2019-20 BTC Calendar: Gladys Kemp Lisanby

“There is nothing so strong and powerful that it cannot be made better through the eye of the artist,” Gladys Kemp Lisanby (’49) once wrote. To date, more than 40 academic scholarship students at JMU can bear personal witness to her conviction. Gladys and her late husband, Rear Adm. James Walker Lisanby, USN Ret., established the Lisanby Scholars Fund in 2011 to support the aspirations of students in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Along with James’ brother, Charles, the Lisanbys donated and supported the digitization of the Charles Lisanby Collection, featuring the scenic designer’s influential Emmy-winning career. Recognized for her leadership and philanthropy by the National Museum of Women in the Arts and Goodwill of Greater Washington, Gladys deserves not only gratitude but also our admiration: She has made giving into an art form.