1970; Life Trustee 1998
A 1951 Grinnell graduate with a B.A. in English and journalism, Ms. Bucksbaum was a founding member of Friends of Educational Broadcasting in Iowa and chair of the Iowa Center for the Book. Prominently engaged in cultural and civic affairs,
She served as chair the board of the Des Moines Symphony, the Scott County (Iowa) League of Women Voters, the Aspen Music Festival and vice-chair of the League of Women Voters of Iowa, the United Jewish Appeal in Des Moines, the National Public Radio Foundation, and as a board member of the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, the Des Moines Art Center, the Des Moines Register, and a number of other organizations. She currently serves on the board of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Museum of Arts and Design and is a fellow of the Aspen Institute. Mrs. Bucksbaum's long-time membership on the Grinnell Board of Trustees included service as chair. In 2012 she was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree by Grinnell College.
She pursues strong interests in the outdoors in Aspen, Colorado, where she and her husband Matthew have resided part-time for approximately fifty years. Matthew Bucksbaum co-founded General Growth Properties with his brother Martin, a firm that became the second largest shopping center developer in the United States.
