moizeau; hisgrandchildren, John Coolidge Warren and SarahWarren Jaffe; and his great-grandchildren, EthanWarren and Amanda Warren.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be sent tothe Fogg Art Museum for the John Coolidge ObjectsLaboratory renovation project

The son of Julian Coolidge, a former Harvardprofessor of mathematics, John P. Coolidge wasborn in Cambridge on December 16, 1913. Hereceived the A.B. degree from Harvard in 1935 andthen studied at Columbia University ArchitecturalSchool in 1935-36. For the next 12 years hestudied at the Institute of Fine Arts, New YorkUniversity, from which he received an A.M. in 1939and a Ph.D. in 1948. He was also a founding memberof the Society of Architectural Historians in 1940and served on its Board of Directors. During thistime he taught at Vassar (1937-39) and served inthe U.S. Navy (1943-46). He also taught at theUniversity of Pennsylvania before coming toHarvard as an assistant professor in 1947.

In 1948 Coolidge was named Associate Professorand Director of the Fogg Art Museum. During his20-year tenure as Director, he championed andstrengthened the holdings in the Fogg,particularly in contemporary art, and committedthe museum to expanded educational services. Hetrained dozens of students intending careers inthe museum profession. Under his supervisionstudents organized special exhibitions and soughtworks of art for acquisition. The works heobtained for the Fogg Art Museum during his tenurewere notable for their high aesthetic quality.

Stuart Cary Welch, Curator of Islamic and LaterIndian Art, Emeritus, described Coolidge as"completely dedicated to the arts at Harvard andthe Boston Museum of Fine Arts, perhaps atconsiderable cost to his work as a scholar. He wasalways extremely helpful and encouraging to me. Hewas a man of great breadth in his appreciation ofart, overseeing the growth of the Fogg'scollection in many areas."

"John led the Fogg Museum during a mostimportant period in its history," said James Cuno."At the terribly young age of 35 he succeeded thegreat co-directors, Edward Forbes and Paul J.Sachs, whose success had been enormous and whoseinfluence was still pervasive. His job was to movethe museum forward in the immediate andfinancially precarious post-war years, and he didso with characteristic good judgment and clarityof purpose.

"Of all the many things he will be rememberedfor as director, at least among students of mygeneration, will be his trust in students whowished to work with the museum and who wanted tobring contemporary art into its collections. Itwas typical of John that he encouraged the youngscholar Michael Fried to mount a provocativeexhibition of recent American painting, ThreeAmerican Painters: Kenneth Noland, Jules Olitski,Frank Stella (1965) and to publish what quicklybecame the signal statement on the new paintings'style and purpose. At the same time, he acquiredfor the Fogg our first paintings by thatgeneration, Morris Louis' Color Barrier and BlueVeil, and Kenneth Noland's Hover and Karma (giftof the artist)."

Coolidge became a full professor in the FineArts Department in 1955. He resigned as Directorof the Fogg in 1968 and after a year's sabbaticalreturned to teach at Harvard in 1969-1970. Hecontinued to teach at Harvard until 1984.Professor Coolidge was a Trustee of the BostonMuseum of Fine Arts from 1949 to 1975, and heserved as President of the Museum from 1973-1975.

Professor Coolidge is the author of Mill andMansion (1942), a socioarchitectural study ofLowell, Massachusetts, Studies on Vignola: AStudy of Central Italian Architecture in theMid-Sixteenth Century (1950), Patrons andArchitects: Designing Art Museums in the TwentiethCentury (1989) and Gustave Dore'sLondon (1994). He also wrote a number ofarticles on American architecture and Baroquesculpture. In 1983 the Journal of the Society ofArchitectural Historians dedicated an issue (March1983) to John Coolidge in honor of his 70thbirthday.

In her "Homage to John Coolidge" the Editor,Naomi Miller, wrote: "Few occasions could haveelicited such an outpouring of gratitude--aneagerness to participate in paying tribute to ascholar, teacher, and friend who has been activewith this journal since its inception...Thequality of the contributions bears testimony toJohn Coolidge's prominence in the field."

Keith N. Morgan, president of the Society ofArchitectural Historians, stated that "JohnCoolidge was one of the dominant scholars in thediscipline of architectural history and one of themost generous individuals anyone could ever havethe privilege to know.

His widely read scholarship ranged from studiesin the Italian Renaissance to a monograph on theindustrial architecture of nineteenth-century NewEngland. He was a teacher whose influence willcontinue for many years."

Professor Coolidge was appointed BinghamProfessor, University of Louisville in 1985. Hewas appointed Samuel H. Kress Professor for the1991-1992 academic year at the National Gallery ofArt's Center for Advanced Study in Visual Arts.The position is reserved for a distinguished arthistorian, who, as a senior member of the Center,pursues scholarly work and counsels predoctoralfellows in their dissertation research.

The funeral service will be private. There willbe a Memorial Service at Memorial Church, HarvardUniversity, in October.

Professor Coolidge is survived by his wife,Mary Welch Coolidge; his daughter, Mary-ElizabethWarren; his brother, Archibald Coolidge; hissisters, Theresa Cerutti, Rachel Kimball, JaneWhitehill, and Elizabeth Moizeau; hisgrandchildren, John Coolidge Warren and SarahWarren Jaffe; and his great-grandchildren, EthanWarren and Amanda Warren.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial may be sent tothe Fogg Art Museum for the John Coolidge ObjectsLaboratory renovation project