Robert H. Strotz
Encyclopedia
Robert Henry Strotz was an American economist and thirteenth President of Northwestern University
.
Strotz was born in Aurora, Illinois
and attended Duke University
for three years before graduating from the University of Chicago
. He was drafted into the Army
and served in the European theater. He joined the Northwestern Faculty in 1947 and was awarded a Ph.D. in Economics by the University of Chicago in 1951 for a dissertation on welfare economics
. His specialty was econometrics
and studied European economics on a Rockefeller Fellowship in 1955 and 1956. Strotz was a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
in 1958 and 1959. He was an editor of Econometrica
, International Economic Review
, and Economic Analysis.
Strotz was named Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1966 and President of Northwestern in 1970. He assumed the office after it was vacated by his predecessor, J. Roscoe Miller
, 15 months earlier in the midst of intense social protest activity on campus. While Strotz's appointment was opposed by the Daily Northwestern and Associated Student Government president owing to his positions opposing the closure of campus during a strike and politicization of university classes, he was supported by the faculty. Strotz served in the position until 1984 and was succeeded by Arnold R. Weber
. Following his presidency, Strotz was appointed university chancellor and headed fund-raising and alumni relations efforts until 1990.
Strotz died in a nursing home in Deerfield, Illinois
on November 9, 1994. He had one daughter, one son, and two granddaughters.
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
.
Strotz was born in Aurora, Illinois
Aurora, Illinois
Aurora is the second most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the 112th largest city in the United States. A suburb of Chicago, located west of the Loop, its population in 2010 was 197,899. Originally founded within Kane County, Aurora's city limits have expanded greatly over the past...
and attended Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
for three years before graduating from the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
. He was drafted into the Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
and served in the European theater. He joined the Northwestern Faculty in 1947 and was awarded a Ph.D. in Economics by the University of Chicago in 1951 for a dissertation on welfare economics
Welfare economics
Welfare economics is a branch of economics that uses microeconomic techniques to evaluate economic well-being, especially relative to competitive general equilibrium within an economy as to economic efficiency and the resulting income distribution associated with it...
. His specialty was econometrics
Econometrics
Econometrics has been defined as "the application of mathematics and statistical methods to economic data" and described as the branch of economics "that aims to give empirical content to economic relations." More precisely, it is "the quantitative analysis of actual economic phenomena based on...
and studied European economics on a Rockefeller Fellowship in 1955 and 1956. Strotz was a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
in 1958 and 1959. He was an editor of Econometrica
Econometrica
Econometrica is a peer-reviewed academic journal of economics, publishing articles not only in econometrics but in many areas of economics. It is published by the Econometric Society and distributed by Wiley-Blackwell. Econometrica is one of the most highly ranked economics journals in the world...
, International Economic Review
International Economic Review
The International Economic Review, is a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal in economics published by the Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University...
, and Economic Analysis.
Strotz was named Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in 1966 and President of Northwestern in 1970. He assumed the office after it was vacated by his predecessor, J. Roscoe Miller
J. Roscoe Miller
James Roscoe Miller was the twelfth president of Northwestern University, serving between 1949 and 1970.During his tenure, Northwestern substantially increased the size of its Evanston campus, constructing many new buildings on adjacent land reclaimed by filling in Lake Michigan...
, 15 months earlier in the midst of intense social protest activity on campus. While Strotz's appointment was opposed by the Daily Northwestern and Associated Student Government president owing to his positions opposing the closure of campus during a strike and politicization of university classes, he was supported by the faculty. Strotz served in the position until 1984 and was succeeded by Arnold R. Weber
Arnold R. Weber
Arnold Robert Weber was the president of Northwestern University from 1985–1994. His tenure at Northwestern was remarkable for stabilizing the university's finances and enhancing the Evanston campus environment.-Biography:...
. Following his presidency, Strotz was appointed university chancellor and headed fund-raising and alumni relations efforts until 1990.
Strotz died in a nursing home in Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield, Illinois
Deerfield is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States and is located approximately 25 miles north of Chicago, Illinois. A portion of the village is in Cook County, Illinois, United States...
on November 9, 1994. He had one daughter, one son, and two granddaughters.