Sonja Bata
| Sonja I. Bata | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Sonja Wettstein 1926 Zurich, Switzerland |
| Nationality | Swiss |
| Other names | Sonja Baťová |
| Education | Architect |
| Occupation | Businesswoman, philanthropist, museum founder |
| Spouse(s) | Thomas J. Bata |
| Relatives | Tomáš Baťa (father-in-law) |
Sonja I. Bata (or Sonja Baťová; née Wettstein) (born 1926, Zurich) was a Swiss business woman, philanthropist, and museum founder,[1] who trained as an architect.
Biography
After her marriage to Thomas J. Bata of Bata Shoes, she left her architecture studies, and moved to Toronto in 1946, befriending those in the architecture community: Raymond Moriyama designed the Bata Shoe Museum while John Cresswell Parkin designed the Don Mills headquarters of Bata Shoes and the family's country house in Batawa.[2]
Though she had earlier envisioned herself to become a great architect, she set her designs on improving the Bata Shoe company.[3] Also in the 1940s, she began collecting shoes and studying their history. In 1979, she endowed the Bata Shoe Museum Foundation. The Bata Shoe Museum, established in 1995, is the world's largest shoe museum,[4] and the core collection is attributed to Bata.[5] She is the museum's chairperson.[6]
Bata was also the chair of the National Design Council (1970s).[7] She helped establish the Toronto French School, served as director the Art Gallery of Ontario, sat on the boards of Alcan and Canada Trustco, affiliated with the World Wildlife Fund,[8] and became an Honorary Captain in the RCN and sponsor of HMCS Ottawa.[1]
Personal life
There are four children, Thomas George (born 1948), Christine (born 1953), Monica (born 1955), and Rosemarie (born 1960).[9] Her father-in-law is Tomáš Baťa, the founder of Bata Shoes.
Awards
- Companion of the Canadian Business Hall of Fame
- Lifetime achievement award, Retail Council of Canada
- 1995, Conference Board of Canada
References
- 1 2 Rezac 2005, p. 139.
- ↑ LeBlanc, Dave (27 August 2009). "The Architourist - Before modern turned retro". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
- ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 132.
- ↑ DeMello 2009, p. 32.
- ↑ Grzeskowiak 2008, p. 48.
- ↑ Benstock & Ferriss 2001, p. 35.
- ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 138.
- ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 139.
- ↑ Bata & Sinclair 1990, p. 134.
Bibliography
- Bata, Thomas John; Sinclair, Sonja (1990). Bata: Shoemaker to the World. Bata. ISBN 978-0-7737-2416-7.
- Benstock, Shari; Ferriss, Suzanne (2001). Footnotes: On Shoes. Rutgers University Press. ISBN 978-0-8135-2871-7.
- DeMello, Margo (10 September 2009). Feet and Footwear: A Cultural Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. ISBN 978-0-313-35715-2.
- Grzeskowiak, Mark (16 April 2008). Toronto & Niagara Colourguide. Formac Publishing Company Limited. ISBN 978-0-88780-760-2.
- Rezac, Darcy (2005). Work the Pond: Use the Power of Positive Networking to Leap Forward in Work and Life. Prentice Hall Press. ISBN 978-0-7352-0402-7.