Remembering Sid Verba

Sid VerbaPolitical science lost one of its most respected—and beloved—colleagues on March 4, 2019. Sidney Verba of Harvard University made lasting contributions to several fields within political science at the same time that, as head of the Harvard’s library system, he pioneered the application of emerging digital technologies to the way information is accessed, stored, and used by libraries. Sid is remembered for his foundational contributions to political science; for his generous good citizenship in each of the many venues in which he operated; and for his warmth, humor, generosity, decency, fairness, and inclusivity to all who had the good fortune to encounter him.

Formal obituaries: Harvard Gazette / New York Times / Boston Globe / Harvard Crimson

memorial video by Margy Verba can be seen here.

By Kay Lehman Schlozman & Henry E. Brady: Remembering Sidney Verba

Drew Gilpin Faust

Drew Gilpin Faust

Sid was the consummate university citizen.  Whenever there was a difficult problem where we needed a faculty member to lead a task force or solve a problem, we would find ourselves saying “we need a Sid Verba.”  He became more than a person; he became a category representing wisdom, dedication, and insight.  But truly, he was a category of one.

Gary King

Gary King

Even when Sid wasn't well, he always had a nice nonconflictual way of adding insight to the conversation, and taught me new things every time we interacted. Sid had a deep understanding of politics, both at a scientific level and an intuitive level. I always marveled that when Sid was in the room at Harvard, everyone acted like adults. No one was... Read more about Gary King

Nancy Burns

Nancy Burns

The main thing that stands out in my long list of memories of Sid is the astonishing way he built and managed collaborations over his 60 years of co-authorship. Never once did he do any of the standard things that make trouble for such relationships. In fact... Read more about Nancy Burns

Traci Burch

Traci Burch

When I was on the job market, I asked Sid for advice on dealing with tough questions during job talks. He told me that whenever I wanted to end a pointless argument and move on I should say, “Be that as it may...” and then talk about something else. It still works like a charm.

Anthony Broh

Anthony Broh

I have and will always associate Sidney Verba with Passover - hosting my family from the first year of our arrival in Brookline.  The annual gathering with the Verba family, their numerous friends, and our colleagues around the Seder table created the warmth of sharing that is central to the Holiday.  Sid began each yearly meeting... Read more about Anthony Broh

Kristi Andersen & Goldie Shabad

Kristi Andersen & Goldie Shabad

In 1976, we defended our University of Chicago dissertations — together in the same room! That was convenient for everyone, and somehow considered legitimate by the U of C (or possibly the facts were concealed from the administration). Sid was on both committees, and he presented us with a poem in honor of the occasion. It is a wonderful poem.... Read more about Kristi Andersen & Goldie Shabad

John O. Field

John O. Field

Sid Verba’s Advice to a Dissertation Writer

When I was a graduate student at Stanford, Sid was my dissertation advisor (even though by the time I had written anything, he had moved to the University of Chicago). With an innocent sense of accomplishment, I sent him first drafts of several chapters about a month later. He responded with his usual encouragement and with an admonition in the form a story.... Read more about John O. Field

Morris Fiorina

Morris Fiorina

Shortly after I arrived at Harvard, Sid knocked on my door one day and asked if I wanted to go to the movies.  Well, I thought, this is new to me, but maybe taking a study break and going to a movie with a colleague is standard practice at Harvard.  It turned out that one of the theaters in Harvard Square was showing an English documentary called 28 UP!  In 1964... Read more about Morris Fiorina

Dale Flecker

Dale Flecker

I had the enormous good fortune to work closely with Sid for almost a quarter century when he served as Director of the Harvard University Library.  There are so many things about Sid that stay with me from those years, but two stand out. The first was his deep inherent decency.  Sid treated everyone with kindness and respect... Read more about Dale Flecker

David Campbell

David Campbell

As I was finishing grad school and heading off to become a baby professor, Sid told me a story (as he was wont to do). He described attending a recent college reunion, at which of many of his former classmates--most of whom had gone into law or business--kvetched about their jobs. They had all retired as soon as possible. In contrast, Sid told me... Read more about David Campbell

Nancy M. Cline

Nancy M. Cline

The world has lost a wonderful teacher, a gifted “statesman,” and a champion for fairness. Sid led Harvard’s libraries through many significant changes. The integration of automation across all the libraries, along with investments in digitization and innovative advances in preservation, ultimately made our collections more accessible to the world’s researchers. Sid would often... Read more about Nancy M. Cline

Louise K. Comfort

Louise K. Comfort

As an advanced graduate student completing his doctoral dissertation for the Department of Politics at Princeton University and lead graduate researcher for Gabriel Almond, Sidney Verba warmly welcomed me to the research team for the Civic Culture study in January, 1959.  That day began a mentoring relationship that grew and deepened into warm friendship and trust... Read more about Louise K. Comfort

Ingrid Depta

Ingrid Depta

I was very fortunate to have known and worked for Sidney Verba as his administrative assistant for fourteen years. When I think of him, I think of a man who cared deeply about his family and friends, his research, colleagues, students, and causes. He loved life and was a keen observer of people. With his great diplomatic skills and his funny and witty anecdotes, he could diffuse tensions and restore order.... Read more about Ingrid Depta

Jesse Donahue

Jesse Donahue

Working with Sid, Nancy, and Kay on the Citizen Participation Study was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. I learned a huge amount about how these large projects are done, which was tremendously helpful in understanding other work in the field. More importantly, however, I had a wonderful time learning from the 3 of you about life as a professor. I still remember... Read more about Jesse Donahue

Gerald Gamm

Gerald Gamm

Sid was brilliant, of course, but what I will miss most is his gentle and forgiving spirit, his uncompromising integrity, his work ethic, his sense of humor, his way of pushing you to listen and learn.  He taught by example.  He listened more than he talked, and there was exceptional wisdom in how he listened and what he chose to say.  No matter the subject, he had... Read more about Gerald Gamm

Marshall Ganz

Marshall Ganz

A poem by Mary Oliver:

When death comes
like the hungry bear in autumn;
when death comes and takes all the bright coins from his purse
 
to buy me, and snaps the purse shut... Read more about Marshall Ganz

Barbara Graham

Barbara Graham

Sidney’s memory and recall were legendary.  He never repeated himself, and his repertoire was boundless. Two instances:

After a long day of University Library visiting committee sessions, he was descending the Widener Library front steps with me when... Read more about Barbara Graham

Malcolm Hamilton

Malcolm Hamilton

I recall that a consultant was engaged to “consult” about some now long-forgotten issue in the University Library. Part of his task was to interview the senior staff and come up with recommendations. Well, I sat with him for a half hour, and it was clear to me the consultant didn’t have a grasp of what he was supposed to be doing... Read more about Malcolm Hamilton

Jennifer Hochschild

Jennifer Hochschild

Soon after I arrived at Harvard, I was distressed about what I perceived to be an unfair criticism of me from a political science colleague.  I mentioned it to Sid when I saw him in the hallway soon thereafter, and he immediately told me that he too had been criticized by the same person in the same way... Read more about Jennifer Hochschild

Philip Jones

Philip Jones

I remember sharing a cab ride with Sidney at MPSA in 2006, when I was a new grad student. I was traveling to China for the first time the next morning, and told Sid. He let me talk about all the exciting things I was going to do for fifteen minutes, before offhandedly mentioning that he had been there... Read more about Philip Jones

Jane Junn

Jane Junn

If I were to identify one thing about Sidney that I have tried to emulate it is how he treated others: everyone was deserving of respect and kindness. I experienced this first-hand from him.  Indeed, he expressed it in his own hand, writing me little notes on half-size Harvard stationary and signing them "SV." This was many years ago, and I am hoping... Read more about Jane Junn

Ira Katznelson

Ira Katznelson

Not many people of serious depth, rigorous thought, and normative purpose can light up life with such spirited and incisive humor, keen observations, and unforced warmth.  Sid knew what matters. Everything for him, from the personal to the political, came back to decency.

Robert Keohane

Robert Keohane

A favorite Sid witticism:

“Garbage is garbage but the history of garbage is social science.”

Jae-on Kim

Jae-on Kim

For me, Sid represented everything that is good in humanity and merit-based incentive system in the US. When Sid invited me as a co-principal investigator of the Cross-National Project, I was a graduate student at UC-Berkeley, with limited facility in English, and really not much to show except whatever Sid saw in me as one of... Read more about Jae-on Kim

Casey Klofstad

Casey Klofstad

I think my best memory of Sid was when he and I had one of our first project meetings in his office in Littauer. I expressed concern that I didn't have any new ideas for research. His reply: "I don't have enough time to work on all of my ideas!" That always stuck with me, and has motivated me as a scholar and a person. Sid was truly one of the greats.

Joseph LaPalombara

Joseph LaPalombara

Sidney Verba made a difference in my own life for many reasons.  He was arguably the strongest member of the SSRC Committee on Comparative Politics, of which I was happy to be a member.  To place Sidney at the level says a great deal, given who were its other members.  There was also the astonishing supply of apt and sometimes hilarious stories Sidney could tell... Read more about Joseph LaPalombara

Jane Mansbridge

Jane Mansbridge

I asked Sid to read a draft of Beyond Adversary Democracy. I think it was because he had just left the University of Chicago and retained some fondness for it, and I had just arrived. I think I may have spoken with him about the questions I borrowed from Participation in America in my Selby questionnaire... Read more about Jane Mansbridge

Deanna Marcum

Deanna Marcum

As a founding director of the Commission on Preservation and Access, Sid was chosen by his peers to testify before Congress on the importance of saving our intellectual heritage. He had Congressman Sidney Yates, the committee chair, eating out of his hand! We librarians knew we had found an academic hero for the cause of preservation.

Meselu Mola

Meselu Mola

When I met Sid for the first time I found him in the kitchen cooking dinner for his wife. As soon as I entered the kitchen to introduce myself he welcomed me with his wonderful smile. Since that day I vowed that I would help him with respect and dignity. When I was helping him I would think of who he was before he needed help; I didn't see a man with a weakness, I saw a man who was very happy and thankful every day... Read more about Meselu Mola

Eva Moseley

Eva Moseley

Sidney composed this “Poem in Honor of Carolyn Morrow,” when she left the Harvard Library for marriage and California.
                            
What can we say about Carolyn Morrow?
She's here today, she'll be gone tomorrow.
The fact of her leaving makes us all nervous... Read more about Eva Moseley

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