Remembering Sid Verba

Sid Verba Political 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

A memorial video by Margy Verba can be seen here.

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

Joseph Nye

Sid was a brilliant political scientist, but more important he was brilliant human being. He could be the smartest person in the room but somehow make everyone else think they were. His humor and low key style and genuine interest in others made us all want to be with him. We still do.

John Petrocik

Let me note three items that were classic SV quips that I repeated—with all credit to him—to generations of graduate students, which is evidence again of Sidney’s long multi-generation influence because I know they convey these ideas to their own students... Read more about John Petrocik

Remembrance Lia Poorvu

Lia Poorvu

Humanist, scholar and mensch – Sid had it all. As we despair about man’s darker instincts, Sid is an example of hope and goodness.

Robert Putnam

We all know about Sid’s scholarship (one of the most important social scientists of the 20th century) and administrative leadership (repeatedly taking on the most difficult issues at Harvard, from sexual harassment to curriculum reform to ROTC), his dapper dress and his unfailing humor, so I’ll simply mention one anecdote among many that illustrate his extraordinary human sensitivity. When Sid recruited me... Read more about Robert Putnam

Liz Salazar

When I was Sid's faculty assistant, I often found that this renowned librarian needed considerable reminding when a book was due back at the library. There were times when I'd visit him in his office to ask about some book or other, and he'd turn to his mountain of tomes and papers and say, totally unconcerned, that he'd find it somewhere. He usually did find it. There are two exceptions... Read more about Liz Salazar

Stuart Scheiber

In the early days of our efforts to promote open access to Harvard's scholarly output, it's fair to say that skepticism was the primary reaction. Sid Verba's participation in the project opened doors and assuaged concerns. It is in great part through Sid's incredible support -- and especially his sage advice in the effort's early days -- that Harvard's open-access policies and activities were made possible... Read more about Stuart Scheiber

Daniel Schlozman

For decades, Sidney was a source of inspiration. When I was born, he composed a poem:

Who was the bravest in the lion's den?
Who was the boldest of the frontier men?
Who was the nineteenth-century speaker?
Who was the Pentagon Papers leaker?
Who invented benign neglect?
And who, when he's thirty, or forty, or fifty, will still call his parents collect?... Read more about Daniel Schlozman

Shauna Shames

When I was an impressionable undergraduate, Sid was my living proof that someone could be both a brilliant political scientist and a kind, loving, compassionate, and funny human being. He put a human face for me on a whole discipline, all the more so because he looked and felt like my relatives, making it accessible, even interesting. I was and remain ever grateful to have... Read more about Shauna Shames

Kenneth Shepsle

He always claimed that his family reproduced by re-Verbaration.

At the long-standing poker game of Harvard and Brandeis faculty, in which Sid was an essential member, we used to joke that he would, while Harvard Librarian, cover his losses by selling off pages from Harvard's copy of the Gutenberg bible. (At least we thought it was a joke... Read more about Kenneth Shepsle

Nancy L. Rosenblum

Sid’s Daily Gift:

Sid had the office two doors down from me on the 4^th circular tier of CGIS. When I walked by, his door was often ajar. I would look in, and we would smile at one another. There was the great comfort, the moral comfort, of knowing that a good man worked there.

Ganesh Sitaraman

I am going to miss his quick wit and clever comments, his kindness and generosity, and of course, his brilliance. Sid was my professor in the spring of my freshman year, and he was so generous with his time when I went in to his office hours with ambitions of writing a paper surveying my old high school on basic civics knowledge. Later that year, he asked me... Read more about Ganesh Sitaraman

Remembrance Theda Skocpol

Theda Skocpol

Of course I have a thousand memories of Sid as a teacher and colleague at Harvard, but Bill and I also have many fond memories of time with Sid and Cynthia on Mount Desert, Maine, where they rented a place in August for many years. We would run into Sid often at the Beech Hill farm stand, go to concerts with both of them, and often enjoy dinners with drinks, laughter at Sid’s jokes, and talk about life, politics, and the world... Read more about Remembrance Theda Skocpol

Megan Sniffin-Marinoff

I was, along with Barbara, co-director of the Harvard Library’s Open Collections Program, established by Sid, to open a new digital window onto Harvard’s vast collection of unique materials. Sid’s goal was for us to develop subject-based digital collections on topics of contemporary concern, with Harvard making these collections available to students and teachers everywhere. He was adamant... Read more about Megan Sniffin-Marinoff

Richard Valelly

Sid's passing has brought back so many of his admirable qualities that it would take a long page to list them all. But as a former graduate student what I remember most was his engaged patience. I always knew that he was on my side, and that was a great gift.

Carole Uhlaner

I was Sid’s doctoral student at Harvard. He arrived from Chicago for the spring semester of my first year, and I will always be grateful to the faculty graduate advisor (Stephen Krasner) for suggesting I take Sid’s class that spring (on the methodology of comparative politics). That led to working as an RA on the Changing American Voter (charged with finding the pre-ANES data from Roper)... Read more about Carole Uhlaner

Sherry Zaks

After I made this cake of KKV, Sid Verba emailed me the following: "You know, Sherry, even after a career as long and varied as mine, one never really knows if one's work really has an impact. This is the most tangible evidence of impact I've ever seen." He'll be missed... Read more about Sherry Zaks

Frankie Hoff

I had the pleasure of first working with Sid when he was Director of the University Library. When I was interviewing for the position, he and I met in the first- floor conference room of Wadsworth House which served as George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War. The room is directly above the Red Line and you could hear and feel the rumbling of the subway cars moving underneath... Read more about Frankie Hoff

Ellis S Krauss

Sid Verba was at Stanford when I was in graduate school there for my PhD 1964-68. He was my idol—a full Professor at Stanford at age 31 and from where I was from: Flatbush area of Brooklyn, NYC. I think where he grew up was just a few blocks from where my parents were at the time. I took 3 classes from Sid in comparative politics and they inspired me... Read more about Ellis S Krauss

Gary Orren

In my pantheon of people who stand on pedestals, Sid stands tallest. He was a brilliant and original thinker. His cognitive powers were eclipsed only by his clever wit and sparkling sense of humor. Sid had an amazing head. But I think he surpassed others mostly because he had an amazing heart. He was uncommonly generous, caring, compassionate, and kind. He was positive, respectful, appreciative, and empathetic. Sid stands tallest because he was such a mensch.