Brown School

Obituary: David Patterson Silver Wolf, associate professor, 57

Patterson Silver Wolf

David Patterson Silver Wolf, associate professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, died Friday, May 14, 2021, in hospice in St. Louis after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, an aggressive type of cancer, last fall. He was 57.

An Irish and Cherokee descendant, Patterson Silver Wolf’s research focused on two main areas: substance abuse recovery and advocating for underrepresented minority college students, especially those from American Indian/Alaska Native populations.

Patterson Silver Wolf was the first faculty member of Native descent at the Brown School. In his work with the Kathryn M. Buder Center for American Indian Studies, he supported Buder Center staff on many projects, studies and events, including Buder orientation and the annual Pow Wow.

In celebration of his personal and professional legacy, colleagues and friends have established the David Patterson Silver Wolf Endowed Scholarship, which will support generations of Brown School students. Those interested may contribute toward the scholarship online or by contacting Lia Nunez at lmnunez@wustl.edu.

For a full remembrance of Patterson Silver Wolf, visit the Brown School site.