by

Lee R White

    Jessie Parrott Loomis was born in Waterloo, on October 4, 1912, the daughter of Robert and Ellen Parrott. Mrs. Loomis was considered one of the best artists in Iowa; her paintings were accepted at major galleries around the state and Midwest. She was a very prominent figure in art in the region, receiving invitations to lecture at various prestigious galleries. [1] Mrs. Loomis was an art critic for the Waterloo Courier, and also taught art at Waterloo West High School. She worked very hard to promote the arts in the Cedar Valley by teaching people about art at numerous places, including the University of Northern Iowa (then the Iowa State Teaching College).[2]  She died on December 2, 1966, from injuries sustained in a car accident the previous month, which had occurred as she and her husband returned to Waterloo from an Iowa football game. [3] 

Footnotes

1. "Dedicate ‘Messiah’ To Jessie Loomis," (obituary) in Waterloo Courier, 4 December 1966,
    14. 

2. Phyllis Singer, "Jessie Loomis loved our town," Waterloo Courier, 5 December 1966, 6. 

3. "Dr. Loomis, Wife Injured in Crash," Waterloo Courier, 13 November 1966, 13-14. 

Bibliography

Singer, Phyllis. "Jessie Loomis loved our town." Waterloo Courier, 5 December 1966, 6. 

"Dedicate ‘Messiah’ to Jessie Loomis," Waterloo Courier, 4 December 1966, 14. 

"Dr. Loomis, Wife Injured in Crash," Waterloo Courier, 13 November 1966, 13-14.