Winifred MacMillan Claude Gordon

Gordon was born in Annapolis, Maryland. Her father, Gordon Claude, served as mayor of Annapolis from 1907 to 1909. Gordon’s grandfather, Dr. Abram Claude, served as mayor of Annapolis from 1849 to 1851, 1854 to 1855, 1867 to 1869 and 1883 to 1889. Her great-grandfather served as mayor of Annapolis from 1828 to 1837 and 1853 to 1854. She was a 1928 graduate of the Maryland Institute (now the Maryland Institute College of Art, or MICA) and remained active in the school, taking courses until the late 1950s and traveling abroad with students. She also studied in England and at the Hawthorne School on Cape Cod.

During her career, Gordon was commissioned to paint many portraits of well-known Baltimoreans, particularly children. She copied paintings of famous Americans, many of which hang in private collections or public buildings, including the American Embassy in Paris. In the 1930s, she was part of the board that oversaw restoration of the Hammond-Harwood House in Annapolis.

In her 80s, Gordon became one of MICA’s first alumni to participate in the college’s summer study abroad programs, traveling to Greece and Italy to study painting with MICA faculty and students. After Gordon’s death, her great niece and great nephew established a scholarship at MICA, the Winifred M. Gordon ’28 International Programs Award.