Established in 1879 from the remnants of a foundering art academy, Chicago’s first distinguished museum grew into a sturdy institution largely through the efforts of Charles L. Hutchinson, who served as its president from 1882 until his death in 1924. A son of Prairie Avenue and a leading banker, he might have devoted his life to building a great personal fortune. Instead, as a friend observed, “He had a loftier ambition than accumulating millions.”

At a time when Chicago’s burgeoning commercial might could not obscure its reputation as a cultural hinterland, Hutchinson established the foundation of a great art museum. He assembled the necessary financing, secured a spectacular lakefront site, and guided the early development of the Art Institute’s now celebrated collections. Through an enlightened exhibition program, he introduced Chicago to a universe of artistic riches.

With this lecture, cultural historian Celia Hilliard reviews the public and private life of this influential citizen who did much to educate and elevate local taste and promote Chicago’s emergence as a world city.