Ralph Rinzler, Collector

Ralph Rinzler (1934-1994) was an important twentieth century folklorist and the co-founder of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Rinzler was a musician, festival administrator, scholar, and champion of grass roots folk expression in the United States. His prominent role in the Festival and at the Center for Folklife Programs prompted the Smithsonian Institution to name the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections in his honor in 1998.