Jan. 31, 2014

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L&A: Check out The Daily’s guide to which Super Bowl commercials you should watch this Sunday. (Page 6) W W W.O U DA I LY.C O M

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LAWSUIT

University sued over stolen artwork ILLUSTRATION BY BLAYKLEE BUCHANAN AND TAYLOR BOLTON

“La Bergère” looted by Nazis during World War II KELLY ROGERS • CAMPUS REPORTER

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French oil painting from the late 1800s is causing controversy on OU soil, with a remarkable historical background and travel history. After being looted by Nazis in the 1940s with many other artworks, “La Bergère rentrant des moutons,” more commonly referred to as “La Bergère,” painted by French Impressionist Camille Pissarro, found its way to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art after it was given to OU by Aaron and Clara Weitzenhoffer in 2000. Léone Meyer, the daughter of its former owner, Raoul Meyer, filed a lawsuit in May 2013 claiming that the painting is “in the wrongful possession of the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art,” according to court documents. Meyer issued a demand for trial by jury against the OU Board of Regents, OU President David Boren and the Findlay Galleries in New York, where the Weitzenhoffers purchased the painting, according to court documents.

1886 — Painted by French Impressionist Camille Pissarro while studying with Paul Signac and Georges Seurat to develop a new movement: Neo-Impressionism. 1886 — “La Bergère” featured in the eighth Impressionist exhibition in Paris. Prior to WWII — Raoul Meyer, a Jewish French businessman and avid art collector, acquired “La Bergère” along with other Impressionist paintings. March 1940 — The Meyer family decided to place their art collection in a safe location inside the French bank, Credit Commerical de France. February 1941 — Meyer was given notice by Mr. Hartmann, the head of a German financial investigative agency in Paris, that his works of art were subject to seizure

and would be moved to the Louvre Museum’s annex in the gardens of central Paris. 1941 — “La Bergère” entered the Jeu de Paume, a museum of contemporary art. 1941 — “La Bergère” and the rest of Meyer’s art collection was looted by Nazi Occupation forces in France as part of a campaign of genocide directed at Jews living in France during WWII. 1945 — The French Government created the Commission for Art Recovery to recover looted artworks. This commission received a list of missing art works Meyer lost to Nazi forces four years before, including “La Bergère.” 1946-1949 — Meyer recovered multiple paintings with the help of the CRA, excluding La Bergère. 1946 — The U.S., France and Great Britian signed the “Tripartite Agreement” to uphold the policy of restitution of SEE LAWSUIT PAGE 2

LECTURE

Former Justice O’Connor to speak at dinner Speech will be live streamed in Union auditorium Feb. 6 SHAIDA TABRIZI Campus Reporter @ShaidaBee

Seats at this semester’s P re s i d e n t ’s A s s o c i a t e s D i n n e r, f e a t u r i n g t h e Ho n o rab l e Sa n d ra Day O’Connor, former Supreme Court Justice, are already filled, but those interested in listening to the speech can watch a live stream in Meacham Auditorium. The dinner, set to take place at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 6, filled up quickly after it was announced, so Oklahoma Me m o r i a l U n i o n ’s Meacham Auditorium was opened for those who wished to attend but who didn’t make reservations,

OU press secretary Michael Nash said. O’Connor will also speak before the dinner as the keynote speaker for this year’s 12th annual Henry Lecture Series at the OU College of Law. In the past, this lecture series has included two other Supreme Court justices, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Stephen Breyer, according to an email from College of Law dean Joe Harroz. “The impact of [O’Connor’s] remarkable career cannot be overstated, and we are confident our students and alumni will find her lecture to be inspiring,” said Harroz. Casey Delaney, assistant dean for external affairs at OU College of Law, was very enthusiastic about

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O’Connor’s visit to campus, saying it would be hard to find someone more inspiring to a student sitting in class. “S h e w a s She reminds definiteme that the only ly our top barrier I have is the choice for t h e y e a r,” one that I accept.” said Delaney. TARA NIENDORF, One thirdLAW STUDENT year law student, Tara Niendorf, ruefully admitted to geeking out and instantly rushing to RSVP for the event celebrating a speaker who has had such an effect on her personally. “She’s inspirational for anyone without a clear path PHOTO PROVIDED of their own,” said Niendorf. “She reminds me that the American lawyer Sandra Day O’Connor testifies at a judicial hearing, September 1981. O’Connor was

appointed Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court the previous July and was the first woman SEE LECTURE PAGE 2 to hold the position.

Sports: The OU men’s basketball team hits the road to shoot for a second win against Iowa State. (Page 4)

Opinion: If students want to avoid OU’s privatization, they need to get involved. (Page 3)

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