Remembering Malcolm Margolin

The Oakland Museum of California mourns the loss of Malcolm Margolin, who passed away this week after a long battle with Parkinson’s Disease at the age of 84.

A colossal figure in Bay Area and California culture, Malcolm founded Heyday Books in Berkeley, CA, in 1974. His book, The Ohlone Way: Indian Life in the San Francisco-Monterey Bay Area, was described by the San Francisco Chronicle as one of the 100 most important books by a Western author. The book started Malcolm on a long career as an ally and advocate for Indigenous sovereignty and renewal. Of the hundreds of books Heyday has published over the years, many are on Indigenous topics, featuring Native writers, as well as the ongoing journal, News From Native California. 

Malcolm was a longtime friend and collaborator of OMCA, much loved by staff and members of the Museum’s Native Advisory Council. In 2021, while battling Parkinson’s, he led an effort to bring the archive of the late Indigenous photographer Dugan Aguilar to the Museum’s permanent collection, believing OMCA was the best institution to preserve and present the work in a culturally sensitive manner. As he wrote, “I believe that a museum survives on more than its procedures and policies. What got us all into this career path was a vision that we could make a difference in the world, that we could embrace what was truly beautiful, and that we could rise beyond the concerns of commercial culture.”

We will miss Malcolm’s knowledge, humor, and remarkable generosity of spirit.

“Everyone who had the honor and pleasure of working with Malcolm considers themselves lucky to have known him,” remembers Lori Fogarty, OMCA Executive Director and CEO. “More than a passion for knowledge and history, Malcolm embodied and expressed the true joy of connection through storytelling and learning. His impact will continue, and we will all remember him with a hearty laugh and big smile.”