Caroline Dunlop Millett
Contributor
BSR Contributor Since April 18, 2013
Caroline Dunlop Millett is a design and fine arts consultant, and also creates and directs arts projects for institutions. She lives in the University City area of Philadelphia. Visit her website at www.millettdesign.com.
AUTHOR
• Re Designing Design, Copyright © 2012, Revised Edition
• Today's Historic Interiors, Copyright © 2011, with E. Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Publishing Company.
• Broad Street Review, Cultural commentary, art and design critiques, 2008-2013.
• Columnist, Ranch and Cove, “Narrative Style†home design columns, 2004-2005.
REAL ESTATE & INTERIOR DESIGN
• President, Millett Design, 1992-2013: This full service residential design firm based in Philadelphia offers consultations throughout the United States and the Caribbean. The firm specializes in custom design concepts, historic preservation, renovations, and teaching interior design.
• President, Millett Enterprises, 1985-1991: A residential and commercial real estate development firm that owned, designed, and managed over 180 properties in Philadelphia – primarily historic preservations and renovations. Millett owned, rebuilt, and landscaped The Cloisters, a school, church, and rectory in historic Powelton Village. During this period she redesigned and renovated the twin neo-Palladian townhouses that serve as Millett Design's current headquarters.
• Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 1987-1989 and 1992-2005: Taught entrepreneurial real estate courses and taught interior design in the College of General Studies.
• Real Estate Developer, 1974-1982: Beginning with her own 3-unit home in Logan Circle, Washington, DC, subsequently, with her investment partners, she bought, renovated and sold over 75 residential and commercial properties in Washington as well as 20 townhouses in Baltimore, Md.
EDUCATOR
• Vice President, University of the Arts, 1984-1985, Millett supervised fine arts gallery, fundraising, public relations, and special events.
• Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania, College of General Studies, 1992-2005; She taught interior design courses; and 1987-1989 real estate entrepreneurial courses.
• Volunteer Teacher, Washington Public Schools, 1979-1980, Training program for disadvantaged teenagers.
• Director, U.S.-Brazilian Binational Colleges, 1969–1970, In BrasÃlia and Goias, Brazil, Millett supervised colleges with a total of about 2,000 adult students.
• Director, São Paulo Alumni Association, 1967-1969, Established and directed a new American-Brazilian language and cultural studies center.
• Teacher and Counselor, California public high schools, 1964-1965: In Palo Alto and San Jose, California (Certificate of Education in 1964).
DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
Foreign Service Officer with Diplomatic Status, from 1966 to 1982, Assignments Included:
• Advisor on the Arts, Department of State and U.S. Information Agency (USIA), 1979–1981.
• Executive Secretary, Inter-Agency Committee on the Arts (coordinating the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, Department of State, USIA, and the National Collection of Fine Arts) 1975-1978.
• Department of State Delegate, President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, mid 1970's.
• Film Director at USIA, produced news releases featuring Secretary of State Kissinger and other dignitaries, for overseas distribution.
• Coordinator, Venice and São Paulo Biennials, international arts exhibitions, including “Made in Chicago,†U.S. Contribution to São Paulo in 1973.
• Coordinator of Architectural Programs, USIA, programmed library and multimedia materials for all posts overseas, and arranged State Department “leader grants,†1972-1973.
• Cultural Attaché, BrasÃlia, Brazil, 1969–1970.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
• Stanford University, M.A., 1963, in American cultural history; also Stanford School of Law, 1961-62; Graduate School of Education, 1964; Graduate School of Art and Design, 1965.
• University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1961, in U.S. history and comparative literature.
• University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 1959-1960, one year of course studies in fine arts, architecture, and British colonial history.
PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY SERVICE
In recent years, Caroline has devoted herself primarily to University City educational and arts programs. These included a landscape “Art Walk†above the railroad tracks and river— for which SEPTA had agreed to donate the land.
Formerly she served as a Trustee of the Preservation Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and as Trustee of the Wilma Theater. At Andalusia, in Bucks County, Millett sponsored special events with James Biddle, featuring his historic estate, where she had a country retreat for twelve years.
She also worked with the West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhoods and Businesses, and the Print Center. She was Vice President and board member of the Powelton Village Civic Association. The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia honored her for most outstanding contribution to the interior design profession in 1999.
• Re Designing Design, Copyright © 2012, Revised Edition
• Today's Historic Interiors, Copyright © 2011, with E. Ashley Rooney, Schiffer Publishing Company.
• Broad Street Review, Cultural commentary, art and design critiques, 2008-2013.
• Columnist, Ranch and Cove, “Narrative Style†home design columns, 2004-2005.
REAL ESTATE & INTERIOR DESIGN
• President, Millett Design, 1992-2013: This full service residential design firm based in Philadelphia offers consultations throughout the United States and the Caribbean. The firm specializes in custom design concepts, historic preservation, renovations, and teaching interior design.
• President, Millett Enterprises, 1985-1991: A residential and commercial real estate development firm that owned, designed, and managed over 180 properties in Philadelphia – primarily historic preservations and renovations. Millett owned, rebuilt, and landscaped The Cloisters, a school, church, and rectory in historic Powelton Village. During this period she redesigned and renovated the twin neo-Palladian townhouses that serve as Millett Design's current headquarters.
• Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania, 1987-1989 and 1992-2005: Taught entrepreneurial real estate courses and taught interior design in the College of General Studies.
• Real Estate Developer, 1974-1982: Beginning with her own 3-unit home in Logan Circle, Washington, DC, subsequently, with her investment partners, she bought, renovated and sold over 75 residential and commercial properties in Washington as well as 20 townhouses in Baltimore, Md.
EDUCATOR
• Vice President, University of the Arts, 1984-1985, Millett supervised fine arts gallery, fundraising, public relations, and special events.
• Adjunct Professor, University of Pennsylvania, College of General Studies, 1992-2005; She taught interior design courses; and 1987-1989 real estate entrepreneurial courses.
• Volunteer Teacher, Washington Public Schools, 1979-1980, Training program for disadvantaged teenagers.
• Director, U.S.-Brazilian Binational Colleges, 1969–1970, In BrasÃlia and Goias, Brazil, Millett supervised colleges with a total of about 2,000 adult students.
• Director, São Paulo Alumni Association, 1967-1969, Established and directed a new American-Brazilian language and cultural studies center.
• Teacher and Counselor, California public high schools, 1964-1965: In Palo Alto and San Jose, California (Certificate of Education in 1964).
DIPLOMATIC SERVICE
Foreign Service Officer with Diplomatic Status, from 1966 to 1982, Assignments Included:
• Advisor on the Arts, Department of State and U.S. Information Agency (USIA), 1979–1981.
• Executive Secretary, Inter-Agency Committee on the Arts (coordinating the National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities, Department of State, USIA, and the National Collection of Fine Arts) 1975-1978.
• Department of State Delegate, President's Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, mid 1970's.
• Film Director at USIA, produced news releases featuring Secretary of State Kissinger and other dignitaries, for overseas distribution.
• Coordinator, Venice and São Paulo Biennials, international arts exhibitions, including “Made in Chicago,†U.S. Contribution to São Paulo in 1973.
• Coordinator of Architectural Programs, USIA, programmed library and multimedia materials for all posts overseas, and arranged State Department “leader grants,†1972-1973.
• Cultural Attaché, BrasÃlia, Brazil, 1969–1970.
UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
• Stanford University, M.A., 1963, in American cultural history; also Stanford School of Law, 1961-62; Graduate School of Education, 1964; Graduate School of Art and Design, 1965.
• University of Wisconsin, B.A., 1961, in U.S. history and comparative literature.
• University of Edinburgh, Scotland, 1959-1960, one year of course studies in fine arts, architecture, and British colonial history.
PHILADELPHIA COMMUNITY SERVICE
In recent years, Caroline has devoted herself primarily to University City educational and arts programs. These included a landscape “Art Walk†above the railroad tracks and river— for which SEPTA had agreed to donate the land.
Formerly she served as a Trustee of the Preservation Coalition of Greater Philadelphia and as Trustee of the Wilma Theater. At Andalusia, in Bucks County, Millett sponsored special events with James Biddle, featuring his historic estate, where she had a country retreat for twelve years.
She also worked with the West Philadelphia Coalition of Neighborhoods and Businesses, and the Print Center. She was Vice President and board member of the Powelton Village Civic Association. The Preservation Alliance of Greater Philadelphia honored her for most outstanding contribution to the interior design profession in 1999.
