Saturday, September 29th, marked the hundredth birthday of the late Paul Mellon ’25, a beloved benefactor of Choate Rosemary Hall. On this momentous occasion, a reservation-only event was held in the Andrew Mellon Library Reading Room, called “100 Years of Paul Mellon: A Celebration of His Life and Legacy”. The purpose of this affair was to honor the passion for art and literature that Paul Mellon had expressed during his lifetime.
When the forty-odd attendees, a mixture of alumni, faculty, and students, had settled into their seats, Mr. Courcey, Director of Deveopment, gave a short introductory speech. Shortly after, the featured speaker, Scott Wilcox, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Yale Center for British Art, spoke about the legendary art enthusiast in his speech “Paul Mellon as a Collector”. Mr. Mellon was a Yale alum and had made large donations to his alma mater throughout his life.
After this formal commemoration, there was an hour of mingling during which the audience chatted about the life and legacy of Mr. Mellon. Nick Greenway ’08, his greatgrandson, was present.
There were also a few subtle tributes to Mr. Mellon around campus in the days leading up to Saturday’s event. At the Paul Mellon Arts Center, a large portrait of him was displayed. In the library, several framed Archives were set up in one corner of the Reading Room, offering information about his life and achievements. Pamphlets describing his monetary, intellectual, and artistic contributions to Choate in the past nine decades were distributed as well.
Known as one of the most renowned collectors of English art in the 20th century, Paul Mellon has left a legendary footprint on Choate’s campus.
