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Anna Jacobson SchwartzAmerican economist
Date of Birth: 11.11.1915
Country:  USA |
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Biography of Anna Jacobson Schwartz
Anna Jacobson Schwartz, an American economist, was born on November 11, 1915, in New York City. She is best known for her collaboration with Milton Friedman on the book "A Monetary History of the United States, 1867–1960," published in 1963. This book placed a significant portion of the blame for the Great Depression on the Federal Reserve System. Schwartz worked as a researcher at the National Bureau of Economic Research in New York City and was hailed by Paul Krugman as one of the greatest scholars in the field of monetary theory.
Early Life and Education
Schwartz graduated from Barnard College in New York at the age of 18. At 19, she obtained her master's degree in economics from Columbia University. She began her career as a professional economist, defending her doctoral dissertation in economics at Columbia University in 1964. In 1936, Schwartz married Isaac Schwartz, with whom she raised four children.
Professional Career
In 1940, Schwartz's first published work appeared in the "Review of Economics and Statistics," focusing on the British exchange rate from 1811 to 1850. This article laid the groundwork for her later research. In 1941, Schwartz joined the National Bureau of Economic Research, where she primarily studied economic cycles. She also taught for a short period but devoted much of her time to supporting and mentoring young economists, sharing her meticulous approach to studying the past in order to gain insights for the future.
Schwartz's collaboration with Arthur Gayer and Walt Whitman Rostow on the two-volume work "Growth and Fluctuations in the British Economy, 1790–1850: An Historical, Statistical, and Theoretical Study of Britain's Economic Development" was completed in 1953, but its publication was delayed by the war. This book remains highly regarded among economists and has been reprinted multiple times.
Throughout her career, Schwartz made significant contributions to the field of economics, particularly in the areas of financial regulation, economic cycles, international inflation transmission, the role of the state in monetary policy, deflation, and monetary standards. She also collaborated on research projects beyond the United States, including serving as a consultant for the monetary history project at City University London.
In 1988, Schwartz served as the President of the Western Economic Association. She received numerous honorary doctoral degrees in recognition of her contributions to the field of economics.
In her later years, Schwartz focused on studying the intervention of the U.S. authorities in the currency market, using data from 1962 onwards. She held positions of leadership in various economic societies, including serving as President of the International Atlantic Economic Society from 2002 to 2003.
Anna Jacobson Schwartz's meticulous research and dedication to studying economic history have left an indelible mark on the field of economics and continue to inspire scholars today.
