An American in Paris: Laura Barney’s Story

Join us for a very special online presentation on Thursday January 26 at 6:30 pm ET with Mona Khademi, author of the recently published biographyThe Life of Laura Barney. The book traces the journey of Laura Barney from her pampered childhood in Ohio to her life as a feminist, Baháʼí teacher, philanthropist and peacebuilder who was twice decorated by the French Legion of Honor.

Laura Barney was the daughter of painter, playwright, and art patron Alice Pike Barney, who was very influential in cultural and artistic circles in Washington, DC in the early 1900s. Together with her mother and sister Natalie, who held literary salons for over five decades in Paris, Laura spent a significant portion of her life in France. During World War I, she worked as a night nurse with the American Ambulance Corps in Paris and the American Red Cross in Marseilles. She was also a consultant to the League of Nations, and later the United Nations. In Paris, she was introduced to the Bahá’í Faith and became an ardent supporter, helping spread the religion around the world. For her lifetime of service, she was named chevalier (1925) and officer (1937) of the French Légion d'Honneur.

In this online presentation, based on 22 years of research, Mona Khademi will discuss Barney and her connections with Paris and France. During her many years of researching the book, Khademi worked in the archives of several countries and conducted interviews with people who had personally met Laura Barney.

A Q&A session will follow the presentation. The biography The Life of Laura Barney (2022) is available on Amazon.

About the author

Khademi received a Bachelor of Arts from Pahlavi University (today’s Shiraz University), a Master's Degree in Arts Management from the American University, and is a Ph.D. candidate in Organizational Psychology from the University of London. She has studied at the Sorbonne and has taken classes at Alliance Française in Paris, London, Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

As an independent researcher, Mona Khademi has presented papers at conferences in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, England, and several cities in the United States. Her articles have been published in several journals, magazines, quarterlies, and as chapters of books.

Mona Khademi is also the Director of International Arts Management Consulting in Washington, DC. She has worked in this field for over 25 years. Her areas of interest include development and management of international cultural and arts programs. She is a member of the American Alliance of Museums.

Mona Khademi has been conducting research on the life of Laura Clifford Dreyfus-Barney since 2000 and has presented papers at international conferences and published articles. The biography The Life of Laura Barney was published 2022 and is available on Amazon.

About the book

The story of a well-connected, wealthy woman from the West whose devotion to a spiritual leader from the East transformed her life into one of selfless service to humanity. The Life of Laura Barney traces the journey of Laura Barney from her pampered childhood to her life as a feminist, global-thinker and peacebuilder who was twice decorated by the French Legion of Honor.