Francis F. Dowley ’36

Frank died of natural causes Dec. 5, 2003, at the U. of Chicago Hospital. He was 89.

He prepared at St. Joseph's School in Philadelphia. At Princeton he majored in philosophy and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1936. He earned a master's degree in philosophy in 1941 and a PhD in art history in 1955 from the U. of Chicago. During WWII he enlisted in 1943 and served three years in Naval Intelligence, attaining the rank of lieutenant. Most of that time Frank was assigned to DC and Japan.

From 1947-49 he researched 18th-century French portraiture in Paris on a fellowship from the American Council of Learned Societies. In 1949 he started teaching at the U. of Chicago and spent the rest of his career there, receiving tenure in 1958 and a full professorship in 1974.

Frank was known for his vast knowledge of art history and his enthusiasm in working with his students. We are not aware of any survivors.

The Class of 1936