Willard Van Dyke

Who was Willard Van Dyke?

Willard Van Dyke was an American filmmaker, photographer, arts administrator, teacher, and former director of the film department at the Museum of Modern Art. Van Dyke went to the University of California, dropping out for a time to avoid taking an ROTC course.

Van Dyke died in January 23, 1986 of a heart attack on his way to Cambridge, Mass., where he was named Laureate Artist in Residence at Harvard. He was 79 years old. Van Dyke was survived by his second wife, the former Barbara Millikin, of New York; a daughter, Alison Van Dyke, of Ithaca, N.Y.; three sons, Peter of New York City; Murray of Santa Fe and Neil of Stowe, Vt., and two grandchildren.