James Rorimer | |
---|---|
Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art | |
In office 1955–1966 | |
Preceded by | Francis Henry Taylor |
Succeeded by | Thomas Hoving |
Personal details | |
Born | James Joseph Rorimer September 7, 1905 Cleveland, Ohio |
Died | May 11, 1966 New York, NY | (aged 60)
Spouse |
Katherine Serrell (m. 1942) |
Children | 2 |
Parent(s) | Louis Rorimer Edith Joseph |
Alma mater | Harvard University |
James Joseph Rorimer[1] (September 7, 1905 – May 11, 1966), was an American museum curator and former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he was a primary force behind the creation of the Cloisters, a branch of the museum dedicated to the art and architecture of Medieval Europe. During World War II, Rorimer served in the U.S. Army's Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section, a.k.a. the "Monuments Men," protecting cultural sites and recovering stolen art work.