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Hendrick Samuel HouthakkerDutch-born American economist
Date of Birth: 31.12.1924
Country:  USA |
Content:
Biography of Hendrik Samuel Houthakker
Early LifeHendrik Samuel Houthakker, an American economist of Dutch origin, was born on December 31, 1924, in Amsterdam, Netherlands. He was raised in a Jewish family and grew up in a household known for trading art objects. As a teenager, Houthakker experienced the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands and once mentioned in an interview that he had been arrested by the Gestapo but managed to escape. His life was saved when a Catholic family hid him for several months.
Education and Career
In 1949, Houthakker graduated from the University of Amsterdam. From 1949 to 1951, he taught at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and from 1954 to 1960, he taught at Stanford University. He then joined Harvard University, where he worked until the end of his academic career in 1994. Houthakker also served as a visiting professor at the University of Tokyo and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Additionally, from 1969 to 1971, he was a member of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Richard Nixon. In 1967, he became the president of the Econometric Society, and in 1963, he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal.
Contributions
Houthakker's contributions to economic theory were summarized by R. A. Pollak in the article "Distinguished Fellow: Houthakker's Contributions to Economics" in the Journal of Economic Perspectives in 1990. He is well-known for developing the Strong Axiom of Revealed Preference (SARP), which is frequently referenced in the field.
Personal Life
Hendrik Houthakker passed away on April 15, 2008, at the age of 83, in Lebanon, New Hampshire. He was survived by his wife, Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka, a Polish philosopher and the founder of the World Phenomenology Institute. They were married for 52 years until Hendrik's death. Through his wife, he became acquainted and formed a friendship with the Polish priest Karol Wojtyla, who later became Pope John Paul II.
According to colleagues and students, Houthakker was known for being a wonderful person - kind, gentle, impeccably honest, very humble, and with a great sense of humor. He was an excellent teacher and lecturer, as well as a remarkable husband and father.
