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100 YEARS OF NEW YORK SCHOOL OF INTERIOR DESIGN: 1916–2016 | NOTABLE FACULTY FROM NYSID’S PAST
JENS RISOM | 1951–1957
MICHAEL GREER | 1955–1976
NANCY JO FOX | 1976–1991
Risom, a Danish-born furniture designer, is widely credited with introducing Scandinavian furniture to American audiences. He designed for Knoll in the 1940s, working on both furniture and interiors. At NYSID he lectured on Modern Interior Design, Contemporary Trends in Decoration, and Planning the Contemporary Interior.
Greer, a NYSID graduate and interior designer, was a lecturer and a member of the school’s Advisory Committee. He was a key figure in the redecoration of the Diplomatic Reception Room at the White House during the Eisenhower administration, and was a founding member of the National Society of Interior Designers (NSID), serving as president from 1958 to 1959.
A specialist in folk art, Fox lectured on color and materials for 25 years. While teaching at NYSID, she also obtained a master’s degree from the American Folk Art Museum and curated the museum’s 1986 exhibition “Liberties with Liberty,” which explored depictions of women in American folk art.
VIRGINIA HAMILL | 1927–1940
A decorative arts consultant, Hamill was one of the first female industrial designers. Her work spanned many genres, including product, interiors, exhibition design, and retail merchandising. At NYSID, she taught Period and Modern Styles. ROBERT MURRAY | 1954–1982
After receiving a design diploma from NYSID in 1952, Murray went on to design traditional interiors for the prestigious firm Thedlow Inc. At NYSID, he taught Color Schemes and Color Harmony, Design Elements, and Presentation Techniques. JOHN H. LAMARRE | 1954–1991
An art historian and fine art and antiques appraiser by training, LaMarre taught many courses in his area of expertise— among them Accessories and Buying Antiques—for almost four decades. BETTY PEPIS | 1955–1968
Pepis was a widely syndicated home furnishings columnist who authored several books: Be Your Own Decorator, The Personal Touch in Interior Decorating, and Interior Decoration A to Z. She was the home editor of The New York Times from 1950 to 1956 and, in the early 1960s, a features editor at House & Garden. Her NYSID courses included Contemporary Styles and Contemporary Trends in Decoration.
RUBEN DE SAAVEDRA | 1978–1990
Pepper, a graduate of Barnard, MIT, and the Sorbonne, had a prolific career as a design consultant, including work on an early version of the United Nations Security Council meeting room. Pepper served as president of The Decorators Club from 1976 to 1977 and was vice president of the Fine Arts Federation of New York.
De Saavedra received a Design Diploma from NYSID in 1955 and owned a residential interior design firm that was known for lavish yet unstuffy spaces, many of which were seen in the pages of Architectural Digest and Vogue Decoration. He was one of the first chairmen of the Kips Bay Boys & Girls Club Designers’ Committee. He taught classes on client relations, among other topics.
AUDRE FIBER | 1961–1971
JOHN PILE | 1978–1997
An interior designer and entrepreneur, Fiber ran her own firm. In addition to designing residential interiors, she also conceived window displays for Saks Fifth Avenue. As an instructor, she lectured on Wall Treatments and Backgrounds, Character Expression, and Personality in Design.
A respected design historian and author, Pile taught various courses on the subject of 20th-century design. He was the author of Interior Design, now in its 4th edition, A History of Interior Design, and many other books, some cowritten with Norman Diekman.
ELEANOR PEPPER | 1960–1989
MAGGIE COHEN | 1981–1999 MARTHA LUDLAM | 1962–1993
Ludlam received her Design Diploma in 1954 and joined the NYSID faculty eight years later. She taught Color and helped develop classes on professional procedures, estimating, room character, and sources of supply. In addition to serving as president of The Decorators Club in the mid-1980s, she held executive positions within ASID. Ludlam also had her own practice in Manhattan.
After receiving her Design Diploma from NYSID in 1976, Cohen taught Residential Design courses for two decades. She was president of the ASID NY Metro Chapter and is owner and principal of Room Service Design Inc. DAVID GARRARD LOWE | 1982–1996
An architectural historian and author of numerous books, including Stanford White’s New York and Beaux Arts New York, Lowe taught a variety of history courses at NYSID, including Art Décor, The Beaux-Arts Tradition, and The Great Designers.