Barbara Rea

Barbara Rea

Receptionist

I came to Washington University in 1984 to handle communications and events for the University Libraries, then transferred to Marketing & Communications in 1996 as director of major events & special projects. In this role I was responsible for the university’s signature lecture series, the Assembly Series. I was also privileged to take part in other special campus projects, including four presidential/vice presidential debates, commencement-related events, and anything the institution needed assistance with. Throughout my 35-year tenure, I’ve been contributing articles for the Record and other university publications and websites.

In 2019, I retired from my full-time position, but missed the collegiality of our department so I’ve recently returned to MarComm on a part-time basis as receptionist.

I loved working to bring today’s great minds to campus, and proud to be part of its storied history, which included featuring such major 20th century figures as Eleanor Roosevelt, the Dalai Llama, Martin Luther King Jr, T.S. Eliot, Francis Crick and James Watson, Spike Lee, Kurt Vonnegut, and “Animal House “and “Ghostbusters” creator, alumnus Harold Ramis. Many of these voices, brought to campus beginning nearly 70 years ago, have been recorded and available for listening in the Archives.

I’m a St. Louis native, married for 45 years, with two millennial sons. Since retiring, I’ve been working on a novel.




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