Leonard "Lenny" Billing

Leonard Winter Billing was a student from the fall of 1938 to the fall of 1941, then guest faculty for the 1951-1952 school year. He focused on architecture and woodworking. He also served as the Work Program Director. Leonard took Introductory Weaving with Anni Albers and Don Page in the Fall 1940 and Summer 1941, until he was drafted.

The following biography written by Mary Emma Harris for Black Mountain Project (and updated by daughter, Elena).

Leonard Billing was born in China where his parents were teaching missionaries. In 1936 he came to the United States. He first heard about Black Mountain through Louis Adamic’s article on the college. He recalled that he was interested in a small college and had considered Berea and Antioch but chose to apply to Black Mountain. There he took a general curriculum with a focus on art, architecture and music.

Before leaving the college to join the Civilian Public Service, he passed the Senior Division Exam with a plan to graduate in Designing as it Relates to Housing and Community Planning. In New York after the war, Billing worked in the design and construction division of Americraft, which designed and made lamps and sold the work of many craftsmen.

He returned to Black Mountain with his wife and daughter as Guest Faculty in Woodworking in the summer of 1951. In the fall he was appointed to the faculty to teach woodworking and direct the work program. He remained through the summer of 1952.

On his return to New York Billing worked in his father-in-law’s metal spinning business, designing and making lamps, enamel-on-copper bowls and other items. In 1957 he moved to New Hampshire with his wife and two children where the jewelry, spun pewterware, enamels, and tabletop mobiles that he designed and made were sold in the shops of the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, and at their and other summer craft fairs.

In the 1960's he returned to New York to work with his father-in-law. After the latter’s death he continued to run the business, spinning copper bowls for enamelists, as well as other projects. He continued to design and make jewelry, and in 1972 he moved to Connecticut to concentrate on his jewelry making.

Courses Taken

Fall 1938-39: Evolution of Science (Lindsley),Color (Albers), Introductory to Economics(Barnes), Piano Lessons (Sly), FolkDancing (Sly), Orchestra (Sly), Back ChoralePreludes Seminar(Sly),Wind Quartette (Sly), DramaticsII(Wunsch)

Spring 1938-39: Introductory Economics (Barnes), Readings in Literature(Kurtz), Color (Albers), Orchestra (Sly), Folk Dancing (Sly)

Fall 1939-40: Music (Evarts), Werklehre (Albers), Introductory Writing(Wunsch), Orchestra (Jalowetz)oSpring 1939-40: Werklehre (Albers), Music (Evarts), Color (Albers), Orchestra(Jalowetz), Play Production (Wunsch)

Fall 1940-41: Introductory Weaving (Page), Contemporary Architecture(Kocher), Contemporary Architecture Drawing (Kocher), First Aid (Straus),Theoretical & Practical Counterpt (Jalowetz & Nelson), Mathematical Analysis(Dreier), Orchestra (Jalowetz), Madrigals (Jalowetz), Modern Dancing (Babcock)

Spring 1940-41: Contemporary Architecture (Kocher), ContemporaryArchitectural Drawing (Kocher), Drawing (Reed), Werklehre (Reed), Theoreticaland Practical Counterpoint (Jalowetz), Orchestra (Jalowetz)

Fall 1941-42: Contemporary Architecture (Kocher), GeneralBiology (Carpenter),History of Civilization (Radin), Introductory Weaving (Albers), Drawing(Albers), Ensemble Music (Jalowetz)