Paul A. Samuelson
Paul A. Samuelson received the 1970 prize in Economic Sciences. This profile brings together the official award record and attributed background on the economist’s work and career.
Personal and professional profile
- Name
- Paul A. Samuelson [1]
- Full name
- Paul A. Samuelson [2]
- Birth date
- 1915-05-15 [2]
- Birthplace
- Gary, IN, USA [2]
- Education
- Harvard University; University of Chicago; Hyde Park Academy High School [3]
- Fields / occupation
- political economist; economist; writer; university teacher [3]
- Prize
- Economic Sciences · 1970 [2]
- Research recognized
- Advances in static and dynamic economic theory and in the analytical methods used by economists. [2]
- Prize share
- 1 [2]
- Affiliation at the award
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) [2]
- Death date
- 2009-12-13 [2]
- Institutions in career record
- University of Chicago; MIT Sloan School of Management; Massachusetts Institute of Technology [3]
Research, education and career background
Paul Anthony Samuelson (May 15, 1915 – December 13, 2009) was an American economist who was the first American to win the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences. When awarding the prize in 1970, the Swedish Royal Academies stated that he "has done more than any other contemporary economist to raise the level of scientific analysis in economic theory". [4]
Samuelson was one of the most influential economists of the latter half of the 20th century. In 1996, he was awarded the National Medal of Science. Samuelson considered mathematics to be the "natural language" for economists and contributed significantly to the mathematical foundations of economics with his book Foundations of Economic Analysis. He was author of the best-selling economics textbook of all time: Economics: An Introductory Analysis, first published in 1948. It was the second American textbook that attempted to explain the principles of Keynesian economics. [4]
Samuelson served as an advisor to President John F. Kennedy and President Lyndon B. Johnson, and was a consultant to the United States Treasury, the Bureau of the Budget and the President's Council of Economic Advisers. Samuelson wrote a weekly column for Newsweek magazine along with Chicago School economist Milton Friedman, where they represented opposing sides: Samuelson, as a self described "Cafeteria Keynesian", claimed taking the Keynesian perspective but only accepting what he felt was good in it. By contrast, Friedman represented the monetarist perspective. Together with Henry Wallich, their 1967 columns earned the magazine a Gerald Loeb Special Award in 1968. [4]
Selected introductory text by Wikipedia contributors — Paul Samuelson, under CC BY-SA 4.0. Official facts are cited separately.
Award and academic affiliation
The official Nobel record dates the Economic Sciences award to 1970 and lists Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as the affiliation at the time. [2]
An affiliation attached to an award describes that point in the person’s career; it does not establish a current appointment. [2]
Education and career timeline
Birth date recorded in the official Nobel biography. [2]
Education period at University of Chicago ended (background record). [3]
Education period at Harvard University began (background record). [3]
Education period at Harvard University began (background record). [3]
Education period at Harvard University ended (background record). [3]
Education period at Harvard University ended (background record). [3]
Economic Sciences award announced. [2]
Death date recorded in the official Nobel biography. [2]
Source-supported connections
Frequently asked questions
When did Paul A. Samuelson receive the prize in Economic Sciences?
The official award record gives the year as 1970. [2]
Which institution was Paul A. Samuelson affiliated with at the time of the Economic Sciences award?
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This is the award-time affiliation. [2]
Paul A. Samuelson connection map
Select a node to inspect the relationship and source.
Links retain their source-specific meaning. Award-time affiliations and links to related reading are not claims about current appointments or economic causation.
Sources and review dates
- Nobel Prize — official biography and award record ↗
- Nobel Prize — official biography and award record ↗
- Wikidata background facts (CC0) ↗
- Wikipedia contributors — Paul Samuelson (CC BY-SA 4.0) ↗
Reviewed 23 October 2026. Historical dates and award-time affiliations retain their original context. A review date is not an event date. Background sources are identified separately from official records.