James Rorimer

James Joseph Rorimer (September 7, 1905 – May 11, 1966), was an American museum curator and former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where he was a primary force behind the creation of the Cloisters, a branch of the museum dedicated to the art and architecture of Medieval Europe. During World War II, Rorimer served in the U.S. Army's Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives Section, a.k.a. the "Monuments Men," protecting cultural sites and recovering stolen art work.

Early life and work

Rorimer was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on September 7, 1905, the son of Edith (née Joseph) and Louis Rorimer. His family was Jewish, and their surname had originally been "Rohrheimer".

He attended high school at the University School in Cleveland. He spent 1920–1922 studying at the Ecole Gory in Paris before returning to complete his studies in the United States at Harvard University. At Harvard he studied under the museologist Paul J. Sachs and the art historian Walter Cooke. In 1927, Rorimer graduated from Harvard, magna cum laude, with a degree in fine arts.

While in Germany, Rorimer was promoted to chief of the MFAA Section of the Seventh Army Western Military District, where he was tasked to uncover and preserve significant works of art stolen by the Nazis. By all accounts he relished his role as one of the "Monuments Men," and was responsible for seizing the art collections of both Göring and Goebbels.

Postwar career After the war, Rorimer returned to the Met. In 1949, he became Director of the Cloisters, reporting directly to the Met's director, Francis Henry Taylor. In 1950, Rorimer published an account of his World War II experience called Survival: The salvage and protection of art in war. 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 of the Met, Rorimer proved 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 11-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. In September and October 1965, under Rorimer's leadership, the Museum hosted the first International Council of Museums annual meeting held outside of Europe.

Personal life In 1942, Rorimer married Katherine Serrell. They had two children, Anne and Louis.

In popular culture Rorimer was an inspiration for the character of James Granger, portrayed by Matt Damon in the George Clooney-directed film The Monuments Men, released in February 2014.