Erica O'Donnell

Erica Marie-Josèphe O'Donnell (married name Kisielewski; 11 March 1920 – 12 March 1999) was an Irish art historian and SOE officer. In 1964, O'Donnell founded the Study Centre for the History of the Fine and Decorative Arts and served as the inaugural director until 1990. From these informal roots, O'Donnell founded the Study Centre for the History of the Fine and Decorative Arts in 1964. The course received far more applications than places, and the demand led to other universities establishing their own, similar courses. Some of the graduates from the course during O'Donnell's tenure included Giles Waterfield and Timothy Schroder.

In 1990, O'Donnell was awarded an MBE for her services to the Centre, and retired as its director the same year.

The National Archives at Kew hold papers relating to O'Donnell and the Centre from 1955 to 1975.

Personal life In 1958, O'Donnell married Józef Kisielewski (1905–1966), a Polish writer, journalist and politician. Kisielewski and O'Donnell had two children.

On 12 March 1999, O'Donnell died in London aged 79.