James J. Rorimer (1905–1966), was an American museum curator and the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar). ... 1966 (MCMLXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1966 calendar). ... Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Elevation The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums. ...

On his graduation from Harvard University in 1927, James Rorimer was immediately hired by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, beginning a career with the Met that would last his entire adult life. From his initial position as an assistant in the Decorative Arts department, he quickly rose through the ranks to become Curator of Medieval Art in 1934. Having worked closely with the previous curator, his mentor Joseph Breck, Rorimer used his new role to continue Breck's most important project : the planning and construction of the Cloisters, the new medieval extension to the Met. Harvard University (incorporated as The President and Fellows of Harvard College) is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA and a member of the Ivy League. ... Metropolitan Museum of Art New York Elevation The Metropolitan Museum of Art, often referred to simply as The Met, is one of the worlds largest and most important art museums. ... The Cloisters as seen from the Hudson River The Cloisters is one of the museums of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. ...

In 1938, the Cloisters opened, and Rorimer was named its curator, a position which brought with it new duties as fundraiser and developer for the new collection. Among the pieces purchased by Rorimer for the Cloisters are many of the collection's modern-day "signature works", including the Unicorn Tapestries. The Hunt of the Unicorn is a series of seven tapestries dating from 1495–1505. ...

Rorimer's career at the Met was interrupted by the United States' entry into World War II, and he signed up as an infantryman in the United States Army in 1943. He was soon appointed to a job more suited to his specialized skills. As head of the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section of the Western District's Seventh Army, Rorimer was tasked to uncover and preserve significant works of art stolen by the Nazis. By all accounts he relished his new role as one of the "Monuments Men," and was personally responsible for seizing the art collections of both Goering and Goebbels. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... Infantry of the Royal Irish Rifles during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. Infantry are soldiers who fight primarily on foot with small arms in organized military units, though they may be transported to the battlefield by horses, ships, automobiles, skis, or other means. ... The United States Army is one of the armed forces of the United States and has primary responsibility for land-based military operations. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1943 calendar). ... Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (also spelled Hermann Goering in English) (January 12, 1893–October 15, 1946) was a prominent and early member of the Nazi party, founder of the Gestapo, and one of the main architects of Nazi Germany. ... Joseph Goebbels Dr. Paul Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) was Adolf Hitlers Propaganda Minister (see Propagandaministerium) in Nazi Germany. ...

After the war, Rorimer returned to the Met and to a new position (in 1949) as Director of the Cloisters, reporting directly to the Met's director, Francis Henry Taylor. On Taylor's resignation in 1954, Rorimer was placed on the short list of candidates to fill his role, and he became director of the museum eight months later in 1955. As director, Rorimer proved to be a capable administrator, though his directorship was plagued by contentious battles with trustees and the museum's staff. Nonetheless, the Met acquired many new and significant works during his eleven-year tenure, including Rembrandt's Aristotle Contemplating the Bust of Homer, and attendance at the museum tripled from 2 million to 6 million visitors annually. Francis Henry Taylor (1903–57) was a distinguished American museum director and curator, heading the Metropolitan Museum of Art for fifteen years. ... 1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (July 15, 1606– October 4, 1669) is generally considered one of the greatest painters and printmakers in European art history and the most important in Dutch history. ...

Rorimer died in his sleep in 1966, of a heart attack.

Trivia

After his tour of duty in World War II, Rorimer habitually wore combat boots as part of his everyday wardrobe, even with formal suits and tuxedos.

References

• Dictionary of Art Historians page on James J. Rorimer
• Thomas Hoving. Making the Mummies Dance. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1993.

Preceded by Francis Henry Taylor

Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1955–1966

Succeeded by Thomas Hoving