Barbara "Bobbie" Handman (born 1928, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...

) is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 political consultant and arts activist, known for her role in preserving historic Broadway theater houses. She was until recently the executive vice-president and New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

 office director of People For the American Way

People For the American Way

People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy group in the United States. Under U.S. tax code, People For the American Way is organized as a tax-exempt 501 non-profit organization.-Purpose:...

.

Handman is the wife of stage director and teacher Wynn Handman

Wynn Handman

Wynn Handman, is the Artistic Director of The American Place Theatre, which he co-founded with Sidney Lanier and Michael Tolan in 1963. His role in the theatre has been to seek out, encourage, train, and present new and exciting writing and acting talent and to develop and produce new plays by...

. In 1982, she helped organize Save The Theaters, an organization that tried unsuccessfully to prevent the razing of the Morosco, Helen Hayes, and Bijou Theaters. In 1988, the group succeeded in having 28 Broadway houses designated as landmarks by the New York City Board of Estimate

New York City Board of Estimate

The New York City Board of Estimate was a governmental body in New York City, responsible for budget and land-use decisions. Under the charter of the newly amalgamated City of Greater New York the Board of Estimate and Apportionment was composed of eight ex officio members: the Mayor of New York...

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Handman served on the board of the Eleanor Roosevelt Foundation and on the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

The memorial's design concept of four outdoor "rooms" and gardens is animated by water, stone, and sculpture.The 1974 design competition was won by Lawrence Halprin; but for more than 20 years Congress failed to appropriate the funds to move beyond this conceptual stage...

 Commission.

She was awarded the National Medal of Arts

National Medal of Arts

The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984, for the purpose of honoring artists and patrons of the arts. It is the highest honor conferred to an individual artist on behalf of the people. Honorees are selected by the National Endowment for the...

 in 1998 for her work as an arts advocate.

Handman's daughter Laura Handman is married to Harold M. Ickes

Harold M. Ickes

Harold McEwen Ickes was White House Deputy Chief of Staff for President Bill Clinton. He is the son of Harold L. Ickes, who was Secretary of the Interior under Franklin D. Roosevelt. Ickes is a graduate of Stanford University and Columbia Law School. Ickes was a student civil rights activist in...

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She is a founder of People for the American Way.