Vassar Today
Christopher Dixon and President Bradley outside the construction of The Dede Thompson Bartlett Center for Admission and Career Education.
Chris Dixon, shown left with President Elizabeth Bradley, made an investment in students in honor of his late wife, Barbara Dixon ’69, below.

Stockton Photo, Inc.

Honoring Barbara Dixon ’69 Through Career Education

Barbara Dixon ’69, née Saslaw, had two great careers. The first was on Wall Street, where she broke barriers during an era when few women made it in finance. Later, she became a passionate advocate for landscape preservation and sustainable agriculture. Her professional journey—from commodities trading to leadership in environmental organizations—reflects a lifelong dedication to learning, adapting, and going to the source.

Her husband, Christopher Dixon, recalled a friend’s observation after Barbara’s death, underscoring how powerful a presence she was, defying expectations with quiet authority and demanding respect the moment she appeared. “You have to remember that in those days [the 1970s], when a man walked into your office, he looked at your chest before he looked at your face,” the friend told him. “But when Barbara would walk into a room, everybody would take a step back.”

Now, through a transformative gift from Christopher to Vassar’s Center for Career Education (CCE) programming and The Dede Thompson Bartlett Center for Admission and Career Education, Barbara’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of students and alums. The gift supports on- and off-campus programs, internship opportunities, professional development, networking, and career advisement, and bolsters staffing to guide students on their career journeys. These services will be housed in the new Bartlett Center, which also benefited from the Dixon gift.

This investment in Vassar students draws inspiration from Barbara herself, whose career was marked by visionary leadership and a fearless drive to pursue her dreams.

Charting a Course in Finance

A member of Vassar’s last all-female graduating class, Barbara studied history and initially explored urban planning. After a brief role with a city planner, she joined Hayden, Stone & Co.—later Shearson Lehman Brothers—as an assistant to Richard Donchian, the father of trend following. She was one of the first women in the managed futures business and quickly proved formidable, managing several commodity funds. She met Christopher on a blind date in the early 1970s.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important that group of women in that last all-female class is,” Christopher said. “We had all grown up through the ’50s, and there was this whole notion that if you got a really good education, you could do anything you wanted to do … And if you went to a prestigious university or college, the doors were wide open to you, and folks took that seriously. [The Class of 1969] worked hard.”

Barbara did, indeed. She rose through the ranks, shattering the glass ceiling to become a renowned trader and honored member of the FIA Futures Industry Hall of Fame. She became a senior manager in the commodity division and one of two women executive vice presidents at Shearson American Express, where she also participated in college recruiting efforts. Shearson acquired Lehman Brothers in 1984, and she continued in senior roles until she left in 1992. She then returned to her early interests in the natural world.

A Shift Toward Stewardship

Barbara left Wall Street to pursue her passion. She became Vice Chairman of New Yorkers for Parks, and later joined The Cultural Landscape Foundation, a national nonprofit that educates the public about landscape and environmental engagement. She also served as one of the directors of WellMet Philanthropy, supporting emerging nonprofits in New York City.

“Once Barbara left Wall Street, she focused on the whole notion of sustainability, of open space, of the landscape that surrounds us, education, the impact of climate change,” Christopher said, “and that’s part of her legacy as much as she was successful on Wall Street.”

Christopher’s career evolved from filmmaking to securities analysis, culminating as Managing Director and Global Coordinator of Entertainment and New Media Research at UBS. He also taught finance for 14 years at NYU’s Stern School of Business.

Together, the Dixons helped found Stone Acres Farm in Stonington, CT, in 2016 and launched the Yellow Farmhouse Education Center in 2017, whose mission is to “use culinary and farm-based education to connect people to each other and to where their food comes [from].”

Barbara remained committed to these organizations until her passing in September 2023. Christopher remains Chair of Stone Acres Farm.

“Barbara grew up in Poughkeepsie and went to Vassar, which was an integral part of her life. She would tell you her success was primarily because she felt that Vassar taught her about primary sources,” Christopher said. “To be able to find and dig and get an answer that could easily be supported—that led her to a logic that she was able to use in her later career.”

Portrait of Barbara Dixon ‘69.
Barbara Dixon ’69

Courtesy of Chris Dixon

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Wanting to honor her where her legacy began, Christopher reached out to President Elizabeth Bradley, who mentioned The Bartlett Center.

“Barbara would have found great joy in witnessing the realization of this building, and I thank Dede Thompson Bartlett for her vision,” he said. “To ensure that the Center for Career Education programming flourishes for many years to come, our gift, along with others, will support the administrative needs—the meat and potatoes of CCE.”

Christopher found the opportunity serendipitous. Not only would his gift help students, but the architect behind The Bartlett Center is Maryann Thompson Architects, who also built the Dixons’ home.

“Career education is really important,” Christopher said. “There are the tactical and technical pieces: How do you write a résumé? How do you tell the story about yourself? How do you define that process? Finding a career is finding something that you want to do, combined with your particular skill sets and personal capabilities, and, at the same time, understanding the technical aspects of how to go about getting a job. It’s a very important part of development.”

Vassar’s CCE is adopting a Life Design model, empowering students to shape their career paths through intentional exploration. The Dixon gift will help expand real-world experiences through internships, student organizations like the Vassar Business and the Healthcare Industry Clubs, and hands-on learning. Personalized advising, workshops, and mock interviews will further equip students and alums to reach their goals.

“Building on the success of signature programs like Sophomore Career Connections, an expanded Life Design model and four-year plan will prompt students to see connections between their curricular and extracurricular pursuits, and to practice articulating the meaning and value of their liberal arts education,” Stacy Bingham, Associate Dean of the College for Career Education and Interim Director of Fellowships, said. “In short, we are giving students the tools to navigate a lifetime of career decisions and changes.”

Asked what Barbara would think of the gift, Christopher chuckled. She was humble and might have questioned the decision—until she saw the impact on students, he said. Then she’d be ecstatic.

Barbara’s Legacy

Christopher aims to ensure that students and graduates not only launch careers but live fulfilling lives. His support goes beyond the bricks and mortar to bolster the programming and infrastructure of career education. The Atrium and Career Studio at The Bartlett Center will be named for Barbara.

“I found it important that she be honored at Vassar, and at the same time, to be able to give back some of what Vassar had created and informed in this extraordinary woman,” Christopher said.

Construction on The Bartlett Center is well underway and expected to be completed in November 2025. Located at the corner of Raymond and Collegeview Avenues, it will house the CCE and Office of Admission. —Heather Mattioli

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