Richard Charles Levin Professor and American economist, Date of Birth: 07.04.1947 Country: USA

Biography of Richard Charles Levin

Richard Charles Levin is an American economist and professor who served as the President of Yale University from 1993. He is currently the longest-serving president of the organization, which is part of the prestigious Ivy League. Although he was once considered the most likely successor to Larry Summers as the director of the White House National Economic Council, he was eventually passed over for the position.

Born in San Francisco, California, Levin comes from a family of American Jews. As a high school student, he developed an interest in criminology and law, regularly participating in debating competitions. He graduated from Stanford University in 1968 with a bachelor's degree in history. He later attended Merton College, Oxford, earning a degree in politics and philosophy.

In 1974, Levin obtained a PhD in economics from Yale University, specializing in industrial research, intellectual property, and production efficiency. He joined Yale as an assistant professor that same year and was promoted to associate professor after five years. In 1982, he became a professor of economics and management at the Yale School of Management and was awarded an honorary named professorship in 1992.

Even before becoming the president of the university, Levin served as the head of the local economics faculty and held the position of dean in one of the university's departments. In 2004, he was appointed to the Iraq Intelligence Commission, an independent group investigating the activities of American intelligence in relation to the invasion of Iraq and the search for weapons of mass destruction. This was not Levin's first experience working with the government, as he had previously served on another similar commission, examining the activities of the United States Postal Service. He has also been sought after by Major League Baseball agents for his expertise in analyzing the economic aspects of the sport.

Currently, Richard Levin serves as the director of the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, American Express, and Satmetrix. While he is known to support the Democratic Party, he was one of the first guests of George W. Bush at the White House and even hosted the former president during his visit to Yale to receive an honorary degree.

Richard Levin and his wife Jane, who is also a professor at Yale, reside in New Haven, Connecticut. They have four children and three grandchildren. Under Levin's leadership, Yale University has undergone significant changes, particularly in restoring its prestige, which had declined in previous years. The number of prospective applicants increased from 11,000 to 26,000 during his tenure. Levin also played a crucial role in expanding the university's international connections, including the establishment of a new educational program in Beijing. China was recognized by Levin as the most promising foreign partner for Yale.