Alice Esty (American, 1904-2000)
Alice Swanson Esty was a composer, patron, and Bates Alumni. After graduating from Bates in 1925, she moved to New York to sing, act, and practice visual art. In Alex Katz’s Portrait of Alice Esty, she has an elegant facial expression and delicate hairstyle. She patronized works of theater, music and visual arts, and kept strong ties with the Bates music society. In 1984, Esty received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the College. She donated a valuable collection of music books to Ladd Library, as well as this portrait of herself by Katz. She also established the Alice Swanson Esty Professorship in Music at Bates.
