Dearest of Geniuses: A Life of Theodate Pope Riddle

by Sandra L. Katz

Theodate Pope Riddle was one of America's first successful female architects. She was the only child of a Cleveland millionaire whose hobby was collecting Impressionist paintings. Her first architectural project, a mansion she designed to house her father's magnificent collection, is now the Hill-Stead Museum, in Farmington, CT. Theodate was an educator, who founded the prestigious Avon Old Farms School. She created its spectacular medieval campus and developed its progressive curriculum. She was a Spiritualist, who held a major position in the Society for Psychical Research. An early feminist, Theodate did not care what others thought or said, and she rebelled against society's norms and restrictions. While an unmarried woman, she took in a two-year-old boy, and after his death from polio, she raised two more orphans. She fought the men who tried to take over her school. She spoke and did as she pleased. In May 1915, despite the danger of traveling to England, she sailed on the Lusitania, and when the ship was hit by a German torpedo, she refused to join the panicked crowd trying to get into lifeboats. Instead, she jumped into the icy Irish Sea and miraculously survived. Theo's husband, John Riddle, called her his "Dearest of Geniuses," because, despite failures, tragedies, and conflicts, Theo always forged ahead. She was an extraordinary, gifted woman, who fulfilled her ambition to make the world a more beautiful and better place.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography

380 pages, Paperback

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.