Ellsworth Bunker (1894-1984), American Businessman and Diplomat

The ambassador to Italy from 1952-1953, when Rhoden was at the American Academy in Rome.

Henry Moore (1898-1986), English sculptor

Visited Rhoden’s studio at the American Academy in Rome in 1954. He followed the visit up with a letter critiquing Rhoden’s work

Richard C. Bell (1928-2020), American landscape architect

Became friends with John Rhoden during their time at the American Academy in Rome from 1951 through 1954. They remained friends throughout their lives.

George Biddle (1885-1973), American artist

Fellow at the American Academy in Rome with John Rhoden. Additionally served as a reference on Rhoden’s behalf for the Fulbright Fellowship and offered to serve as a reference for the John Hay Whitney Foundation in 1954.

Alexei Haieff (1914-1994), American composer

Overlapped with John Rhoden at the American Academy in Rome.

Steve Raffo (1912-1995), American artist

Photographed (right) at an exhibition together, likely at the American Academy in Rome, circa 1952 to 1954. Raffo and Rhoden overlapped at the academy from 1952 through 1954.

Laurance P. Roberts (-2002)

Director of the American Academy in Rome during John's tenure.

Franklin C. Watkins (1894-1972), American painter

Traveled to the Soviet Union with John Rhoden under the auspices of the United States Department of State. He was also on the Board of the American Academy in Rome.

Mohamad Nagi (1888-1956), Egyptian artist

Wrote about Rhoden’s artwork during his travels in Egypt with the United States Department of State in 1956.

Marvin Wachman (1917-2007), American art historian and university president

The director of the Salzburg Seminar during John Rhoden’s travels in Europe. In 1958, Rhoden attended a party thrown in Wachman’s honor.

Lloyd Goodrich (1897-1987), American art historian

A letter from Lamar Dodd in 1959 references a lovely evening Lloyd Goodrich had with the Rhodens.

Walter Lippmann (1889-1974), American writer, reporter, and political commentator

Walter Lippmann and John Rhoden met at a party in Moscow hosted by the cultural attache of the United States Embassy in 1958.

William A. Smith (1918-1989), American artist

John Rhoden’s travel companion in the Soviet Union serving as art specialists with the United States Department of State.

Lamar Dodd, (1909-1996), American painter

Traveled to the Soviet Union with John Rhoden under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Ásmundur Sveinsson (1893-1982), Icelandic sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Lazar Vujaklija (1914-1996), Yugoslav painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Shyu Eguchi (1932-), Japanese sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Shindo Tsuji (1910-1981), Japanese sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Friedrich Vordemberge-Gildrwort (1899-1962), German painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Martiros Saryan (1880-1972), Armenian painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Jean Arp (1886-1966), German-French sculptor, painter and poet

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Victor Pasmore (1908-1998), British artist and architect

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Ruth Duckworth (1919-2009), German-British sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Ornulf Bast (1907-1974), Norwegian sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Stefan Gierowski (1925-), Polish Painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Jonasz Stern (1904-1988), Polish painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Hasan Kaptan (1942-), Turkish painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Henryk Stazewski (1894-1988), Polish painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Peter Grant (1915-2003), Irish sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State. Rhoden gave a speech to the Institute of Sculptors of Ireland, of which Grant was a founding member and chairman, in December 1955.

Bedri Rami Eyuboglu (1911-1975), Turkish painter and poet

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Olga Jančić (1929-2012), Serbian sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Ana Bešlić (1912-2008), Serbian sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Miodrag B. Protić (1922-2014), Serbian painter, art critic, theorist, and historian

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Alfred E. Barr, Jr. (1902-1981), American art historian and the first director of MOMA

Drago Trsar (1927-), Slovene sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Stojan Batic (1925-2015), Slovenian sculptor

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Maria Ewa Łunkiewicz-Rogoyska (1895-1967), Polish painter

Met with John Rhoden during his international travels under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Sergei Vasil’evich Gerasimov (1885-1964), Russian/Soviet painter

Met with John Rhoden during his travels to the Soviet Union under the auspices of the United States Department of State.

Richmond Barthe (1901-1989), American sculptor

John Rhoden lived and worked with Richmond Barthe in his studio in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York for nearly twenty years.

William Zorach (1889-1966), Lithuanian-born American sculptor, painter, printmaker, and writer

Zorach served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1950.

Peppino Mangravite (1896-1978), Italian-American artist

Mangravite taught painting at Columbia University. He served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1950.

Hugo Robus (1885-1964), American sculptor

Robus served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1950.

Ruth Brall (-1957), American sculptor

Brall served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1950.

Hale Woodruff (1900-1980), American artist

John Rhoden met Hale Woodruff at Talladega College. There, Woodruff encouraged Rhoden to move to New York. He then served as a reference on Rhoden’s behalf for both the Guggenheim and Whitney fellowships.

Alain Locke (1885-1954), American writer, philosopher, educator, and patron of the arts

Locke served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1950.

Dr. Bernard Weinberg, Art Historian

Weinberg served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

Robert Beverly Hale (1901-1985), artist and anatomy instructor

Hale served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

Arthur Osver (1912-2006), American artist

Osver was at the American Academy in Rome 1954 with John. He served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

Francis Scott Bradford (1898-1961), WWI Lieutenant and American artist

Bradford attended American Academy in Rome with John. He served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

Leopold Arnaud (1895-1984), Dean of Columbia University's School of Architecture

Arnaud served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

Robert Schneider

Schneider served as a reference on John Rhoden’s behalf for the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation fellowship in 1956.

George Morrison (1919-2000), American painter

Morrison suggested John Rhoden apply for the John Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship in 1954.

Oronzio Maldarelli (1892-1963), American artist

Maldarelli taught John Rhoden at Columbia University and repeatedly served as a reference on Rhoden’s behalf.

David C. Driskell (1931-2020), American artist, scholar, and curator

David Driskell likely taught John Rhoden when he was at Talladega College. He later solicited artwork from John Rhoden for exhibitions.

Paul Klee (1879-1940), Swiss-born German artist

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at Saidenberg Gallery, March 7 - April 30, 1955.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944), Russian painter and art theorist

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at Saidenberg Gallery, March 7 - April 30, 1955.

Fernand Leger (1881-1955), French painter, sculptor, and filmamaker

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at Saidenberg Gallery, March 7 - April 30, 1955.

Joan Miro (1893-1983), Spanish painter, sculptor, and ceramicist

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at Saidenberg Gallery, March 7 - April 30, 1955.

Max Kahn (1902-2005), Litvak artist

Participated in a joint exhibition of work by John Rhoden and Max Kahn at the Fairweather-Garnett Gallery from January 24 through February 19, 1955.

Richard Mayhew (1924-), Afro-Native American landscape painter, illustrator, and arts educator

Participated in a joint exhibition of work by John Rhoden and Max Kahn at the Fairweather-Garnett Gallery from January 24 through February 19, 1955.

Georges Braque (1882-1963), French artist

Participated in a joint exhibition featuring works by Picasso, Braque, and Rhoden in Chicago 1954 (unidentified).

Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), Spanish artist

Participated in a joint exhibition featuring works by Picasso, Braque, and Rhoden in Chicago 1954 (unidentified).

Arthur Osver (1912-2006), American artist

Osver spent the Christmas holiday with the Rhodens in 1954 in New York City.

James Raymond Lawson (1915-1996), Acting President of Fisk University

Helped organize the 38th Annual Festival of Music and Art April 23-30, 1967, which Rhoden participated in.

Walter Williams (1920-), American artist

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at the 38th Annual Festival of Music and Art April 23-30, 1967.

Hughie Lee Smith (1915-1999), American artist

Participated in a joint exhibition with Rhoden at Montclair State College, October 14 - November 9, 1988.

Harry Bertoia (1915-1978), Italian-born American

Participated in the 1% art project to adorn the Lake Clifton Senior High School circa 1969 with Rhoden.

Aleksandra Kasuba (1923-2019), Lithuanian-American artist

Participated in the 1% art project to adorn the Lake Clifton Senior High School circa 1969 with Rhoden.

Jodi Bonet (1932-1979), Spanish-born Canadian artist

Participated in the 1% art project to adorn the Lake Clifton Senior High School circa 1969 with Rhoden.

Betty Wells, American illustrator

Participated in the 1% art project to adorn the Lake Clifton Senior High School circa 1969 with Rhoden.

Eliot Noyes (1910-1977), American architect and industrial designer

Corresponded with Rhoden to schedule a potential studio visit to view art.

Robert J. Spring (1932-2020), American art caster and owner of the Modern Art Foundry

Rhoden used the Modern Art Foundry for many of his sculptures throughout his career.

James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), American writer and civil rights activist

Rhoden most likely met Johnson during their time in New York City.

Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth (1922-2011), American minister and civil rights activist

Rhoden completed his portrait for the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute in 1992.

Paul Manship (1885-1966), American sculptor

Served as a juror with Rhoden for the American Academy in Rome at the Century Association New York, NY.

Henry Kreis (1899-1963), American sculptor

Served as a juror with Rhoden for the American Academy in Rome at the Century Association New York, NY.

Richard Arrington, Jr. (1934-), Mayor of the City of Birmingham, Alabama

Worked with Rhoden during the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth Commission and development of the Civil Rights Institute.

Odessa Woolfolk (1932-), Founding board chair of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute.

Worked with Rhoden during the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth Commission and development of the Civil Rights Institute.

James Rosati (1911-1988), American sculptor

Chairman of the National Screening Committee 1968-1969 for sculpture, which John served as member as well.

Niara Sudarkasa (1938-2019), President of Lincoln University

Worked with Rhoden during the Frederick Douglas commission at Lincoln University, 1989.

Cab Calloway (1907-1994), American jazz singer, dancer, bandleader and actor

Calloway (right) participated in a press photoshoot with John Rhoden in 1938.

Bill Robinson (1878-1949), American tap dancer, actor, and singer

Robinson (right) participated in a press photoshoot with John Rhoden in 1938.

Hubert Reilly Harmon (1892-1957), American World War II Lieutenant General in the U.S. Air Force

Rhoden completed a portrait bust of Harmon during his military service.

General Davis of Texas, American World War II General in the U.S. Air Force

Rhoden completed a portrait bust of the general during his military service.

Herman Santonio Rhoden (-1991)

John Rhoden’s brother. A photographer for the Chicago Defender and for Mayor Richard J. Daley and Atty. Gen. Roland Burris

Lena Horne (1917-2010)

Friends with John Rhoden’s brother, Herman Santonio Rhoden