The Center of Southwest Studies at Fort Lewis College continues its summer lecture series based on the theme, “Women in the Southwest,” with a presentation from Shelby Tisdale, Millicent Rogers: From New York to Taos, on Wednesday, July 11th at 1:30 p.m. in the Center’s Lyceum Room #120.

Millicent Rogers, also known as the “Standard Oil Heiress,” was a legendary woman of style whose bold, avant-garde taste played a significant role in the history of modern fashion. She was a trendsetter who danced with European princes and attracted such men as Clark Gable. When she was introduced to Taos, New Mexico a metamorphosis took place.

Drawn to the beauty of the Taos landscape, Millicent became particularly fascinated with the simplicity and warmth of its quality of life. Taos was a place where she could put her hectic wanderings behind her and it was in this environment that she assembled a stellar collection of Native American jewelry, and continued to design and create her own. After her death the Millicent Rogers Museum was established in Taos to house her collection.

Dr. Tisdale is the former Director of the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture/Laboratory of Anthropology in Santa Fe, New Mexico and the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos. She has published forty articles and book chapters relating to American Indian art and culture, and women in the West. Her book, Fine Indian Jewelry of the Southwest: The Millicent Rogers Museum Collection (2006) received the Ralph Emerson Twitchell Book Award from the Historical Society of New Mexico and the Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library Association. Dr. Tisdale is the current director of the Center of Southwest Studies.

This lecture is free to the public. Parking on campus is free during summer months.