William D. Nordhaus, Sterling Professor of Economics, Emeritus, died at 85 on Oct. 30 after battling glioblastoma. He won the 2018 Nobel Prize for integrating climate change into long‑run macroeconomic analysis, notably through the DICE model.
Nordhaus shaped Yale for over 50 years, teaching generations and serving as provost and vice president for finance and administration. His research spanned climate economics, technological change, business‑cycle interactions, and welfare measurement, often collaborating with James Tobin and Paul Samuelson. He co‑authored the seminal textbook “Economics,” guiding courses nationwide through its 19th edition.
Beyond academia, he advised the nation as editor of journals, member of the Congressional Budget Office Panel, first chairman of the Advisory Committee for the Bureau of Economic Analysis, chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston board, and a member of the President’s Council of Economic Advisers. He held honors including the National Academy of Sciences and leadership in the American Economic Association. He also worked on a free‑access economics textbook via Lighthouse Books.
Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Nordhaus’s curiosity extended to quantifying Yale tuition from 1701 to the present. His pioneering carbon‑tax framework remains central to climate policy debates, cementing his legacy as a bridge between economics and environmental stewardship.
Source: Hacker News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing