Elizabeth Esteve-Coll

Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll

Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll, DBE, FRSA (born 14 October 1938) is a British academic and former museum director.

Career

Born Elizabeth Anne Loosemore Kingdon, the daughter of a Darlington bank clerk, she was educated at Darlington High School, Trinity College, Dublin and Birkbeck, University of London.

She was the first woman director of a national arts collection when she was appointed as director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1987.^{[citation needed]} In 1994 she resigned over criticism for changes she had made to broaden the museum's appeal. Dr. Alan Borg succeeded her as its new director, taking the post on 1 October 1995.

She served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia from 1995–97, but was forced to step down after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She said at the time: "It is with real sadness and disappointment that I must acknowledge that I am not able to lead the university into the 21st century."^{[citation needed]}

She served as Chancellor of University of Lincoln for seven years, as well as being a Trustee of the Sainsbury Institute for the Study of Japanese Arts and Cultures since its foundation in 2000.

Honours

She received the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon in November 2005 in recognition of her "outstanding contribution to the promotion of Japanese culture and studies to British people". In November 2008, she was presented with an honorary doctorate of arts and the title chancellor emerita during her farewell ceremony at Lincoln Cathedral.

Bibliography

• Books by My Bedside (1989).

External links

• IFLA Section of Art Libraries Annual Report — September 1997–August 1998
• Embassy of Japan in the UK — Interview with Dame Elizabeth Esteve-Coll

References

Academic offices
Preceded by Derek Burke	Vice-Chancellor of the University of East Anglia 1995–1997	Succeeded by Vincent Watts
Preceded by none	Chancellor of the University of Lincoln 2001–2008	Succeeded by Lord Adebowale