Zvi Griliches (1930–1999)

Zvi Griliches was a brilliant, funny and charismatic presence in the Harvard Economics Department from his arrival in the late 1960s until his prematurely early death in 1999. Through his own research and the founding of the National Bureau of Economic Research Productivity Program, he created and led the modern study of the economics of innovation. He also made important contributions to productivity measurement, econometrics and labour economics, and contributed in important ways to public debate and discussion around government data series and inflation measurement. His contribution to economics is ongoing, greatly amplified by the many students and colleagues he mentored, who carry on his commitment to cautious and modest analysis based on gathering and understanding data.