Barbara Knowles Debs

Barbara Knowles Debs (born in 1931) is an American art historian who was the president of Manhattanville College from 1975 to 1985.^[1][2] She was the president of the New-York Historical Society from 1989 to 1992.^[3][4][5] She is on the board of directors of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Foreign Policy Association and the Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge Foundation.^[6]

Barbara Knowles Debs
8th President of Manhattanville College
In office 1975–1985
Preceded by	Harold Delaney
Succeeded by	Jane C. Maggin
President of the New-York Historical Society
In office 1989–1992
Preceded by	James B. Bell
Succeeded by	Norman Pearlstine
Personal details
Born	Barbara Jean Knowles 1931
Spouse	Richard A. Debs
Children	Elizabeth Anderson Debs and Nicholas Debs
Education	Harvard University, Ph.D.

The former President's House at Manhattanville University is named in her honor.

Biography

Barbara Jean Knowles was born in 1931 to Stanley Freeman Knowles of Cranston, Rhode Island. In 1953 she was a Fulbright scholar to Italy. She studied art history in both Pisa and Rome, She then earned her Ph.D. from Harvard University.^[6]

On July 20, 1958 she married Richard A. Debs in Orleans, Massachusetts.^[7][8] They have a daughter, Elizabeth Anderson Debs.^[9]

By 1971 she was an assistant professor of art history at Manhattanville College.^[10] She was named president of the college in 1975 and she served until 1985.^[1] She was named president of the New-York Historical Society in 1989 and served until 1992.^[3][11] In 1995 she and her husband endowed the Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair at Carnegie Hall.^[12][13]

She was awarded the Fulbright Lifetime Achievement Medal in 2002.^[6]

Publications

• Sebastiano Del Piombo, the Venetian Works (1967)

References

1. "An Acting President At Manhattanville Named by Trustees". The New York Times. June 21, 1975. Retrieved 2009-06-25. Dr. Barbara Knowles Debs, chairman of the art history department at Manhattanville College, was named acting president of the strife-torn institution today by the board of trustees.
2. "Past Presidents". Manhattanville College. Archived from the original on 2014-06-17. Retrieved 2014-08-08. Barbara Knowles Debs, Ph.D. 1975-1985
3. "Historical Society Names Leader". The New York Times. October 2, 1992. Retrieved 2014-08-08. Mr. Pearlstine, who has been chairman of the Historical Society since April 1989, is to head a search committee to replace Dr. Barbara Knowles Debs, who retired yesterday after four years as president. ...
4. McGill, Douglas C. (August 14, 1988). "Panel Will Seek Rescue For Historical Society". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-24. In addition, Barbara Knowles Debs, an art historian who is known for her financial acumen as president of Manhattanville College from 1975 to 1985, has been named interim director of the society.
5. Yarrow, Andrew L. (April 13, 1989). "Historical Society Names New Leaders". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-06-25. The New-York Historical Society named Barbara Knowles Debs as its president and chief executive officer yesterday, and Norman Pearlstine as its new chairman.
6. "Barbara Knowles Debs". Fulbright Association. Retrieved 2014-08-08. ... A 1953 Fulbright scholar to Italy, she studied art history in Pisa and Rome and later earned her doctorate from Harvard University. ... She serves on the boards of the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Foreign Policy Association and the Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge Foundation
7. "Richard Debs". American University of Beirut. Retrieved 2014-08-08. Dr. Debs is married to Dr. Barbara Knowles Debs, former president of Manhattanville College and of The New-York Historical Society.
8. "Barbara Knowles Bride of R.A. Debs". The New York Times. July 20, 1958. Retrieved 2009-06-25. The marriage of Miss Barbara Jean Knowles, daughter of Stanley Freeman Knowles of Cranston, R. I., ...
9. "Elizabeth Anderson Debs Is Married To Stephen C. Turner". The New York Times. June 3, 1990. Retrieved 2009-06-25. In Connecticut Elizabeth Anderson Debs, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard A. Debs of New York and Greenwich, Conn., and Stephen Carmichael Turner, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Kimball Turner of Edgartown, Mass., were married yesterday at the Greenwich home of the bride's parents. ... Her mother, Dr. Barbara Knowles Debs, is the president and director of the New-York Historical Society and a former president of Manhattanville College.
10. "Think Pieces". Print Collector's Newsletter. 1971. Barbara Knowles Debs is Assistant Professor of Art History at Manhattanville College
11. "Historical Society Names Leader". The New York Times. October 2, 1992. Retrieved 2014-08-11. Norman Pearlstine, the former executive editor of The Wall Street Journal, has been named interim president of the New-York Historical Society, the society announced yesterday. Mr. Pearlstine, who has been chairman of the Historical Society since April 1989, is to head a search committee to replace Dr. Barbara Knowles Debs, who retired yesterday after four years as president. Dr. Debs will remain a trustee.
12. "Richard and Barbara Debs Composer's Chair". Carnegie Hall. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
13. "History of the Hall". Carnegie Hall. Archived from the original on 2014-08-12. Retrieved 2014-08-11. 1995 Carnegie Hall creates the Debs Composer's Chair