Charles Waldstein

Sir Charles Waldstein (March 30, 1856 – March 21, 1927), known as Sir Charles Walston from 1918 to 1927, was an Anglo-American archaeologist. He also competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens. Life Waldstein was born into a Jewish family in New York City, United States, on March 30, 1856, third son of Henry Waldstein, a merchant, and Sophie, daughter of L. Srisheim, of New York. He was of Austrian descent. Waldstein was educated at Columbia University (A.M., 1873), and also studied at Heidelberg (Ph.D., 1875). In 1880, he became university lecturer on classical archaeology at Cambridge University, and in 1883 university reader. From 1883 to 1889 he was director of the Fitzwilliam Museum. In 1889 he was called to Athens as director of the American School of Classical Studies, which office he held until 1893, when he became professor at the same institution. In 1894 he was made a fellow of King's College. In 1895 he returned to England as Slade Professor of Fine Art at Cambridge; and he held this chair until 1901. During his stay in Athens he directed the excavations of the Archaeological Institute of America at the site of ancient Plataea, Eretria, where he claimed to have unearthed the tomb of Aristotle, the Heraeum of Argos, among other discoveries. Later he formed an international committee to promote the excavation of Herculaneum. He was knighted in 1912, appointed as Knight of the Danish Order of the Dannebrog, and appointed Commander of the Greek Order of the Redeemer.