Barbara Whitney Carr

Background

Barbara Whitney Carr was born on August 27, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois, to Edward Morton Thiele and Pleasant Williams Thiele. Her career remained closely connected with civic, cultural, educational, and conservation institutions in the Chicago area.

Carr developed an early professional foundation in writing before moving into nonprofit administration. Her later work connected communications, fundraising, public education, zoological institutions, and botanical-garden development.

Education

Carr received a Bachelor of Arts in writing from Denison University in 1964. Founded in Ohio in 1831, Denison developed as a residential liberal-arts institution and had become a nonsectarian university by the period of her studies.

Her education in writing preceded research and freelance writing positions and provided the foundation for a career that later combined public communication with nonprofit leadership, institutional development, and conservation work.

Career

Carr began her career as a researcher in the book division of Time, Incorporated, in New York City, working from 1964 to 1966. She then worked as a freelance writer in Chicago from 1966 to 1975, establishing a communications background before entering full-time nonprofit administration.

From 1975 to 1994, Carr was executive director of the Lincoln Park Zoological Society. Lincoln Park Zoo is a major urban zoological institution in Chicago, and during Carr's tenure she spearheaded private fundraising that supported the construction of several new zoo structures, including the Great Ape House. The Lincoln Park Zoological Society later recognized her as an honorary trustee.

In 1995, Carr became president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Horticultural Society, the nonprofit organization that operates the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois. She led the Garden until 2007. The 385-acre public garden combines horticultural displays, plant science, conservation, education, and public access; during Carr's leadership, the institution expanded its facilities, academic partnerships, scientific programs, and landscape projects.

During her tenure, the Chicago Botanic Garden developed major facilities and programs, including the Botanic Garden Center, the Children's Learning Center, renovations to the Regenstein Center, and academic partnerships supporting graduate study in plant biology and conservation, landscape architecture, and horticulture. Carr also supported collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, on the conservation of endangered prairie plants. The Garden's Evening Island and Great Basin landscape project, begun in the late 1990s, became a prominent example of the institution's public-garden development.

Carr also served the Institute of Museum Services as a reviewer in 1982 and as a panelist from 1984 to 1986. After retiring from the Chicago Botanic Garden presidency, she continued participating in nonprofit, public-garden, conservation, and educational governance.

Achievements

• Carr led the Lincoln Park Zoological Society from 1975 to 1994 and spearheaded private fundraising that supported the construction of several major zoo facilities, including the Great Ape House.

• As president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Horticultural Society from 1995 to 2007, Carr helped expand the Chicago Botanic Garden's facilities, scientific programs, academic partnerships, conservation work, and public-education mission.

• Carr supported the development of academic programs at the Chicago Botanic Garden, including partnerships involving plant biology and conservation, landscape architecture, and horticulture.

Views

Carr's public work reflected an institutional philosophy in which public gardens serve simultaneously as places of beauty, education, scientific research, conservation, and public engagement. In a 1997 statement about the Chicago Botanic Garden, she emphasized the relationship between plant collections, research, teaching, and public understanding of the natural world.

Membership

Carr participated in professional, civic, educational, humanitarian, and cultural organizations in the Chicago area. Her memberships and board service included the Junior League of Chicago, Hull House Association, Chicago Maternity Center, Travelers Aid Society, Francis Parker School, Church of Our Savior, and several school and hospital auxiliaries.

Her professional affiliations included the American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums, the Economics Club of Chicago, the American Association of Fund Raising Executives, the Publicity Club of Chicago, the American Association of Museums, the American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta, the Executives' Club of Chicago, and the Tavern Club. She also served on boards associated with the Everglades Foundation, the Garden Conservancy, Lake Forest College, and the Chicago Botanic Garden.

• Junior League of Chicago , United States

• Hull House Association Auxiliary Board , United States

• Chicago Maternity Center Extension Board , United States

• Chicago Junior Board of Travelers Aid Society , United States

• Served on the executive board.

  Francis Parker School Parents' Association , United States

• Church of Our Savior , United States

• Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center Women's Board , United States

  1975 - 1986

• Parents Council of the Latin School of Chicago , United States

• Mary Meyer School , United States

• Northfield Community Nursery School , United States

• Fellow; served on professional committees and represented the association in 1981.

  American Association of Zoological Parks and Aquariums , United States

• Served on the membership committee and chaired its membership subcommittee in 1982.

  Economics Club of Chicago , United States

  1979 - 1982

• American Association of Fund Raising Executives , United States

• Publicity Club of Chicago , United States

• American Association of Museums , United States

• American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta , United States

• The Executives' Club of Chicago , United States

• Tavern Club , United States

• Board member and chair of the governance committee.

  Everglades Foundation , United States

• Board member.

  The Garden Conservancy , United States

• Board member.

  Lake Forest College , United States

• Board member.

  Chicago Botanic Garden , United States

• Honorary trustee.

  Lincoln Park Zoological Society , United States

Personality

Carr has been described by institutional and governmental sources as a nonprofit leader whose work combined strategic planning, fundraising, public education, conservation, and institutional development.

Quotes from others about the person

• In a 2007 congressional tribute marking Carr's retirement, Representative Mark Kirk praised her contribution to the Chicago Botanic Garden and described her leadership as helping make the institution one of the country's outstanding public gardens.

Interests

• Public horticulture, botanical gardens, zoological institutions, conservation, environmental education, philanthropy, and nonprofit governance.

Connections

Carr married John Alden on June 27, 1964; the marriage ended in divorce. They had three children: Brooks Elizabeth, Edward Alden, and Amanda Colvin Whitney. She married Robert F. Carr III on November 26, 1988.

Her family connections included her father, Edward Morton Thiele, and her mother, Pleasant Williams Thiele. Her sister Pleasant Rowland became known as an educator, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, and was involved in supporting cultural and educational institutions.

Father:

Edward Morton Thiele

Mother:

Pleasant Williams Thiele

Spouse:

Robert F. Carr

Married Carr on November 26, 1988.

Spouse:

John Alden

Married Carr on June 27, 1964; the marriage ended in divorce.

child:

Amanda Colvin Whitney Carr

child:

Edward Alden Carr

child:

Brooks Elizabeth Carr

References

• Barbara Whitney Carr | Chicago Botanic Garden Institutional biography describing Carr's leadership as president and chief executive officer of the Chicago Botanic Garden from 1995 to 2007, her work at Lincoln Park Zoo, board service, and honors.
• American Public Gardens Association Annual Awards Association record documenting Carr as the 2007 recipient of the Award of Merit.
• Congressional Record: Congratulating Barbara Whitney Carr on Her Retirement Congressional tribute describing Carr's leadership of the Chicago Botanic Garden and its educational, scientific, conservation, and capital-development programs.
  2007
• Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the Women's Board Lincoln Park Zoo history documenting Carr's role as executive director of the Lincoln Park Zoological Society during the formation of the Women's Board.
• Garden Talk, 1997, Vol. 12 Chicago Botanic Garden publication containing Carr's statement about the Garden's role as a teaching institution and its relationship among horticulture, research, conservation, and education.
  1997
• The New American Garden: Chicago Botanic Garden Cultural Landscape Foundation account documenting Carr's connection with the development of Evening Island and the Great Basin landscape at the Chicago Botanic Garden.