Mary “Polly” Nooter Roberts 1959–2018

Known affectionately around the world as Polly, Dr. Mary Nooter Roberts (October 26, 1959–September 11, 2018), was an inspired and inspiring mentor. I am just one of the fortunate students to have joined her in either a classroom or museum. In addition to her impressive career at the Center (later Museum) for African Art in New York City, the Fowler Museum at UCLA, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), Polly taught courses at Swarthmore College, Columbia University, the University of Iowa, and UCLA, as well as sitting on committees and mentoring countless students from other institutions. Her commanding intellect, generous spirit, and infectious laugh affected all who benefited from her guidance. As Sylas Cooper, one of her undergraduate students at UCLA, stated, “She changed what I wanted to do with my life. In her classes, we focused a lot on art but it's more like we focused...