Sydel Finfer Silverman Wolf was an American anthropologist notable for her work as a researcher, writer, and advocate for the archival preservation of anthropological research.
18 Facts About Sydel Silverman
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Sydel Silverman later became active as an administrator, advocating for the study of cultural anthropology and an important force within the community where she organized discussions and symposia around the topic of preserving the anthropological records.
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Sydel Silverman was born in the Lawndale neighborhood on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, to Joseph Finfer, a rabbi and kosher shohet butcher, and Elizabeth Finfer, a cook.
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Sydel Silverman's parents came from Lithuania when they were adults.
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In 1951, Sydel Silverman graduated from high school and began her studies at the University of Illinois at Navy Pier as a pre-med student.
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In 1957, Sydel Silverman received a master's degree from the Committee on Human Development.
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In 1957, Sydel Silverman enrolled at the PhD program in Anthropology at Columbia University.
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Sydel Silverman's work was one of the initial social-anthropological studies of Central Italy, describing the mezzadria, the traditional agrarian system of the region.
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In 1963, Sydel Silverman received a PhD in anthropology from Columbia University for a dissertation Landlord and peasant in an Umbrian community, subsequently used as the basis of her first book, Three bells of civilization: the life of an Italian hill town.
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Sydel Silverman's research included a 1967 study of land reform in the South of Italy, and several field seasons in Central Italy focused on a comparative study of competitive regional festivals.
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At Queens College Sydel Silverman began her career as an administrator when she was elected as department chair in 1970.
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From 1975 to 1986 Sydel Silverman was the executive officer of the CUNY Graduate Center PhD Program in Anthropology.
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Sydel Silverman moved to the Wenner-Gren Foundation in 1987, where she was appointed president of the foundation, serving from 1987 to 1999.
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Sydel Silverman was spokesperson for the organization, advocating for the field of anthropology as well as overseeing administrative tasks including fellowship and grant funding.
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Sydel Silverman organized twenty-five international symposia during her years at Wenner-Gren.
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Sydel Silverman was President Emerita of the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research and Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the City University of New York.
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In December 1953, Sydel Silverman married the painter Mel Sydel Silverman, who died in 1966.
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Sydel Silverman died on March 25,2019, in New York City.