Edith Sinaiko Frank was born in Madison, Wisconsin on July 16, 1902, the daughter of Isaac (1870-1939) and Sarah Goldberg Sinaiko (1884-1946). The Sinaikos were a prominent Madison Jewish family that emigrated from Russia in the late nineteenth century. Edith grew up in Madison, and graduated from the Wheeler School of Music and Dramatic Arts, Madison, in 1922. In 1924 she received a B.A. in journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, married David S. Frank (1901-1962), and moved to Chicago, Illinois. During her residence in Chicago, she studied at the Cosmopolitan School of Music and Dramatic Art, gave birth to daughter Suzanne, and was involved with several civic activities, mainly associated with World War II, such as the Defense Savings Program. Influenced by her mother, who was an active civic worker in Madison, Edith became involved in social organizations such as the League of Women Voters. In addition to her activities as a journalist and civic leader, she was also a pianist, and throughout her life, she enthusiastically supported music, art, and cultural organizations.
In 1942 the Franks moved to Charleston, West Virginia. Though they resided there for only three years, Edith actively participated in many local activities, including founding the League of Women Voters (LWV) in that state. She was also active the Charleston branch of the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Charleston Women's Civic Council, and some war-related activities. After moving to Toledo, Ohio, in 1945, she continued her civic involvements and became a prominent figure in local civic organizations, including the Toledo LWV, the AAUW, Toledo United Nations Association, and the Woman's Auxiliary to the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. In 1951 she was awarded the Outstanding Citizen Award of the local Newspaper Guild. In that same year the Franks moved back to Chicago, Illinois, and she resumed activities with the LWV and AAUW and served on the board of the Metropolitan Housing and Planning Council and Women's Council for City Renewal.
After her husband's death in 1962, Edith Frank returned to Madison and commenced working for the Madison community in the fields of journalism, art and music, religion, and senior citizens welfare. She enrolled at the UW-Madison again, and received an M.A. in journalism in 1968, completing a research paper entitled, “Public Relations of State Departments of Public Health - 20 Years Later (1948-1968).” Edith Frank served as a president of the Women's Auxiliary of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and a member of the Archives Committee of the Wisconsin Society for Jewish Learning, whose collections are held by the SHSW. She was recognized with a “Know Your Madisonian” award by the Wisconsin State Journal in 1973 and a “Page One” award of the Madison Newspaper Guild in 1976. She was the first woman to be honored by the Rotary Club of Madison. In 1987 Edith Frank moved to Sarasota, Florida, where her daughter Suzanne Frank Freund lived. She died on December 16, 1991.
