Josephine Ott

Le monde est devenu un peu plus triste avec la morte de notre très chère Mlle Ott... comme tellement d'autres, j'ai eu le plaisir, le privilège d'être son étudiante à Paris (1977-78) et elle m'a inspirée de devenir professeur de français. Elle aura à tout jamais en endroit spécial dans mon cur... comme toujours, bien affectueusement. Que Dieu la tienne dans sa main et cur.

Josephine Ott was with our Smith Abroad group in Aix-en-Provence and Paris in 1978-79. She will forever be one of the heroic, magical people in my life! In my memories of that transformative year abroad Miss Ott plays a central role. With great vigor she climbed the hill and guided us through the Pont du Gard. She gave us a brief and oh-so-memorable introduction to Chartres Cathedral, as our motor coach was approaching the town and the cathedral was emerging on the horizon in dramatic...

What a remarkable woman. I am so happy to have seen her this past spring at one of her lovely brunches and to have been in touch for 46 years. I was one of four art majors, testing her and the French educational systems' faith in us and in the notion that the Junior Year Abroad had much to offer to non-French majors. In 1971, she persuaded L'Ecole des Beaux Arts, where purple and yellow painted busts of Poussin and Pugin were an ongoing reminder of the chaos of 1968, to grant us conditional...

I am among the many Smith alumnae who had the privilege of knowing, learning from (both inside and outside the classroom) and loving Jo Ott for many years, and now share the sorrow of losing her. She had the fullest life I can imagine and the finest sense of humor as well as the best knowledge of what was truly important in life. On more than one occasion she helped me in ways only a true friend would think to do. For the last few days I've been walking around feeling as though my mother...

Mlle. Ott was a genuine inspiration in my life, and as the Director of my Junior Year in Paris, she influenced me in more ways than I can count. She was an excellent listener, a trusted advisor, and a constant support. It was thanks to Mlle. Ott's recommendation that I continued my studies in French at Duke under the direction of Dr. Wallace Fowlie. It is not an exaggeration to say that my Junior Year in Paris with Mlle. Ott changed my life. My personal love of the language and all things...

My family and I are extremely saddened about the passing of Mlle. Ott. I along with so many others had the privilege of knowing Mlle. Ott, Mlle. Weed and of course, Mlle. Delage. I spent my junior year with Jo in Paris from 1977-1978. She was always there for us and we (along with her other students) became a special sort of family while in Paris and for years to come. My sincerest condolences particularly to Marie Jose Delage. May Mlle. Ott rest in peace. With a heavy heart , I say...

I spent my Junior Year in Paris in 1961-2 with Mlle Ott leading us. I will always remember her words about how we should only speak French while in France: "chaque mot d"anglais, c"est un pas en arriere" and even spoke French with my sister who was in my group that year. I am still fluent in French and thank Mlle Ott every time I use my French. In large measure, thanks to her, my Junior year was the highlight of my Smith experience.
I also came to reunion partially to attend her...

Mlle Ott will be remembered fondly by all of us who were fortunate enough to have been in her classes or who spent a year abroad with her. She lovingly kept us in line, handing out our monthly allowance so we didn't overspend, while encouraging us to pursue our mutual love of the French language. JYA in Geneva was one of the best year's of my life and I will always associate that with Mlle Ott!

I was lucky to spend my JYA in Geneva with Mme Ott. Being a fellow Wellesley (now alum), I felt special kinship with her. She was truly amazing and an inspiration to me during that year and far beyond. She inspired in me a love of Paris, of France, and I am a Francophile in large part because of her. She will be sorely missed. My condolences to her family.