Born in
Buffalo to Lawrence and Anne, Radice earned three
art history degrees: a
Bachelor of Arts from
Wheaton College in 1969, a
Master of Arts from
Dominican University, and a
Doctor of Philosophy from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1976, studying abroad at
Villa Schifanoia in 1971. Her thesis at Dominican was on the
architect Filippo Raguzzini and his works on
Sant'Ignazio in
Rome. Radice wrote a doctoral dissertation on the architect
Simone del Pollaiolo. She then also went on to receive a
Master of Business Administration from
American University in 1985. Radice began her curatorial career while a student at Chapel Hill. In 1971, she was hired as assistant curator at the
National Gallery of Art. From 1976 to 1981, Radice served as architectural historian in the office of the
Architect of the Capitol, and then was promoted to curator until 1985, under
George M. White. While there, she was also named the first director of the
National Museum of Women in the Arts in 1983, a position that she held until 1989. From 1989 to 1991, Radice was Chief of the Creative Arts Division of the
United States Information Agency, where she supervised the Cultural Property Advisory Committee, appointed by
United States Presidents
Ronald Reagan and
George H. W. Bush. The committee, formed in response to the
1970 UNESCO Convention, promoted long-term measures to safeguard cultural heritage. In the following year, President Bush appointed Radice to serve as the Acting Chairman of the
National Endowment for the Arts. In 1993, Radice left to become a consultant for organizations such as
PBS, until 1995. In 1998, Radice became executive director of the Friends of Dresden, Inc., an organization focused on the restoration and preservation of architecture in
Dresden. Three years later, she moved on to become executive director of the
Appeal of Conscience Foundation. In 2003, Radice returned to government work by being appointed Chief of Staff for
United States Secretary of Education Rod Paige until 2005. That year, she also stepped in as Acting Assistant Chairman for Programs of the
National Endowment for the Humanities, and was ultimately appointed Director of the
Institute of Museum and Library Services by President
George W. Bush, succeeding
Robert S. Martin. During her tenure, Radice raised public awareness for conservation, and was recognized with awards from the
American Association of Museums, the
American Institute for Conservation, and the
Presidential Citizens Medal in 2008. Her term ended in 2010. In 2012, Radice became executive director of the
American Folk Art Museum. She would spend a decade there, while simultaneously returning to work for the National Endowment for the Humanities as Director of the Division of Public Programs in 2018. Three years later, she exclusively became the Management Analyst for the Office of the chair, under
Shelly Lowe. ==Personal life==