Muriel Bultman Francis, Alabama - Alpha Gamma, Woman of the Year 1986

A life of service and contributions to the promotion of the arts were the passions of Muriel Francis. After graduating Phi Beta Kappa, she traveled to Paris to study at the Sorbonne. Attracted to art, her career as a collector flourished. Returning home to New Orleans, she purchased two works, a Monet, the other a Redon. Her art collection grew and formed the nucleus of "Art Seldom Seen," an exhibit of privately-owned art. As a salute to Muriel, the New Orleans Museum of Art produced "Profiles of a Connoiseur: The Collection of Muriel Bultman Francis," where 99 of her pieces were displayed. For three decades she was a public relations agent for artists, specializing in opera singers and classical music. Her clients include Ezio Pinza, Lily Pons, Risë Stevens and a struggling playwright named Tennessee Williams. She found Mr. Williams a place to live, which turned out to be the setting for a play later made into the film, "Suddenly Last Summer." She was named Woman of the Year in 1986 posthumously.