Her father, a successful clothing manufacturer, realtor, civic leader and philanthropist,[4] encouraged her extensive education and well-developed passion for social welfare.
She was an active volunteer at the Cleveland Public Library for twenty years, serving as a trustee from 1943 to 1946,[5] and she managed her father's philanthropy and the family holdings.
[2] A prolific poet, Wolf published several poetry books including Snacks (1934), Cinquainiana (1935), Twin Brochures (1939), Balance (1942), and Wordmobile (1956).
[7] Since 1996, the jury has been headed by Henry Louis Gates Jr.[7] The Book Awards honored Harold Foote Gosnell in 1936 for his “Negro Politicians: Rise of Negro Politics in Chicago.” With over 200 honorees since the inception of the awards, notable recipients during Wolf's lifetime included Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, and Martin Luther King Jr.
Notable recipients after her death have included Alex Haley, Gwendolyn Brooks, Nadine Gordimer, Toni Morrison, Derek Walcott, Wole Soyinka, Henry Louis Gates Jr., (also current Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards jurist),[8] Ralph Ellison, Quincy Jones, Junot Díaz, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Oprah Winfrey.