The Leaders: Mary Louise Curtis Bok
Born in 1874, Mary Louise Curtis Bok was the only child of wealthy Philadelphia-based businessman Cyrus H. K. Curtis and Louisa Knapp, whose Curtis Publishing Company produced two of the most popular magazines in America—The Saturday Evening Post and The Ladies' Home Journal. Bok’s early interests included music and writing for the magazine her father founded under the pen name of Mary L. Knapp, her mother’s maiden name.
Recognized for countless philanthropic pursuits, Mary Louise Curtis Bok (1874-1970) provided André Smith with sufficient patronage to establish The Research Studio in the early 1930s. As heiress to the Curtis Publishing Company, she is noted for establishing the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia, funding the Annie Russell Theatre at Rollins College, and the construction of Bok Tower Gardens near Lake Wales, along with her husband Edward W. Bok. After Edward Bok’s death in 1930, Mary Louise married Efrem Zimbalist and was thereafter known as Mary Louise Curtis Bok Zimbalist.
Bok will also be featured in Art Legends exhibitions at the City of Orlando Terrace Gallery (October 15, 2015 through January 8, 2016) and the Orange County Regional History Center (March 5 through May 29, 2016).