Anthropology Professor H. Arthur Bankoff Retires

After more than 50 years as a fixture in his department, the former chair leaves a legacy of prolific scholarship and generations of Brooklyn College students who discovered the excitement of anthropological fieldwork under his tutelage. 

H. Arthur Bankoff ’65 first came to Brooklyn College some 60 years ago as an undergraduate in the Scholars Program who majored in Greek, edited photos for the student paper, presided over the Inter-Religious Coordinating Council, and graduated cum laude.

In 1971, he became an instructor in the Anthropology Department and rose through the ranks to become a full professor and then chair, a position he held for 28 years.

“Brooklyn College has been my home and I never wanted another one,” he said recently at a reception in his honor at the Lily Pond.

After more than 50 years serving as the bedrock of his department, Bankoff is officially retiring. He has directed field schools for generations of Brooklyn College students everywhere, from New York to Yugoslavia, Serbia, Croatia, Bulgaria, and Israel. He published prolifically, and was a recipient of many awards and fellowships from the Fulbright Program, National Geographic, and the National Science Foundation, among others.

An advisor to the chair for archaeology at the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission since 1997, Bankoff oversaw the review and approval of sites, research designs, and the results of archaeological work in the city. As director of the Brooklyn College Archeology Research Center he supervised the fieldwork and laboratory analyses of more than 20 local sites, most recently excavations at City Hall Park.

He has also been a steward and advocate for local community participation and provided community gatherings and neighborhood walking tours of New York’s past.

One of his former students, Amanda Schreiner-Andric, added that the professor has also played matchmaker, unintentionally. Over the course of 10 years, at least three couples have met at his Serbian archaeology project and later went on to marry.

“Dr. Bankoff has immeasurably impacted my life as an inspiring academic mentor that supported me through my challenges in the graduate program at CUNY Graduate Center, introduced me to my future husband and family,” she said. “His presence will be sorely missed as a regular fixture at Brooklyn College.

For his part, Bankoff said he’s most proud of his years as chair, “instituting the archaeological field school at home [in New York City] so that students could have a field experience that anyone could afford, and shaping the department into a place that values research and student involvement.”