Diana Barrett (born 1944 or 1945) is an American philanthropist and former business professor. She is married to television host

Bob Vila Robert Joseph Vila (born June 20, 1946) is an American home improvement television show host known for ''This Old House'' (1979–1989), ''Bob Vila's Home Again'' (1990–2005), and ''Bob Vila'' (2005–2007). Early life and education Vila, a C ...

Personal life

Barrett was born in 1944 or 1945 in Mexico, as Diana Herran. As an infant, she was infected with

polio Poliomyelitis, commonly shortened to polio, is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Approximately 70% of cases are asymptomatic; mild symptoms which can occur include sore throat and fever; in a proportion of cases more severe sym ...

and therefore unable to walk until she was six; she continued to wear braces until she was a teenager. Her family is Hispanic and wealthy (her stepfather was an investment banker in New York). Barrett attended

Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar College is a private women's college in Sweet Briar, Virginia. It was established in 1901 by Indiana Fletcher Williams in memory of her deceased daughter, Daisy. The college formally opened its doors in 1906 and granted the B.A. de ...

in the 1960s, and Harvard in the 1970s. After divorcing her first husband, she decided to choose a new surname, and picked Barrett from a New York City phone directory. She met

in the mid 1970s and the two became business partners, consulting on renovating old homes. The couple married in October 1975, and have a son and two daughters.

Career

Barrett is the president and founder of the Fledgling Fund, a philanthropic organization that supports

documentary film A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a historical record". Bill Nichols has characterized the documentary in te ...

s that have a social impact. She founded the organization in 2005 with money from her father, investment banker Joseph King (1902–1980). Recipients of grants from the fund have won four

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and four

Academy Awards The Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international film industry. The awards are regarded by many as the most prestigious, significant awards in the entertainment ind ...

. She is also a member of the

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

s board of directors, which is presented by the University of Georgia's

Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication is a constituent college of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, United States. Established in 1915, Grady College offers undergraduate degrees in journalism, advertising, public re ...

. For her work supporting documentaries and educational campaigns on social issues, and her continued work as a senior citizen herself, Barrett was a 2009

encore.org Encore.org is a nonprofit organization centered around having people pursue encore career An encore career or second career is paid work later in a person's life that combines continued income, greater personal meaning, and social impact. These ...

Purpose Prize fellow. Prior to moving into philanthropy, she had been a faculty-member at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

for 25 years, teaching classes in the

Business School A business school is a university-level institution that confers degrees in business administration or management. A business school may also be referred to as school of management, management school, school of business administration, o ...

and School of Public Health.

References

External links

The Fledgling Fund
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Diana American women philanthropists Hispanic and Latino American academics Harvard Business School alumni Harvard Business School faculty Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health faculty Living people 1940s births