Portrait of Morris

Morris Dorsky was born in 1918 in Coney Island, New York to parents who immigrated from Russia. He attended Brooklyn College, studied at the Sorbonne after fighting in World War II, and received a master’s degree in Art History from New York University. He studied with pioneers in the field, including Leo Balet, and other mentors at Brooklyn College included Harry Slochower and Milton Brown. Professor Dorsky taught at Brooklyn College for 41 years. Colleagues included Mark Rothko, Ad Reinhardt, Jimmy Ernest, Phillip Pearlstein, Lucas Samaras, Sylvia Stone, Allan D’Árcangelo, Walter Rosenblum, Lennart Anderson and Lois Dodd. He served as Chairman of the Art Department for over a decade. He was well known as an enthusiastic teacher, who inspired many students. He took pride in bringing the art historian and artist communities closer together within an academic institution.