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 Katharine Phelps Boone (1908-1998) was born in Greeley, Colorado, and graduated from Monmouth College in 1930 with majors in French and music. In 1936, after teaching French, Latin, and music at the high school level, she received her Masters degree in French from Pennsylvania State University.
She was appointed as Assistant Dean of Women at Pennsylvania State before moving on to become an intelligence analyst with the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency from 1943 to 1955.
Commander Gilbert E. Boone (1905-1985) was born in Fulton, Maine. He attended Northeastern University in Boston and the Naval Intelligence Course and Strategic Intelligence Course in Washington, D.C. He practiced architecture in Falmouth, Massachusetts, until entering the Navy on June 1, 1940. In 1955, Gilbert and Katharine were married, and in 1957 Commander Boone was ordered on a three-year tour of duty in Japan. Mrs. Boone accompanied him and became chairman of the Red Cross Gray Ladies at the Naval hospital in Yokosuka, Japan. They remained in Japan until 1960.
As a former architect, Commander Boone was attracted to East Asian craftsmanship, and thus collected a few pieces of art while stationed in Washington, D.C. (1940-1951). However, it was while they were in Japan that the Boones made collecting East Asian art a serious endeavor. Katharine and Gilbert began to study with E. Y. Murakami, one of Japan's leading dealer-consultants in East Asian art, with whom they met for six hours each weekend for three years. At the same time, they organized their materials with the idea of creating a teaching collection of East Asian artwork and craftsmanship, because they believed that the symbolism inherent in art form was a substantial factor in understanding East Asian culture.
Upon retirement, the Boones settled in Monmouth, Illinois, and helped Monmouth College build an East Asian Studies program. They constructed their own home as a classroom and utilized their collection in courses dealing with various aspects of East Asian art. They also loaned their collections to allow many institutions to hold exhibitions in the midwest. Through their dedication and generosity, the Boones made a great effort in helping people to understand East Asian culture. In 1977, after Commander Boone retired from Monmouth College, they donated their collection to The Field Museum of Natural History. The bequest established the G. E. and Katharine P. Boone Fund for East Asian Studies. The fund supports Museum collections, research and education programs about East Asian arts and culture and provides fellowships to students pursuing work in this field. Students supported by the Boone fund created this website.
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