News

2020 Distinguished Alumna: Suzanne Stamps Rheinstein ’63

The Newman Alumni Association is pleased to announce that the 2020 recipient of the Distinguished Alumna Award is Suzanne Stamps Rheinstein ’63. Mrs. Rheinstein is an internationally-renowned interior designer. She has received numerous awards throughout her career including the Legacy Award from the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art, Southern California, the Design Leadership Award from the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Star of Design award from the Pacific Design Center, and, most notably, the Albert Hadley Award for Lifetime Achievement from the New York School of Interior Design. Her work has been published in numerous shelter magazines and she has been included on the rosters of Architectural Digest’s AD100 and Elle Décor’s A-List.
 
In 1988, Mrs. Rheinstein opened her shop, Hollyhock, near her home before relocating it to the La Cienega Design Quarter in Los Angeles. She closed the shop on its 30th anniversary. The store was known for its unique antiques, decorative accessories, and the Hollyhock Home collection, which featured furniture and lighting designed by Mrs. Rheinstein. She quickly gained recognition for her signature style, described as “elegant civility,” and the idea that “living well every day is much more important than getting your house together only for special occasions.” In 2007, Mrs. Rheinstein debuted her collection of textiles for the fabric house Lee Jofa, a collaboration which continues today.
 
Mrs. Rheinstein is also the author of two best-selling books for Rizzoli, At Home: A Style for Today with Things from the Past, which was published in 2010 and features six homes that showcase elegant, livable style, and Rooms for Living, which was published in 2015 and has been called “a master class in gracious, harmonious living.”
 
“We are thrilled to celebrate Suzanne Rheinstein as our 2020 Distinguished Alumna and are deeply proud of her connection to Newman,” said Head of School Dale M. Smith. “We are inspired by the mark she has made in the world of interior design with her artistry and creativity, and by her tireless civic engagement within the Los Angeles community, particularly her work to expand educational access. Mrs. Rheinstein fully embodies Newman’s mission with her commitment to excellence in her craft, lifelong pursuit of personal growth, and service to her community.”
 
Mrs. Rheinstein received a degree in English Literature from Tulane University where she was the managing editor of the Tulane Hullabaloo. Following her graduation, she worked for Hodding Carter, the Mississippi editor whose Pulitzer Prize winning editorials addressed racial bigotry. She moved to Washington D.C. and became the assistant for Eric Sevareid at CBS News, doing research for his commentaries on the Evening News with Walter Cronkite at the height of the Vietnam War and the Watergate Scandal. An ardent philanthropist, since 2004 Mrs. Rheinstein has been on the Board of Directors of the Garden Conservancy, a national organization that celebrates diverse garden traditions and saves and shares outstanding American Gardens for the education and inspiration of the public. Her own garden in the Windsor Square neighborhood of Los Angeles is featured in Outstanding American Gardens: A Celebration – 25 Years of the Garden Conservancy (2015). She is also deeply involved with the 90012 Program at the Los Angeles Opera, which, for over 20 years, has offered over 1,000 high school students, accompanied by a parent, an opportunity to attend four operas annually at The Music Center. Her late husband, Frederic Rheinstein, conceived and funded this program anonymously for 12 years until his death. Mrs. Rheinstein is also a trustee at the Episcopal School of Los Angeles, a grade 6 through 12 school that believes “The best educational tool for any young person is the collaboration and camaraderie of peers from different backgrounds—peers who have stories and perspectives to share.”  ESLA searches to attract academically motivated students, from historically underrepresented communities, whose families are dealing with economic challenges that eliminate the opportunity for them to attend a private academic institution.
 
Reflecting on her experiences as a student at Newman, Mrs. Rheinstein shared: “Those things for which I am most grateful to Isidore Newman School are the ways I learned to see, not just look, and the ways I was taught to gather ideas, sort them out, and arrange them into a sequential whole, edited and polished.”
 
About the Distinguished Alumna Award
The Distinguished Alumna Award is given each year to graduates who have made significant contributions in their specific fields of endeavor and taken a vigorous civic leadership role, bringing honor to the School through their achievements, both professionally and in the community. This award is the highest honor Newman bestows on its alumni. Last year’s recipient was Dr. Debu Tripathy ’77, eminent physician, medical researcher, and chair of Breast Medical Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
 
About Isidore Newman School
Founded in 1903, Isidore Newman School is a co-educational independent school that serves high achieving and highly motivated students in early childhood through 12th grade. Newman is located in the heart of Uptown New Orleans, blocks away from Tulane and Loyola University. With a current enrollment of approximately 1,200 students, Newman is the only co-educational, non-sectarian, independent day school in the city of New Orleans. The School enjoys a national reputation for excellence and achievement in academics, athletics, and the arts, with its students matriculating to the most selective colleges and universities in the country. As its Mission Statement declares, Newman inspires individual growth and academic excellence within an inclusive community committed to strong relationships and high expectations.
 
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1903 Jefferson Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: 504.899.5641
Fax: 504.896.8597
Open 7:45 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Monday through Friday
An independent,
co-educational,
non-denominational day
school in New Orleans for
early childhood through 12th grade