Eliza Greene Radeke ( Metcalf; 1854–1931) was the president of the

Rhode Island School of Design The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD , pronounced "Riz-D") is a private art and design school in Providence, Rhode Island. The school was founded as a coeducational institution in 1877 by Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf, who sought to increase th ...

(RISD) in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence () is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Rhode Island, most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The county seat of Providence County, Rhode Island, Providence County, it is o ...

from 1913 to 1931 and was the daughter of RISD co-founder Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf.

Biography

Eliza Greene Metcalf was born in

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

on December 11, 1854 while her father, Jesse Metcalf was working as a cotton buyer. Her mother, Helen, was the co-founder of RISD in 1877. Her brother, Jesse H. Metcalf, was a U.S. Senator from Rhode Island. Eliza Metcalf attended Dr. Stockbridge's School in Providence and then received her A.B. from

Vassar College Vassar College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York, United States. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. The college be ...

in 1876. She later received an honorary A.M. from

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

in 1914. Eliza Metcalf married Dr. Gustav Radeke, M.D., of Providence on May 27, 1880. In 1913 several years after her mother's death, Eliza Radeke became President of the

(RISD) and served on the Women's Advisory Committee of the Women's College at Brown University. She served as a director of the

American Federation of Arts The American Federation of Arts (AFA) is a nonprofit organization that creates art exhibitions for presentation in museums around the world, publishes exhibition catalogues, and develops education programs. The organization’s founding in 1909 ...

. She was a member of the Unitarian Church and pursued various outdoor activities. Radeke was noted for her collection of Pennsylvania German pottery, begun in 1911; she was one of the first major collectors to focus on the field of American

folk art Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Radeke, Eliza G. 1854 births 1931 deaths Presidents of the Rhode Island School of Design Educators from Providence, Rhode Island American Unitarians Rhode Island School of Design faculty Vassar College alumni Pembroke College in Brown University alumni

Biography

See also

References