Zelda F.
Gamson, an American sociologist, died on April 27, 2026, at age 90 from pancreatic cancer. Born Zelda Finkelstein in Philadelphia on March 12, 1936, she was a writer and activist whose scholarly work focused on the sociology of higher education, particularly innovation and change.
She studied at the University of Pennsylvania and Antioch College before earning her undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan in 1958 and a master’s degree in sociology there in 1959. She was married to the late William A. Gamson and had two children, Jennifer and Joshua.
Zelda F. Gamson, 90, American sociologist, pancreatic cancer.