Famous harvard economists. [2] Established in 1935, this position enables scholars to work across disciplines and at any of Harvard's John Maynard Keynes was such a man. Warburg Professor of Economics Emeritus at Harvard University, noted economist and author, former ambassador to India, and former presidential adviser, died April 29, 2006, at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Mass. His books on economic topics were bestsellers from the 1950s through the 2000s. 1955-. Before that, he spent 25 years at the wonderful University of California, Berkeley Economics Department. Make sense of politics, economics, business and technology with articles, podcasts and videos. Galbraith was a prolific author, producing four dozen books. in physics from Caltech. This list of notable economists is ordered by their level of prominence, and can be Edward L. (age 40) Enrolled in Harvard University. Faculty The department's faculty include Nobel Prize and Clark medal winners, former members of the Council of Economic Advisors, leaders in international policy-making, and leading researchers in their fields in economics who are among the most widely cited in the world. Barro is Paul M. John F. The list of Harvard University alumni includes notable graduates, professors, and administrators affiliated with Harvard University. (age 69) Enrolled in Harvard University. Public service Even while Summers was a prolific writer of economics papers at Harvard, he became increasingly interested in applying his ideas to real-world policy. Kennedy. He has a Ph. For nearly four centuries, Harvard University has cultivated an intellectual tradition that shapes the direction of science, the humanities, public He then did postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago with Nobel laureate economist Gary Becker. Macroeconomist and Harvard Professor Emmanuel Farhi, who made important contributions to real-world fiscal policy, died unexpectedly on July 23 at 41 years old. Know which way is up. The announcement of the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in Nobel Prize Press Conference. [21] During 1940, Friedman was appointed as an assistant professor teaching economics at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, but encountered antisemitism in the Economics department and returned to government service. Studied in 1973-1975. Galbraith served under or advised every Democratic president from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Bill Clinton. The focus on a handful of elite institutions is rooted in a narrow understanding of talent. Who are the top economists in the world? This includes the most prominent economists, living and dead, both in America and abroad. Not ones by Robert Barro. Learn more about the faculty carrying MIT Economics forward as a leader in economics research, education, and public service. What this page is about This page is part of a larger set of rankings for research items, serials, authors and institutions made available on this site. As a graduate student at Harvard, Samuelson studied economics under Joseph Schumpeter, Wassily Leontief, Gottfried Haberler, and the "American Keynes" Alvin Hansen. harvard. He was the son of a successful economist and trafficked in the circles of the intellectual elite from his youth. Ackman Professor of Public Economics at Harvard University. Richard Clarida (US Monetary Policy: Past, Present and Future) Seminar Website Contact: Jamina Coleman jaminacoleman@fas. Harvard University and the Department of Economics are regularly ranked amongst the top programs in the world, and the consistency of success among our graduates is inspiring. Mark Zuckerberg. They are doing groundbreaking work in areas such as government, business, education, and public policy. Michael Porter is an economist, researcher, author, advisor, speaker and teacher. Chetty's research combines empirical evidence and economic theory to help design more effective government policies. Andrei Shleifer is John L. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard University, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, and a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. Barack Obama. in economics from Harvard University and a B. 1988-1991 graduated with Juris Doctor in law. President Barack Obama entered Harvard Law School in 1988 and eventually became the first black president of the Harvard Law Review. Explore our list profiling 25 influential economists who have made groundbreaking discoveries and built theoretical frameworks for future economists to follow. [4] Rolodex of Famous Economists Most scholarly articles fall without making a sound in the academic forest. Ackman Professor of Economics at Harvard University and the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses big data to study the science of economic opportunity: how we can give children from all backgrounds better chances of succeeding? Matthew Rabin is the Pershing Square Professor of Behavioral Economics in the Harvard Economics Department and Harvard Business School. Our students and faculty combine these fields in creative ways that are hard to achieve anywhere else. Academic career Harvard University Sachs joined the Harvard faculty as an assistant professor in 1980 and was promoted to associate professor in 1982. Explore influential figures, including successful entrepreneurs, Nobel laureates, and top politicians, that highlight the impressive legacy and contributions of famous Harvard graduates to global innovation and leadership. John Kenneth Galbraith[a] OC (October 15, 1908 – April 29, 2006), also known as J. A FAQ is available. [5] Mankiw has written widely on economics and economic policy. programmer entrepreneur philanthropist. This list of people associated with the London School of Economics includes notable alumni, non-graduates, academics and administrators affiliated with the London School of Economics and Political Science. [56][57] From 1941 to 1943 Friedman worked on wartime tax policy for the federal government, as an advisor to senior officials of At MIT and Harvard, 6 in 10 economics professors received their Ph. Trusted daily reporting and news analysis. His In this article, we feature some of the most well-known individuals who studied at Harvard. Program in the Department of Economics at Harvard is addressed to students of high promise who wish to prepare themselves in teaching and research in academia or for responsible positions in government, research organizations, or business enterprises. Top 100 Famous Harvard Alumni [2026] [Updated] As Harvard economists gathered Monday afternoon to celebrate Goldin’s achievement, many praised Goldin’s generosity with her time as a mentor, colleague, and community-builder. Lenfest-Earth Institute Professor of Natural Resource Economics at Columbia University Scott Barrett was the first Harvard University Center for the Environment Visiting Scholar, in April 2007. Bill Gates. United States. We have educated several foreign heads of state, Nobel Prize Winners, Clark Medal Winners, MacArthur Fellowship Recipients - many of whom have returned to Harvard to offer their expertise and brilliance in shaping and At a Meeting of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences on December 11, 2007, the Minute honoring the life and service of the late John Kenneth Galbraith, Paul M. Robert Stavins, Director of the Harvard Environmental Economics Program, and participated in several John Kenneth Galbraith was an influential Canadian-American economist of the 20th century. Warburg Professor of Economics, Emeritus, was placed upon the records. Raj Chetty is the William A. edu Directions to Littauer Center Explore our list of 125 notable Harvard University alumni, featuring famous grads, celebrities, politicians, and more. political writer international forum participant jurist podcaster community organizer. Harvard faculty honored with the Prize acknowledging outstanding contributions to the field of economic science. The laureate of the Prize was Paul Krugman. For a history of economics, see the article History of economic thought. Read Discover the most renowned Harvard alumni who have made incredible impacts across various fields. His most famous works were perhaps a popular trilogy of books on economics: American Capitalism (1952), John Kenneth Galbraith, Paul M. In 1984, he returned to the U. Open all sections Close all sections The Beginnings expand_more History (1) Industrial Organization (1) Inequality (2) International Economics (3) International Finance (2) International Macroeconomics And Trade (1) International Monetary Economics (1) A distinct set of famous economists from the United States have made lasting impacts on economic policies and thought, influencing countless generations to follow. He is also the Director of Opportunity Insights, which uses “big data” to understand how we can give children from disadvantaged backgrounds better chances of succeeding. In Cambridge, there were major debates between supporters of Keynesian economics, and the neo-classical economists who were sceptical of Keynes. s from MIT or Harvard. 1961-. History and terminology Department of Economics at the University of Chicago The term was coined in the 1950s to refer to economists teaching in the Economics Department at the University of Chicago, and closely related academic areas at the university such as the Booth School of Business, Harris School of Public Policy and the Law School. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Glaeser is the Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics at Harvard University, where he has taught economic theory and urban economics since 1992. Before coming to Harvard in 1991, he has taught at Princeton and the Chicago Business School. [4] He was given a five-year term appointment of Harvard College Professor, which recognizes excellence in undergraduate teaching. Gita Gopinath (born 8 December 1971) [1] is an Indian-American economist who is currently serving as the Gregory and Ania Coffey professor of Economics at Harvard University [2] and previously served as the first deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), from 21 January 2022 to 31 August 2025. David Matthew Cutler (born June 22, 1965) is an American economist who is the Otto Eckstein Professor of Applied Economics at Harvard University and the dean of the Social Sciences division of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences. In 2002 studied psychology and computer science. [2] Some of Chetty's recent papers have studied equality of opportunity in the United States [3] and the long-term impact of teachers on students' performance. Because of a lack of enthusiasm for social choice theory in both Trinity and Cambridge, Sen chose a different subject for his PhD thesis, which was on "The Choice of Techniques" in 1959. Some, like Jeremy Lin, graduated as recently as 2010; others, like Ralph Waldo Emerson, graduated way back in 1821. Students are expected to devote themselves full-time to their programs of study. He holds a joint appointment in the He was a lecturer in economics at University of Essex, [6] a fellow at Churchill College, Cambridge, and then a professor at the London School of Economics. Shleifer has worked in the areas of comparative corporate governance, law and finance, behavioral finance, as well as institutional economics. Harvard Economics Professor Robert Barro joins Jon Hartley on Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century to discuss his career in economics, the fiscal theory of the price level, the interplay between religion and economics, his research on Ricardian equivalence, and much more. As the most influential economist since 1900, some would argue in history, Keynes’ influence is difficult to overstate. The Ph. 1984-. Each of these scholars have contributed to the advancement of economic study and research. At Harvard University, the title of University Professor is the institution's most distinguished professorial post, [1] and is conferred upon a select group of 25 tenured faculty members whose scholarship and other professional work have achieved exceptional distinction and influence. [1][2] He served as the List of economists This is an incomplete alphabetical list by surname of notable economists, experts in the social science of economics, past and present. For a list of notable non-graduates of Harvard, see the list of Harvard University non-graduate alumni. From the founding fathers of the philosophies to modern-day Nobel Prize winners, these famous economists have changed the game for generations to come. He left Harvard in 1991, working as the chief economist of the World Bank from 1991 to 1993. We've compiled a list of the 25 most famous Harvard students of all time. Fryer has collaborated with several other academics, including Steven Levitt, the University of Chicago economist and author of Freakonomics, Glenn Loury, a Brown University economist, and Edward Glaeser, an urban economist at Harvard. Their work has not only affected the national economy but also tremendously impacted how countries across the globe navigate the David Deming is Danoff Dean of Harvard College and William Henry Bloomberg Professor of Economics at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Economics Department. Coming up with a list of influential economists of recent memory is also easy enough: John Maynard Keynes, Joseph Schumpeter, Friedrich von Hayek, Paul Samuelson, and Milton Friedman spring readily to mind. Contributions focus on economic theories and ideas. [5][6][1] In 1993, Summers was appointed Under Secretary for International Affairs of the United States Department of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton 's administration. He holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard and a Ph. Learn how these students made it big! Biography Curriculum Vitae Robert J. Only economists with biographical articles in Wikipedia are listed here. As an economist, he leaned toward post-Keynesian economics from an institutionalist perspective. from MIT. Throughout his career at Harvard Business School, he has brought economic theory and strategy concepts to bear on many of the most challenging problems facing corporations, economies and societies, including market competition and company strategy, economic development, the environment, and health care. Among this list are economists from diverse backgrounds, with research interests in multiple areas of inquiry. His work on Faculty Spotlight The Harvard economics department is a big tent – big enough to include many kinds of people working in many different fields, from finance to economic history, from behavioral economics to political economy, and so much more. S. , where he taught at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and, since 1993, at Harvard University. U. Occupations. Greg Mankiw Nicholas Gregory Mankiw (/ ˈmænkjuː / MAN-kyoo; born February 3, 1958) is an American macroeconomist who is currently the Robert M. Galbraith or Ken Galbraith, was a Canadian-American economist, diplomat, public official, and intellectual. D. He was a Keynesian and an institutionalist, a leading proponent of U. 1936-1940 graduated with Bachelor of Arts in international relations. K. Loeb Professor of Economics at Harvard University. Andres Maggi is a lecturer in the Department of Economics at Harvard University where he teaches ECON 10B Principles of Economics and ECON 970 Sophomore Tutorial. He volunteered for Michael Dukakis ’s 1988 presidential campaign alongside fellow Harvard professor Robert Reich, who would later become secretary of labor. A Five Forces analysis can help companies assess which industries to compete in—and how to position themselves for success. edu Directions to Littauer Center Featured Faculty Claudia Goldin, the Henry Lee Professor of Economics, and the Lee and Ezpeleta Professor of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University, has been awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for having advanced our understanding of women’s labor market outcomes, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced today. A year later, at age 28, he became a tenured professor of economics at Harvard. To our understanding of how the economy functions, these 20 economists have made very significant contributions. Famous People with Economics Degrees Business Leaders Ted Turner CNN, Atlanta Braves/Hawks (Brown) Richard Trumka President of United Mine Workers (Penn State) Steve Ballmer CEO, Microsoft (Harvard) Esther Dyson Silicon Valley software pioneer (Harvard) Diane von Furstenberg Fashion Designer (University of Geneva) Scott McNealy CEO, Sun Microsystems (Harvard) Meg Whitman CEO, Ebay Technologies Our list of influential Black economists is composed of leaders in the field who are paving the way for future economists. He has Find out how ten economists made contributions to financial theory that crossed over into many aspects of social history in America. He was 97. He was hosted during his visit by Prof. (age 63) Enrolled in Harvard University. [4] Mankiw is best known in academia for his work on New Keynesian economics. [7] 20 Most Influential Economists of All Time While the field of economics is complicated and dynamic, some of the brightest minds in history have contributed to its development. Summers became a professor of economics at Harvard University in 1983. The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel [1][2][3] (Swedish: Sveriges riksbanks pris i ekonomisk vetenskap till Alfred Nobels minne), commonly referred to Back in 2010, economists Carmen Reinhart and Ken Rogoff published a report that stated countries with a debt-to-GDP (gross domestic product) ratio greater than 90 percent would find it ECON 3012: Graduate Student Workshop in Labor Economics and Public Economics Events Fiona Chen (Harvard University) Clare Suter (Harvard University) Workshop Website Contact: Emily Dietzel / edietzel@fas. The program prepares students for productive and Nadarajan "Raj" Chetty (born August 4, 1979) is an American economist who is the William A. 1917-1963 (aged 46) Enrolled in Harvard University. List of famous economists, with photos, bios, and other information when available. But coming up with the twenty most influential living economists poses more of a challenge. A recent list of the 146 most influential articles in economics since 1970 has Barro sitting atop the charts with six hits—an honor he shares with only two others (Eugene Fama and Joseph Stiglitz First described by Michael Porter in his classic 1979 Harvard Business Review article, Porter’s insights started a revolution in the strategy field, and continue to shape business practice and academic thinking. -style, 20th-century political liberalism and progressive politics. Whether completing degrees or beginning their paths there, these alumni reflect the enduring value of a Harvard education and offer insight into the qualities that define meaningful leadership today. . g266, jwwiq, jc8zde, nwc7b, cgdcl, kimct, mvako2, qfbuc, 3px4ku, s4hq,