Bruce Howe

Bruce Howe, a Newport resident since the mid-1950s, died Wednesday, February 29, 2012 at Blenheim-Newport, an assisted living community in Middletown, Rhode Island. He was 99 years old.Born on November 20, 1912 in Washington DC, he was the oldest son of Walter Bruce Howe, an international lawyer, and Mary Howe, the American composer. A graduate of Yale University, Bruce received his doctoral degree in anthropology from Harvard University. After more than four years of service in the United States Army during World War II, he joined forces with the American School of Prehistoric Research at Harvard. Between 1947 and 1975 he did fieldwork and excavations in prehistoric archaeology across North Africa for the American School of Prehistoric Research, Peabody Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology Harvard University, and Howard University. He also worked in Iraqi Kurdistan and Turkey for the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. The results of his work in anthropology have been published by the Peabody Museum and the Oriental Institute. For a number of seasons he was a member of the Prehistory Department of the University of Istanbul in Turkey. From 1960 until 1981, Bruce served as President of the Newport Art Association reflecting his lifelong active interest in art and artists. He was a knowledgeable art collector who donated many valuable paintings to Rhode Island museums and an accomplished amateur artist whose pencil sketches were exhibited at the Redwood Library in Newport. He joined the Redwood Librarys Board of Directors in 1966 and was a member of the Librarys Art Committee for many years. Over the years he donated a number of important art works and books to the Redwood, among the latter Frederick Catherwoods Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan, which was the focus of an exhibition at the Library. Bruce devoted much of his time, effort, and resources over the past half-century to conserving his home, Berry Hill, a twenty-two acre historic landscape and wildlife refuge in Newports Ocean Drive District, which the Howe family sold in 2010. He leaves seven nieces and nephews and eight great-nieces and great-nephews as well as many fond friends and colleagues all over the world. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Aquidneck Land Trust, 790 Aquidneck Avenue, Middletown, RI, 02842.