[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 55 (Tuesday, April 12, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E423-E424]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




IN TRIBUTE TO DR. LESTER THUROW, TRAILBLAZING ECONOMIST AND FORMER DEAN 
                 OF THE MIT SLOAN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, April 12, 2016

  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Dr. Lester 
Thurow, the iconoclastic economist and former dean of MIT's Sloan 
School of Management, who passed away on March 25, 2016.
  Lester Thurow was born on May 7, 1938 in Livingston, Montana.
  Lester Thurow's father was a Methodist minister and his mother was a 
teacher.
  Lester Thurow worked in the local copper mines for four summers as a 
young man, but as an excellent student soon found himself on a fast 
academic track.
  Lester Thurow's journey began when he received his bachelor's degree 
in political economy from Williams College in 1960.
  Following his graduation from Williams College, Lester Thurow was 
awarded a Rhodes Scholarship, where he studied philosophy, politics and 
economics at Balliol College of Oxford University in London.
  Lester Thurow graduated with first class honors from Oxford 
University in 1962.
  In 1964, Lester Thurow earned his doctorate in economics from Harvard 
University.
  Lester Thurow joined the faculty of MIT's Sloan School of Management 
in 1968 and was appointed dean in 1987, a position he held until 1993.
  In 1964, Lester Thurow served on the staff of the Council of Economic 
Advisors during the administration of President Lyndon Johnson, and 
served as an economic advisor to Governor Jimmy Carter during the 1976 
presidential campaign.
  In 1986, Lester Thurow joined with five other leading economic policy 
experts to found the Economic Policy Institute, the mission of which 
was to find solutions to address the growing problems of rising income 
inequality in the United States.
  Lester Thurow was a longtime advocate of a political and economic 
system of the Japanese and European type, in which governmental 
involvement in the direction of the economy is far more extensive than 
is the case in the United States--a model that has come to be known as 
``Third Way'' philosophy.
  He supported policies that would help society and corporations make 
long-term investments in research in order to spur growth.
  Lester Thurow authored several economics books targeted to a general 
readability in the 1990s, including:
  1. ``Head to Head: The Coming Economic Battle Among Japan, Europe, 
and America'' (1992), which surveyed the post-Cold War economic 
landscape and suggested that investment and education would be keys to 
renewing developed economies;
  2. ``The Future of Capitalism: How Today's Economic Forces Shape 
Tomorrow's World'' (1996); and
  3. ``Building Wealth: The New Rules for Individuals, Companies, and 
Nations in a Knowledge-Based Economy.''
  Lester Thurow's ability to explain the most complex economic issues 
created a path for anyone who was willing to listen and learn no matter 
their social or economic background.
  Lester Thurow summarized the impact that economists have on society 
when he stated that, ``Economists, can for example, always retreat to 
unobservable variables to explain unwelcome facts.''
  Lester Thurow knew that the advice economists give is not always what 
is the most popular thing to say, but what leaders and students need to 
hear.
  On March 25, 2016, Lester Thurow passed away at his home in Westport, 
Massachusetts, surrounded by his family.
  Lester Thurow is survived by his wife of 18 years, the former Anna 
Soldinger, of Westport and Tel Aviv; two sons, Torben Thurow and Ethan 
Thurow, both of Boston; two stepchildren, Yaron Karasik and Yael 
Shinar, both of Tel Aviv; a brother; and seven grandchildren.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask the House to observe a moment of silence for this 
trailblazing economist and educator whose pioneering work made a 
significant contribution to our understanding of micro and 
macroeconomics.

[[Page E424]]

  

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