Barbara Holdridge

Barbara Ann Holdridge ( Cohen; July 26, 1929 – June 9, 2025) was an American recording executive. Together with her business partner, Marianne Mantell, she co-founded Caedmon Records in 1952. As an entirely female-owned company Caedmon stressed gender equality and focused on many women's writings. She was a pioneer in the genre of spoken word literary recordings, and is considered to have laid the foundation for modern audio books.

Holdridge attended Hunter College in New York, receiving her BA in 1950 after majoring in Humanities. She was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated cum laude. She continued her graduate education in Humanities at Columbia University, also in New York, but then turned her attention to founding Caedmon Records with her college friend Marianne Roney, in 1952.

Career In 1952 Holdridge was working for Liveright Publishers in New York and Roney (later Mantell) was employed by a New York recordings producer. When they heard that the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was going to be speaking at the 92nd Street YMCA, they went to hear him read his poetry. The partners sent Thomas a note offering him a business proposition: to record Thomas reading his poetry and the partners would market the recording under their newly conceived record label, Caedmon Records. Thomas, Holdridge and Mantell made history with the poet's reading of his story, “A Child's Christmas in Wales” on the B side of the album. a subsidiary of Raytheon. Holdridge remained with Caedmon for an additional five years as president of the reorganized company.

Awards and recognition In 2002 Holdridge was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and subsequently the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame. She is also an inductee of Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honorary Society. She, together with Marianne Mantell, was given a Special Lifetime Achievement Award at the Audie Awards in 2001 for founding Caedmon Records.

Together with her husband, Holdridge is recognized as the co-discoverer and researcher of the 19th-century American portrait painter Ammi Phillips, whose works were on display at important museums as several different unknown American masters. Larry and Barbara Holdridge were recognized and honored by the Museum of American Folk Art for their important contribution to art.

For her dedication to creating its gardens and beautifying the grounds of her home the 18th century Stemmer House in Owings Mills, Maryland, Holdridge received an award from the Baltimore County Historical Trust in 2007. She was serving on the board of directors of Phi Beta Kappa Alumni Association of Greater Baltimore at the time of her death.