Charles Poor Kindleberger American economic historian, author of more than 30 books. Date of Birth: 12.10.1910 Country: USA

Biography of Charles P. Kindleberger

Charles P. Kindleberger was an American economic historian and author of over 30 books. He was born on October 12, 1910, in New York City. After graduating from Kent School, a private boarding school, in 1928, he earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania four years later. In 1937, he completed his doctoral degree at Columbia University, where he published his first book, "International Short-Term Capital Movements."

Kindleberger gained recognition as an expert in international currency and financial matters. He played a prominent role in designing the Marshall Plan and served as the secretary of the Joint Economic Commission of the United States and Canada. During World War II, Kindleberger served as a major in the 12th Army Group and led the Office of Strategic Services' military supply division.

In 1948, Kindleberger joined the faculty of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as an economics professor. He retired from MIT in 1976 after 33 years but continued teaching as a senior lecturer until 1981. Throughout his career, Kindleberger collaborated with research centers and worked for renowned institutions such as the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Bank of International Settlements in Switzerland, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System.

In 1985, Kindleberger served as the president of the American Economic Association. He was also a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and a consultant for the British Academy. Kindleberger received honorary degrees from Paris, Ghent, and Pennsylvania universities.

Kindleberger was married to Sarah Miles Kindleberger for 59 years, and they raised four children: Charles P. Kindleberger of St. Louis, Richard S. Kindleberger, a journalist at the Boston Globe, Sarah Kindleberger of Lincoln, and Randall Kindleberger of Machias, Maine.

Charles P. Kindleberger passed away on July 7, 2003, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, at the age of 92. In his honor, a department of applied economics at MIT was named after him.