James Biddle ’51

Jimmy was born and raised in Andalusia, his family's superb Greek Revival house in Bucks County, Pa.; he died there in his sleep March 10, 2005.

The son of Charles J. Biddle '11, Jimmy graduated from St. Paul's magna cum laude. At Princeton he was an art and archaeology major, a member of Colonial Club, and roomed with Charlie Dodge and Barrie Slaymaker. After serving in the Army, he began his remarkable career in historic preservation and the arts. He joined the staff of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1955 and by 1963 had become curator of the American Wing. He also played a major role in preserving Olana, Frederic Church's Persian-style home in the Hudson River Valley.

Jimmy became president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1968, a post he held until his resignation in 1980. During his tenure, membership in the Trust grew to 150,000.

He also was chairman of the Drawing Society and president of the Preservation Alliance of Philadelphia, and at one time, trustee of the American Federation of Arts, the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Jimmy is survived by his children, Letitia, Pamela, and James C., and by seven grandchildren. His marriage to Louisa Copeland Duemling ended in divorce.

The Class of 1951