Paul A. Volcker, a member of the Maxwell School Advisory Board since 2001, has passed away, according to the New York Times. 

Volcker had been one of the most important voices in American economic policy for the past half-century. He was a senior Federal Reserve official during the late 1970s and 1980s, at a time when the nation was coping with severe inflation and other signs of an evolving economy; he was chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1978 to 1987. Noted for his impeccable personal and professional integrity, Volcker was often called upon to comment on or help negotiate other economic issues, such as Wall Street regulation and the ballooning national debt. He is the founder of the Volcker Alliance, a nonprofit that seeks to advance effective management within government, with an eye toward citizen-relevant results. 

"Chairman Volcker lived a life that defined public service,” said Maxwell School Dean David M. Van Slyke. "Having his advice and counsel as a board member has been of incalculable benefit to the Maxwell School.  Knowing the Chairman and spending time with him has been a remarkable privilege."

At Maxwell, Volcker is the honoree of a faculty chair in behavioral economics, described in this 2011 news announcement; and an associated lecture and symposium series, administered by Maxwell’s Center for Policy Research. The current occupant of the Volcker Chair is Leonard Burman.

Volcker’s affinity for the Maxwell School and its priorities was described in this 2017 Maxwell Perspective article.

12/09/19