Malawista was born in
New York City on April 4, 1934. His mother, Ann Marlowe Straus, was a theatrical producer and the head of the Berkshire Theater Festival. His father, Lawrence Malawista, was a real estate developer. While attending the Berkshire School, he was accepted to
Harvard University when he was just 15 years old. Malawista studied under
B.F. Skinner as an undergraduate student. He received a
bachelor's degree in experimental psychology from Harvard in 1954. In 1958, he received a medical degree from
Columbia University. In 1994, the
American College of Rheumatology awarded Malawista the Distinguished Investigator Award, calling him "one of the most creative investigators of our time." He was also the recipient of a
Guggenheim Fellowship in
2001. Malawista died from metastatic melanoma at his home in
Hamden, Connecticut, on September 18, 2013, at the age of 79. He was survived by his wife of 44 years, Tobé Miller Malawista. ==References==