Sydel Silverman facts for kids

Sydel Finfer Silverman Wolf (May 20, 1933 – March 25, 2019) was an American anthropologist. She was known for her important research, writing, and for working to save valuable records of anthropological studies.

Her early work focused on understanding complex societies. She studied traditional farming systems, land changes, and local festivals in Central Italy. Later, Sydel became a leader in the field. She helped organize discussions and events to protect historical anthropological information.

Early Life and Education

Sydel Silverman was born on May 20, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois. Her family was Orthodox Jewish and came from Lithuania. They were very poor, and Sydel was the youngest of seven children.

From a young age, Sydel was interested in anthropology. Her uncle, Hirshel Bassman, helped her explore ideas like mysticism and "oriental religions."

In 1951, Sydel graduated from high school. She started studying at the University of Illinois as a pre-med student. After two years, she moved to the University of Chicago. There, she studied biology, psychology, and sociology-anthropology.

Sydel earned her master's degree in 1957. Her thesis was called The Female Climacterium. In the same year, she began her PhD in Anthropology at Columbia University. She chose Italy for her research because she was very interested in the Mediterranean region.

Career Highlights

Research in Italy

Sydel Silverman's main PhD research was in a small Italian village called Montecastello di Vibio. She started her work there in August 1960. Her studies were among the first to look at the social life of Central Italy. She described the mezzadria, which was the traditional farming system of the area. This system was later ended by law.

In 1963, Sydel received her PhD from Columbia University. Her dissertation, Landlord and peasant in an Umbrian community, became her first book, Three bells of civilization : the life of an Italian hill town. This book is still one of her most important works. She also wrote several articles based on her research.

Some of Sydel's photographs from 1960–1961, including pictures by her first husband Melvin Silverman, can be seen online.

Teaching and Leadership

After getting her PhD, Sydel taught at Queens College in New York City. She taught there from 1962 to 1975. During this time, she continued her research in Italy. She studied land changes in Southern Italy in 1967. She also compared different regional festivals in Central Italy. Her writings about the Palio of Siena are especially well-known.

At Queens College, Sydel also started her leadership journey. She was elected as the Department Chair in 1970.

Leading Anthropology Programs

From 1975 to 1986, Sydel Silverman was the Executive Officer for the PhD Program in Anthropology at the CUNY Graduate Center. Under her leadership, the program became one of the top ten anthropology doctoral programs in the United States. For a while, she was also the acting Dean of Graduate Studies at CUNY.

In 1987, Sydel moved to the Wenner-Gren Foundation. She became the President of the Foundation and served until 1999. In this role, she spoke for the field of anthropology. She also managed important tasks like giving out fellowships and grants for research. Sydel organized 25 international meetings during her time at Wenner-Gren. These meetings were the subject of her 2002 book, The Beast on the Table. This book tells the story of anthropology's history.

Sydel also worked to preserve important anthropological records. This effort continued even after she retired in 1999. She is now President Emerita of the Wenner-Gren Foundation and Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the City University of New York.

Personal Life

In December 1953, Sydel married the painter Mel Silverman. They were married until he passed away in 1966. In 1972, she married another anthropologist, Eric Wolf. They were married until his death in 1999.

Sydel and Eric had two children, Eve Silverman and film producer Julie Yorn. Sydel also had two stepchildren from Eric Wolf's first marriage.

Sydel Silverman passed away on March 25, 2019, in New York City.