Honoree-
Sidney Offit

Sidney Offit began his long association with Long Island University in 1972, when he was asked to assist in reorganizing the University’s George Polk Awards. The Awards were established by the University in 1949 to honor the memory of George Polk, a correspondent who was slain in Greece in 1948 while trying to reach insurgent leaders for an interview. They have grown to be recognized as one of the most prestigious awards in journalism. Mr. Offit has passionately served as the curator of the Awards for more than a quarter of a century and continues in this role today.

He has enjoyed a prolific career as a writer, editor, commentator and teacher. He was senior editor of Intellectual Digest, book editor of Politics Today, a contributing editor of Baseball Magazine, author of two novels and writer of 10 children’s books including “The Boy Who Made a Million” and “The Adventures of Homer Fink.” Reviewers dubbed his, “Memoir of the Bookie’s Son” (1995) “a tour de force” and “a luminous memoir” of Depression-era Baltimore.

Mr. Offit has been a member of the board of PEN, American Center, and serves as president of the Authors Guild Foundation. For 16 years, he was chairman of the 19th Precinct Community Council of New York City. He also has been honored by the New York State Legislature for more than a decade of outstanding political and social commentary on Channel 5.

A native of Baltimore, he earned a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in English literature and received an honorary degree from the Brooklyn Campus in 1999. He is an adjunct professor of creative writing at New York University and a member of the writing faculty at New School University. He and his wife, Avodah, a psychiatrist and author, live in Manhattan and have two sons and five grandchildren.

Back to Honorees List