Trustees Emeriti
americanassembly@columbia.edu
Paul Volcker
Trustee
Paul Volcker, a native of Cape May, New Jersey, graduated from Princeton University in 1949, and in 1951 received an MA in political economy and government from Harvard University's Graduate School of Public Administration. He also attended the London School of Economics, as a post-graduate student from 1951-1952, and received honorary degrees from a number of universities, including his three alma maters: Princeton, Harvard, and London University.
In the course of his career, Mr. Volcker worked in the Federal Government for almost 30 years, serving in high office under five presidents-- John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. Before becoming Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 1979, he spent more than four years as President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Recently, Mr. Volcker was the Chairman of the Economic Recovery Advisory Board under President Barack Obama from February 2009 until January 2011.
Mr. Volcker retired as chairman and CEO of Wolfensohn & Co. Inc., upon the merger of that firm in 1996 with the Bankers Trust Company. He is currently co-chairman of the Financial Services Volunteer Corps. Mr. Volcker, a former chairman of the Trilateral Commission, also serves on a number of other public and private advisory boards, including: the Japan Society; the American Council on Germany; The American Assembly; the Group of Thirty; the International House; and the Institute for International Economics.
Mr. Volcker currently lives in New York City and has a son and daughter and four brilliant grandchildren.
