Dearest of Geniuses: A Life of Theodate Pope Riddle

by Sandra L. Katz

Dearest of Geniuses is the first definitive biography of one of America’s first successful female architects, Theodate Pope Riddle (1867-1946). In addition to designing schools and private homes in Connecticut and New York, Theodate designed and supervised the reconstruction of President Theodore Roosevelt’s Birthplace in New York City. Theodate’s masterpiece is the unusual medieval campus of Avon Old Farms School, where she served as founder and pioneered a progressive curriculum far ahead of its time. The school continues to flourish today and receives ongoing acclaim as an architectural tour de force and as an innovative educational institution. According to writer and critic Brendan Gill, Theodate Pope Riddle was one of the ten most distinguished American women of the 20th century. Her friend, the famed psychologist Carl Jung, saw her as an "intuitive" woman who trusted her instincts, ignored raised eyebrows, and courageously forged ahead despite the restrictions of her day. Using Theodate’s extensive correspondence, girlhood diaries, journals, memoirs, transcripts of séances, and sittings with mediums, as well as interviews, family letters, and other sources, author Sandra L. Katz re-creates the life of this extraordinary woman.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

304 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2003

Reviews

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad I finally dove into this book after years of having it on my to-read list. It isn't a super exciting page turner but Theodate is a fascinating woman to learn more about. I would have liked to have heard her reaction to Mary Hillard's death by suicide, but Mary's passing isn't noted here. A great read for a Westover gal and it even had me wanting to go read Avon Old Farms' history book (as I learned that, like Trinity-Pawling, AOF happened to close during, but not as a result of, WWII, and then the Army came in and used the campus as a convalescent center!)

Lots of interesting anecdotes. What finally convinced me to sit down with this book was reading Dead Wake, Erik Larson's book on the sinking of the Lusitania, which prominently featured Theo as she documented the experience well in letters that have survived.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amazing woman! Despite her struggle with depression this woman persevered and became America's first female (self-taught) architect. Theo was a survivor of the R.M.S. Lusitania when it was torpedoed by a German submarine. Married John Wallace Riddle, they traveled widely and socialized with many big names such as Henry James, Dr. Carl Jung, Mary Cassatt, Edith Wharton, Charles Lindberg, Chick Austin and many more. Theo's big heart and compassion compelled her to become a foster parent to 2 yr. old orphan, Gordon Brockway (who died in 1916) and later, to orphaned boys, Donald Carson and Paul Martin. Growing up in Farmington I am familiar with Hill-Stead Museum, & Miss Porter's School. Now I know her story. Great read!

Her accomplishments: Hill-Stead, Farmington, CT (1901); West-Over School, Middlebury, CT (1906-09); Highfield for Joseph and Elizabeth Chamberlain, Middlebury, CT (1911-14); Builds 3 houses for Hill-Stead workers at 179, 181 and 185 Garden Street, Farmington (1914-15); Dormer House for Mrs. Charles Gates, Locust Valley, Long Island, New York (1913); Constructs Hop Brook School, Naugatuck, CT (1914-15); Licensed as an architect in New York State (1916); Accepted into the American Institute of Architects (1918); Reconstructs Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace, New York City (1920-22); Begins construction of Avon Old Farms School, Avon, CT (1921); Avon Old Farms School opens (1927); Licensed as Connecticut’s sixth woman architect (1933)

[outsiderart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This nuanced, expertly-written and tightly researched biography offers a compassionate yet clear-eyed portrayal of a fascinating and influential woman who was a riddle in both name and person. A singular and sometimes difficult personality, Theodate could seem a model for a Whartonian or Jamesian character, with a flashes and dashes of Nellie Bly and Margaret Fuller, but she was her own woman whose accomplishments and innovations in architecture and education continue to have an effect to this day and whose personal behind-the-profession story begs for PBS production. Testament to her qualities is her husband's epistolary salutation to her -- "Dearest of Geniuses."

[Mary Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoy reading books about my state. I am familiar with the Hill-Stead museum and will now visit it when time allows. I enjoyed reading about Mrs. Riddle’s life and times along with her accomplishments.

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

certainly told us more about Theodate Pope Riddle but wasnt exactly riveting. with all the personal letters and diaries I would have hoped for a more indepth study of who was this extraordinary woman

[Andrea Homier · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good book about a fascinating, generous, and great woman who people often ridiculed and sometimes abandoned and betrayed. As this biography reads, her innate greatness and her determination to act on and use her talents for art and humanity, as well as her determination to act on her beliefs (truly being consistent and authentic) created both enemies and a legacy by which many people have been enriched. I was particularly struck by Theodate's dedication to excellence, her determination to be true to herself, her progressive ideals, and her generosity in caring for others and sharing her wealth. She is an inspiration.

Theodate also lived and worked in high society and intimately knew many academics, artists, decision-makers, politicians, and royalty, besides marrying, at 50, a fascinating man in his own right. The background/history/context in this biography is as fascinating as the story of Theodate herself. Overall, I found the biography well-researched and written, although I am sure there are other perspectives out there, as it was written quite sympathetically. Great read.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sought out this thoroughly engrossing biography after reading about her harrowing ordeal on the Lusitania in Erik Larson's book, "Dead Wake." A wealthy daughter of privilege, Pope was nonetheless brilliant, iconoclastic, and exhaustively hardworking in her groundbreaking (no pun intended) architectural pursuits. Physically and mentally tough, she survived the sinking of the Lusitania, it seems, through a combination of dumb luck and sheer willpower. She went on to create the blueprints for and oversee the construction of, among others, the legendary Avon Old Farms School in Connecticut.

Yes, she had an odd and confusing personal life, and was batty over spiritualism for a time. So were many of her class in those days. Her achievements stand to this day. An American original, one of the first female architects in the U.S., and a woman worth including in any womens' studies curriculum anywhere.

[Steph (loves water) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A thorough look into the life of an amazing woman. One of the first woman architects in the U.S. she blazed a trail for independent women everywhere. A fascinating account of an interesting life, this woman is a heroine to many. Loved this book!

[Marie-pierre Stien · Rating 3 out of 5]

No idea how I came to own this book. It's dense and almost academic in its writing but I'll read any biography of a strong woman.