Helen H. Tanzer

Helen H. Tanzer (1876–1961) was a researcher, translator and educator of classical texts. She brought Roman archaeology to her students and the public through her teaching and published translation of Latin literature. She was also dedicated to the embassy of Belgium, despite being an American, and was an honorary attaché and a member of the Belgian Legion of Honor. She was honored with the Chevalier Order of Leopold II.

Family and youth Tanzer was born to parents Arnold and Ida Tanzer. Her family, which included an older brother Lawrence and a younger sister Edith, was German-speaking and Jewish. They lived in New York City.

Education and career Tanzer attended Barnard College, graduating in 1903. “English Usage, as shown by the Recent revision of the Bible" was the title of her senior thesis, showing her early interest in classical studies.

Belgian work and honors In the late 1910s, Tanzer worked in earnest with the Belgian government in the US. She edited the Belgian Bulletin and worked with Belgian Official Information Service in 1918–19. This led to her post as the honorary attaché to the Belgian embassy in Washington.

Research and publications Tanzer was first published in an anthology for her friend and fellow Hunter College educator, Margaret Barclay Wilson, called Essays in Honor of M.B. Wilson in 1922.