Dr Irving "Toopie" Swerdlow
Born 10/14/1909 in Wishek, ND
Died 5/30/1992 in Syracuse, NY
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Dr Irving "Toopie" Swerdlow

Birth: Oct. 14, 1909
Wishek
McIntosh County
North Dakota, USA
Death: May 30, 1992
Syracuse
Onondaga County
New York, USA

Dr. Irving Swerdlow, a former professor of economics at Syracuse University who recently co-founded a group to encourage cancer research, died Saturday at home. Mr. Swerdlow, 82, resided at 521 Hillsboro Parkway, Syracuse. He was a native of Wishek, N.D., and lived in Syracuse for the past 34 years. Dr. Swerdlow spent his career directing research on the economics of developing countries. He served as a professor at Syracuse University\'s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs from 1957 to 1975. More recently, Dr. Swerdlow served as the director of the Syracuse University Overseas Program in Florence, Italy. From 1960 to 1975, he supervised the Maxwell School\'s relationship with the Pakistan Administrative Staff Government. He also helped to develop programs at the Maxwell School for East African Studies and South Asian Studies.
Dr. Swerdlow spent a sabbatical year at the Brookings Foundation in Washington, D.C., from 1969 to 1970.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Swerdlow served as an economic adviser for the government of Burma. He had also worked with the government of Nigeria on administrative reorganization. Dr. Swerdlow was formerly deputy director of the economics division of the regional office of the U.S. government in Paris and director of the Office of Statistics and Reports for the Economic Cooperation Administration of the U.S. government. He formerly served as budget director and deputy controller of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration.

Dr. Swerdlow served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a production analyst for the War Production Board. He was author of "The Public Administration of Economic Development." After his son, Dr. Paul H. Swerdlow, died of leukemia in 1985, Dr. Swerdlow and his wife, Gertrude, founded FACT, Families Against Cancer Terror. The group grew from 13 members in 1985 to more than 50,000 people today. The group advocates increased funding and education for early detection of cancer. "We\'ve got a war on our hands," Mr. Swerdlow said in an interview in 1987 in The Post-Standard. "How can we fight a war with this piddling amount of money?" Surviving besides his wife are a son, Dr. Joel of Washington, D.C.; a daughter, Dr. Joby Swerdlow of Manlius; a brother, Maudie of West Palm Beach, Fla.; four grandchildren, Amber and Shana Sommer of Manlius and Aaron and Paul Swerdlow of Washington, D.C.; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Birnbaum Funeral Chapel, with Rabbi Charles S. Sherman and Cantor Harold Lerner officiating. Burial will be in Adath Yeshurun Cemetery. Calling hours will be 9:30 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at the funeral chapel, 1909 E. Fayette St. After the funeral, callers may come at their convenience to the family residence. Contributions may be made to Families Against Cancer Terror, 521 Hillsboro Parkway, Syracuse.
Syracuse Herald-Journal June 1, 1992
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Irving was the son of Joseph and Hannah "Hessie" Swerdlow. He was the brother of Pauline, Golde/Gordie, Jennie, Sarah, and Morris Swerdlow.

Family links:
Spouse: Gertrude Katz Swerdlow (1915 - 2002)*

Children: Paul Hershel Swerdlow (1943 - 1985)
 
Burial Location
P46A