Member Corner - Mrs. Brunetta Reid Wolfman Class of Winter 1949

[SUSAN J. SILVESTRI]

(right) After climbing Machu Pichu in 2010

My life story since Hollywood High:

I went to UC Berkeley where my undergraduate major was in Sociology and Social Institutions. I lived in a student co-op, and was active in the YWCA and student organizations.

I Married Burt Wolfman in 1952 after becoming 21 years of age. My parents objected to my marriage and the law required a female to be 21 years old without parental consent. We are still married. In 1953 our daughter, Andrea, was born, and in 1954, son Jeffrey was born.

There was a gap in my education as I and my husband were busy raising a daughter and son. We moved to Berkeley hills for better schools for the kids. I had a first career working with women and girls in the YWCA and Camp Fire Girls, and I loved working with volunteers. I took classes at UC when I could. Burt Wolfman

When the kids were in pre-school, I returned to school and received my BA in 1957. Burt started graduate school, and I also enrolled in UC graduate school, obtained my M.A. & Ph.D. (Master’s in Adult Education, and my Ph.D. in Sociology of Education, Higher Education, and Urban Education.)

We then moved to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, where I was Assistant Dean of Faculty and Assistant Professor of Education.

Our children went to college; Andrea to Smith College, Jeff to Colorado College, and then Andrea went to U, of Michigan Law School. Burt and I moved to Boston, where I worked for the University of Massachusetts and private colleges as Dean, professor, etc.

I spent six years as President of Roxbury Community College, where we built a new campus. Burt and I bought a house on Cape Cod.

We then moved to Washington D.C., where I became Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs and Professor of Education at The George Washington University.
I have written a book, chapters in books, journal articles and many papers and speeches. In addition, I have taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in sociology of education and educational management.

I am now Professor of Education Emeritus having retired from the George Washington University Graduate School of Education and Human Development in 1996. We sold our
DC apartment and moved to our Cape Cod house.

My extended family

We traveled, and enjoyed being grandparents of four boys. I have served on many boards, national, regional, state and local and was selected as Senior Citizen of the Year in 2000 by the Council on Aging.