Benjamin Friedman

Professor Benjamin Friedman is the distinguished William Joseph Meyer professor and formerly Chairman of the Department of Economics at Harvard University where he has worked and taught for several decades. During that time, he has published over fifteen books and more than a hundred and seventy five journal articles. Much of this research has centered on economic policy—particularly how financial markets influence the ways monetary and fiscal decisions impact overall economic activity. Recently, his research has focused specifically on the effects of religion on economics, recently writing two books on the topic. Mr. Friedman is currently a director at the Private Export Funding Corporation and serves as a trustee for the Pioneer Funds. Over the years, he has also held directorships with the Encyclopaedia Britannica and the Council for Economic Education. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Among other distinctions, he has received the George S. Eccles Prize for excellence in writing about economics and the John R. Commons Award, given every two years in recognition of contributions to economics.