The Life & Legacy of Baroness Betty De Rothschild

Betty Rothschild grew up in Frankfurt nurtured in Jewish tradition and tutored in French, music, and drawing. At nineteen, she married her uncle James and moved to Paris where she presided over a salon famous for its opulence and the brilliance of its guests. Betty was a friend of Queen Marie-Amelie, the pupil of Chopin, and was painted by Ingres. She prepared her five children to assume leading roles in French society while simultaneously serving the Jewish community. She devoted her vast energy to philanthropic activities with a particular emphasis on the needs of young Jewish women.

The Author: Laura S. Schor is a recognized scholar in modern French history. She has written books about women silk workers in Lyon, about the best-selling schoolbooks of Zulma Carraud, and about the struggle for women’s rights and workers’ rights in the life of Flora Tristan. She has also curated an exhibit and written a catalogue about the lithographs of Edouard de Beaumont. Dr. Schor is a pioneer in teaching women’s history and has contributed to scholarly publications and meetings in the United States and Europe. She also has a distinguished career as an academic administrator at the University of Cincinnati, at Hunter College of the City University of New York, and, most recently, as the founding Dean of the CUNY Honors College.