The Tocqueville Society of River Region United Way proudly recognizes
Joan Byck Loeb
as the 2015 recipient for her dedication, compassion and
lifetime of philanthropy to our community.
Laurie Jean Weil and Bobby Weil, II, present The Tocqueville Society Award to Joan Byck Loeb
- Photo by Carter Photography & Design -
The recipient of this year’s Tocqueville Society Award is a much-respected and accomplished member of the River Region’s philanthropic leadership. Joan Byck Loeb has been a longtime proponent of historic conservancy and education, as well as a champion of her community.
Southern Roots
To hear it described, the Hostess City of the South, the grand city of Savannah, Georgia is without doubt, one of the most beautiful in the world. If its historic facade and gnarled, twisting oaks could converse with her well-worn cobblestone streets, their remarkable tales might focus on one of Savannah’s very own.
To hear Joan Byck Loeb described, one might sense that she and the place of her birth have much in common – Joan is hospitable, modest yet striking, full of character, vibrant, forward-thinking, respected, friendly, artistic, smart, interested and interesting. Never wanting to be the center of attention, she commands consideration by all those who come into her presence, because of her reputation and commitment to community. Like the hostess city itself, Joan Loeb draws you into her company.
After attending Goucher College in Towson, Maryland, Joan set off to live in New York and gained employment writing advertising copy for the retail giant Montgomery Ward. While in New York, she advanced to work at both the Mutual Buying Syndicate and the Benton & Bowles Advertising Agency before eventually moving to Atlanta, Georgia where she became head copywriter at the Bearden Thompson Frankel Advertising Agency. On a blind date, she met a graduate of the University of North Carolina, a World War II veteran and a true southern gentleman, James “Jimmy” Lucien Loeb.
Wanting 
to keep his budding relationship to himself, when Jimmy would make his frequent trips from Montgomery to Atlanta to visit Joan, he would often tell his staff members at Weil Brothers Cotton that he was “traveling out of state to visit the Georgia Mills.” When their secret was finally uncovered and Joan eventually visited Montgomery on Jimmy’s arm, she was immediately referred to by everyone as – you guessed it – “Ms. Georgia Mills.”
Fittingly, as Savannah boasts of building the first cotton gin in 1793, the man she would eventually marry in 1956 had entered the cotton business ten years before and would later found Loeb & Company in Montgomery in 1969.
Partners in Philanthropy
Together, Jimmy and Joan set off on a life of adventure. When they were not sailing their light blue, 19-foot Flying Scot on the waters of Lake Martin, they could often be found in the company of Montgomery native Milo Barrett Howard, Jr. As an archivist, Milo enjoyed teaching Jimmy about history and preservation in the capital city. Those lessons would have a remarkable impact on the future of our city. Beyond Montgomery, the Loebs relished the opportunity to travel both nationally and internationally, where together they gained a rich understanding of the much larger world beyond the boundaries of home. While Jimmy had an encyclopedic recollection of nearly everything they did, saw and ate, Joan always took the opportunity to notice those amenities enjoyed by the citizens of other cultures and declared that she could bring the best of the entire world back to Montgomery for herself, her four children, Helen, Elizabeth, Patricia and Jamie, and for countless others to enjoy.
Jimmy and Joan elevated the relevance of historic conservancy and gained great pleasure from the education of others, all the while forming the very foundation for the modern preservation movement in Montgomery. Joan was constantly looking for ways to engage school children in Alabama history through local programs or asking convention planners to help her assemble the wives of traveling businessmen or the spouses of Air Force officers so they could take tours of Montgomery and what is now known as the River Region. For over nine years, she and a friend, Nan Rosa, operated the Montgomery Tour Guide Service. Beyond the physical challenge of teetering in the front of a swaying bus in a skirt and heels, Joan aspired to help others gain an understanding of the surrounding past by visiting Old Alabama Town and other historic sites of interest.
In addition to their work together forming the Landmarks Foundation and establishing Old Alabama Town, it was Joan’s involvement in an Antiquarian project that piqued her interest in the British pieces of First Period Worcester china, made between 1751 and 1783. Its delicate beauty and provenance wed to her passion and provided the impetus for her to study, search out and eventually collect individual pieces from New York, London and all over the States. Likewise, Jimmy shared Joan’s love of fine porcelain and together they began the Loeb Collection which is now on display in the Decorative Arts Gallery housed at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts (MMFA).
From the start, Joan naturally displayed wonderful taste and a keen eye for detail and quality. So accomplished in fact, it is no wonder she has served for over 20 years as the Chair of the Decorative Arts Committee for MMFA where she helped begin the Museum’s collection of studio glass.
Joan was convinced that nonprofit service added so much to her and Jim’s lives. She remarked, “Creating plans was stimulating and seeing those ideas come to fruition was exciting. It enriched our lives and I hope it helped others.”
Rolled up Sleeves
Joan has always poured herself into public service through her work with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, the Central Alabama Community Foundation where she formed SAYNO and the BONDS program, the River Region United Way where she was a founding member of The Tocqueville Society, the Landmarks Foundation of Montgomery, the Montgomery Chamber Music Society, and Temple Beth Or, among many others too numerous to list. Ask anyone who has worked with Joan, and you will hear the words visionary, tenacious, loyal to the things and people she values, leader, doer, selfless, delightful and, of course, fun.
On more than one occasion, friends recollected humorous accounts like the time she attended a meeting at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church. Having failed to properly set the parking brake, as she went on with her meeting inside, her automobile took a slow roll, backwards down Dexter Avenue eventually ending up smack in the middle of the broad street. When police arrived, there was an empty car and no one to be found. Jimmy was less than amused. Or the many other times when a simple remark or phrase from a friend would quickly elicit a witty observation or entertaining quip from Joan. Laughter, and lots of it, has always been present around Joan Loeb.
Citizenry as an Art Form
It is often said that a city’s character ripens over time. For Joan Byck Loeb, her character has always been complete, full of vibrancy and positively influencing the lives of others. Her enduring work, her gentle, gracious but determined efforts have made an indelible mark on Montgomery, even if she never managed to lose her inimitable Savannah accent while doing so. With effortless excellence, she has tasked herself with meaningful business and done so in such a way that everyone around her has felt included and accepted. As we enjoy her company this evening, Joan Byck Loeb is incredulous that others would honor her and grant her the much deserved credit for which she has never sought recognition.
But to shine the spotlight on Joan, to honor her in recognition and appreciation of her many contributions to the lives of so many people in our community is absolutely appropriate. Thank you, Joan, for your lifetime of service and for the example you have set for others through the act of caring and placing service above self.
With special appreciation to the following individuals for their assistance in preparing this piece:
Lanny Crane, Mark Johnson, Eve Loeb, Jamie Loeb, Nan Rosa, Mary Ann Neely and Laurie Jean Weil.
Attending the spring Tocqueville Society event where Joan Byck Loeb (fourth from left) received her award were her son Jamie Loeb,
daughter-in-law Carol Loeb, daughter Helen Loeb, daughter Tricia Rosenbaum and son-in-law Maurice Rosenbaum.
- Photo by Carter Photography & Design -
