By Marcia Lee, Host, A Living History of Bronxville 

Jul. 8, 2015:  This interview, conducted on January 17, 2002, is with Penny and John Barr on their interesting and creative careers in the fields of poetry and finance. Both were born and raised in the Midwest, John in Omaha, NE, and Penny in Oshkosh, WI. Penny earned a bachelor's degree in music from North Central College and a master's degree in music from the University of Wisconsin. John graduated from Harvard College and received an MBA (Baker Scholar) from Harvard Business School.  

Penny taught music at Lawrence University and later at Concordia College in Bronxville. Her achievements in poetry include founding the Bronxville Poetry Club and, at the Poetry Foundation in Chicago, founding the Children's Poet Laureateship for poets who write for young children. She also has served for many years on the boards of Poets House in New York City and the Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst.  

John's career as investment banker includes 18 years at Morgan Stanley, where he managed the firm's public utility business. He went on to found and manage three start-ups:  Barr Devlin Associates, which was acquired by Société Générale; Dynegy, one of the first gas marketers; and The Power Company of America. As poet, he served as the first president of The Poetry Foundation and publisher of Poetry magazine, and he has published his own poetry in four chapbooks and four trade editions. For the Bronxville centennial, he wrote and published Centennial Suite. He also served for many years on the boards of Yaddo, the artists' colony, the Poetry Society of America, and Bennington College, the latter two as chairman.  

Their three children attended Bronxville schools from pre-K through high school. 

To see the interview, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYAk_LmS96Q.  

Previously posted Living History interviews:  

Walter Isaacson: https://youtu.be/4cBooa7edSE 

Marilynn Wood Hill: https://youtu.be/G0D8fu-86Oc 

Pictured here: Penny and John Barr.

Photo by Nate Barr