The American School of Classical Studies at Athens is pleased to announce a gift from Albert Leonard, Jr. and his late wife Mary to name a double bedroom on the first floor of the Loring Hall Annex in memory of Helene J. Kantor. 

Helene J. Kantor (July 15, 1919–January 13, 1993) was an archaeologist and art historian in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago’s Oriental Institute (OI), whose name was changed to the Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, West Asia & North Africa (ISAC) in 2023, a name that more accurately describes the work of the Institute as well as the tremendous breadth of Helene Kantor’s scholarship and teaching that ranged from the Aegean to Iran. 

Helene on a dig in Israel 1950s

Kantor’s primary interest was the relationship between different areas of the ancient world. She was a trailblazer in studying early contacts between Egypt and Western Asia. Her first article in 1942 marked the beginning of her central contributions, which continued through all three editions of Chronologies in Old World Archaeology, the most recent being in 1992. This interest in interconnections between and among contemporary societies also led to her important monograph, The Aegean and the Orient in the Second Millennium BC, where she first explored in detail a pattern of relationships between Egyptian and Aegean art. 

Al Leonard, in sharing the motivation behind this room naming, explained, “Having enjoyed the privilege of serving as a teaching assistant for Professor Kantor both before and after writing my University of Chicago PhD dissertation under her direction at the School, I would like to name this room in her memory because I feel that her wide-ranging knowledge and meticulous scholarship were seminal in calling attention to, and defining, many of the areas in which the ancient cultures of the Aegean World had interacted with their neighbors. Her role in our discipline’s development, combined with the kindness with which she disseminated her knowledge and insights to her students and others, should serve as a model for us all and should always be remembered,”

“The Managing Committee is grateful to Professor Leonard and its other members who have chosen to honor their mentors through dedication of Loring Hall rooms,” Kathleen Lynch, Vice-Chair of the MC noted. “These scholars will continue to inspire students for generations to come.”

Executive Director George Orfanakos, in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Al Leonard for this generous gift, remarked: “It was Helene J. Kantor who first introduced Al to the American School and encouraged him to attend. This room naming stands as a fitting tribute to the mentor who profoundly shaped his path by opening the door to the School."

Albert Leonard, Jr. (Ph.D., University of Chicago), Professor Emeritus in the Departments of Classical Archaeology and Near Eastern Studies at the University of Arizona, is an archaeologist who specializes in the social impact of interregional trade among the ancient cultures of the Mediterranean World. He was a member of the School from 1973 to 1975. Mary Leonard passed away in 2008.

Helene teaching pottery in University of Jerusalem 1950s

To learn more about how to name a space in Loring Hall, please contact Nancy Savaides, Director of Stewardship and Engagement, at nsavaides@ascsa.org or 609-454-6810. Naming opportunities for a variety of spaces are still available. Donors can choose from a wide range of gift levels to name a room or area in honor of themselves, an American School scholar, or a family member, friend, or group.

Please click the links below to view the nameable spaces and options that remain: