Robert Fogel, an American economic historian and scientist, was a bold and confident advocate for the use of quantitative methods in history. He was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences in 1993 for his groundbreaking work, sharing the honor with Douglass North. Known for his controversial views on the economics of slavery, Fogel fearlessly expressed his beliefs regardless of the consequences. His wide range of research earned him the title of “the original interdisciplinary scholar” by Robert A. Margo, a professor of economics. Born to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants, Fogel’s intellectual curiosity led him from a young age to pursue a career in science. However, his growing interest in economics led him to Cornell University, where he majored in history with a minor in economics. He furthered his education by obtaining an MA in economics from Columbia University and completing his PhD from Johns Hopkins University. Throughout his academic career, Fogel conducted extensive research on various topics, including economic growth, demographics, physiology, sociology of the family, and nutrition.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Robert William Fogel
- Died At Age: 86
- Family: Spouse/Ex-: Enid Cassandra Morgan (m. 1949–2007)
- Economists
- American Men
- Died on: June 11, 2013
- Place of Death: Oak Lawn, Illinois, United States
- Grouping of People: Nobel Memorial Prize In Economic Sciences
- U.S. State: New Yorkers
- Education: Cornell University, Columbia University, Johns Hopkins University
- Awards: Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, Bancroft Prize
Childhood & Early Life
Robert William Fogel was born on July 1, 1926, in New York City, New York, US, to Ukrainian Jewish immigrants from Odessa. He had one elder brother. His parents were hard-working people who established several small businesses and raised their children in a happy and comfortable environment.
His brother, who was six years his senior and nine years ahead of him in school, was a major influence on the young boy during his growing years. Young Robert grew up listening to the discussions his brother would have with his classmates about the social and economic issues of the Depression.
He graduated from the Stuyvesant High School in 1944. Even though he loved literature, history and science as a teenager, he became more interested in economics with time and chose to major in history with an economics minor from Cornell University. During his college years he also became president of the campus branch of American Youth for Democracy, a communist organization.
Education and Career
He graduated in 1948 with a B.A. and became a professional organizer for the Communist Party, a job he held for eight years. He then proceeded to the Columbia University, where he studied under George Stigler and obtained an M.A. in economics in 1960.
He began his research career as an assistant professor at the University of Rochester in 1960. In 1963, he earned his PhD at Johns Hopkins University under the guidance of Simon Kuznets.
He accepted the job of an associate professor at the University of Chicago in 1964. He was also a visiting professor at Rochester in autumn semesters from 1968 to 1975.
Major Works
His first major book, based on his PhD dissertation, was ‘Railroads and American Economic Growth’ published in 1964. In this work he gave an extremely detailed application of the important economic principle that there is a substitute for virtually everything and demonstrated that the onset of the railroad was not indispensable to the American economy.
Fogel, in collaboration with his University of Rochester colleague Stanley Engerman published the book ‘Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery’ (1974). The authors contradicted contemporary assessments of the effects of slavery on African Americans in the American South before the Civil War. The book proved to be a controversial one and generated much furor in the media.
Awards & Achievements
The book ‘Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery’ which Fogel co-authored with Stanley L. Engerman won the Bancroft Prize in 1975.
Fogel and Douglass C. North were jointly awarded the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1993 “for having renewed research in economic history by applying economic theory and quantitative methods in order to explain economic and institutional change.”
Personal Life & Legacy
Robert Fogel met Enid Cassandra Morgan, an ambitious African-American woman, in 1948 and fell in love with her. The American society at that time did not approve of interracial marriages but this did not deter the couple from tying the knot in 1949. They faced considerable difficulties due to anti-miscegenation laws but remained steadfast in their commitment to each other. They had two sons, Michael and Steven. His wife died in 2007.
Fogel died on June 11, 2013, following a short illness. He was 86.