Women of Reid Hall

Born in Japan, Helen Waddell was an Irish writer and scholar who began her studies at Oxford at the age of 31. After two years in Paris as a fellow at the American University Women’s Club, she became a literary sensation in the late 1920s and 1930s. 

Waddell first gained acclaim with The Wandering Scholars (1927), an exploration of 12th- and 13th-century goliards, followed by the widely praised Beasts and Saints (1934) and The Desert Fathers (1936). Her fascination with the medieval scholar Peter Abelard and his tragic love story with Héloise inspired her only novel, the celebrated Peter Abelard (1933).

Though her life was tragically cut short by Alzheimer’s disease, Waddell’s contributions to literature and medieval studies continue to be rediscovered and celebrated.

More on Helen Waddell.

Coming soon.

Anna Ladd was an unconventional American sculptor whose work bridged art and humanity. During World War I, she founded the Studio for Portrait Masks under the American Red Cross, crafting face masks that restored both the appearance and self-esteem of soldiers disfigured by war. This remarkable contribution earned her France’s prestigious Legion of Honor.

While she is best known for her wartime efforts, Ladd lectured widely as an outspoken theorist on art and sculpture. In a 1925 public address, she declared:

“Sculptors, to be any good at all, have to touch all sides of life. They must have the physical strength of a blacksmith, the skill of a carpenter, the precision of a dentist, the knowledge of anatomy and psychology of a physician. They must have the soul of a poet and the creative energy of a god.”

More on Anna Ladd.

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Two remarkable women brought humanity’s oldest stories etched in stone to light. Mary Boyle and Suzanne de Saint-Mathurin, pioneers in prehistoric art, were key collaborators of the renowned Abbé Henri Breuil. Together, they explored and documented ancient petroglyphs, spanning Europe’s caves to Africa’s cliffs. Boyle’s vivid illustrations and writings, combined with de Saint-Mathurin’s groundbreaking discoveries—such as the Magdalenian frieze in France’s Rhone Valley—transformed our understanding of prehistoric art. Both scholars, Boyle from Scotland and de Saint-Mathurin from France, resided at Reid Hall in the 1930s as members of the University Women’s Club.

More on Mary Boyle.

More on Suzanne de Saint-Mathurin.

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Reid Hall’s Elizabeth Taylor was no Hollywood star, but a pioneering 19th-century explorer and artist. Driven by scientific curiosity and fierce independence, Taylor journeyed from her birthplace in Columbus, Ohio, to the bohemian heart of Montparnasse, and onward to the icy expanses of the Arctic. Through vivid articles and sketches published in prominent periodicals, she chronicled her adventures across Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and the Faroe Islands. During her time at Reid Hall in the early days of the Girls’ Art Club, Taylor focused on documenting wildlife, with her work later showcased in exhibitions by the American Woman's Art Association.

More on Elizabeth Taylor.

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We are joined by Mary Louise Taylor, great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, who will offer a glimpse into the lives and motivations of the Reid women and their significant global philanthropic contributions. After Elisabeth Mills Reid purchased the property in 1911, she oversaw a period of transformation, enhancing the estate and fostering a vibrant artistic community. Her daughter-in-law, Helen Rogers Reid, later took over management, during which Reid Hall became home to the University Women's Club from 1922 to 1939. After a wartime pause, its study abroad programs resumed, and in 1964, Helen Rogers Reid generously gifted Reid Hall to Columbia University.

Mary Louise Taylor, great-great-granddaughter of Elisabeth Mills Reid and great-granddaughter of Helen Rogers Reid, resides in New York City, where she works in asset management. In addition to researching her family history, she served as Research Lead for Sunita Kumar Nair’s recent book Carolyn Bessette Kennedy: A Life in Fashion.

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Brunhilde Biebuyck, Director of Reid Hall and the Columbia Global Center in Paris, welcomes you to 4 rue de Chevreuse. Today, this address houses several Columbia University initiatives in Paris, serving as a vibrant hub for intellectual exploration across the arts, humanities, and social sciences.

But when, and how, did it become Reid Hall? In 1893, American philanthropist Elisabeth Mills Reid began leasing the property, using her vision and resources to create a cultural nexus that connected women artists with instructors, wealthy patrons, and collectors. Renamed Reid Hall in 1928, it became a home and haven for American and international women artists, students, and scholars in Montparnasse for decades. In this podcast, we aim to revive the stories of these women—often overlooked by history—whose contributions profoundly shaped the Reid Hall we know today.

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Listen to a teaser for "Women of Reid Hall," a new special series from Atelier. Join us on November 26 when we celebrate the launch of this series with a evening of presentations from the Reid Hall History Project. Register here.

Listen to the teaser on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more.