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JOHN HOWAT Obituary
The Trustees and staff of The Metropolitan Museum of Art mourn the passing of Jock Howat, who was the Museum's Lawrence A. Fleischman Chairman of the Departments of American Art from 1982 until his retirement in 2001. He served in curatorial positions at the Met for more than 33 years, with his primary focus on the construction and installation of the much-expanded American Wing, completed in 1980, followed by the opening of the Henry R. Luce Center for the Study of American Art in 1988. He was a prolific writer and witty raconteur, a renowned scholar of the work of Frederic Edwin Church, and a lover of New York history and institutions, particularly the Met. In 1982 he established the William Cullen Bryant Fellows, the American Wing support group that continues to underwrite museum scholarship. We extend our condolences to his wife Anne, daughters Laura and Karen, and the entire family. Thomas P. Campbell, Director and CEO
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Memories and Condolences
for JOHN HOWAT
1 Entry
Gloria Wells Sidnam
June 30, 2015
As a member of the William Cullen Bryant group we met Jock and I remember thinking maybe this will be a little dull.. till Jock told us a joke and I've loved him ever since.
I was a docent at the Met and one day I was in the American Wing talking to many people on the tour about the function of a Wing Chair. The wings of the chair prevented draughts but especially heat from hitting the face. People in those days put wax on their faces to cover bad skin so sitting next to the fire to keep warm would melt the wax and drip on their clothes. But the most important function was, if you lift up the seat cushion there would be a round hole on the seat with a chamber pot under the hole.
As I was telling this to the people on the tour, Jock happened to walk by and said, "Want to see???" Lifted the cushion to show the people. Only Jock would do that!
He was such a natural personno airsa genuine, warm hearted person. Everyone loved him.
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