Background
Willens, Rita Jacobs was born on June 13, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Bernard M. and Ruth L. (Kaplan) Smith.
Willens, Rita Jacobs was born on June 13, 1927 in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Daughter of Bernard M. and Ruth L. (Kaplan) Smith.
Bachelor of Arts, Roosevelt University, Chicago, 1948.
Co-founder, Fine Arts Station WFMT, Chicago, 1951; vice president, Fine Arts Station WFMT, Chicago, 1951-1968; editor, associate public station magazine, Perspective on Ideas and the Arts, 1961-1964; consultant fine arts broadcasting, 1968-1990; president/producer, Gamut Prodns., Inc. and Living Archives Ltd., Barrington, Illinois, 1974-1990; producer/host weekly program, Saturday Night Midnight Special, WFMT, 1972-1982. Media adviser National Endowment for Humanities.
Member selection committee 4th Annual Governor's Awards for Arts in Illinois, 1981-1982. Member Art Institute Chicago, Smithsonian Institution (committee on French Revolution), Roosevelt University Alumni Association (board governors). Clubs: Hadassah, Organization for Rehabilitation through Training, B'nai B'rith, Chicago Press.
Married Bernard Jacobs, June 25, 1950 (deceased 1975). Married David L. Willens, July 17, 1966 (deceased 1986). Children: Noah Ben Jacobs-Willens, Daniel, Deborah Riley, Carolyn Willens.