Lawrence H. Summers

Charles W. Eliot University Professor of Harvard University
Harvard Kennedy School
Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government
Office Address
Non Resident
Mailing Address
John F. Kennedy School of Government
Mailbox 8
79 JFK Street
Contact
Phone: 617-495-9322
Fax: 617-495-0436
Email: Lawrence_Summers@harvard.edu
Assistant
Julie Shample (617-495-1953)
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Profile

Lawrence H. Summers is President Emeritus of Harvard University. During the past two decades he has served in a series of senior policy positions, including Vice President of development economics and chief economist of the World Bank, Undersecretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, Director of the National Economic Council for the Obama Administration from 2009 to 2011, and Secretary of the Treasury of the United States, from 1999 to 2001.

He received a bachelor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1975 and was awarded a Ph.D. from Harvard in 1982. In 1983, he became one of the youngest individuals in recent history to be named as a tenured member of the Harvard University faculty. In 1987 Mr. Summers became the first social scientist ever to receive the annual Alan T. Waterman Award of the National Science Foundation (NSF) and in 1993, he was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal, given every two years to the outstanding American economist under the age of 40.

He is currently the Charles W. Eliot University Professor at Harvard University. He and his wife Elisa New, a professor of English at Harvard, reside in Brookline with their six children.

Courses

Not Offered

  • BGP-266M Crisis Economics: History and Evaluation of the Policy Response to the Great Recession

Spring

  • API-126 American Economic Policy
  • ITF-225 The Future of Globalization: Issues, Actors, and Decisions

Research

For a complete list of faculty citations from 2001 - present, please visit the Harvard Kennedy School Research Report Online.

Selected Publication Citations:

  • Commentary
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Europe’s Growth Challenge." Washington Post, April 29, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Romney’s Fiscal Fantasy Plan." Washington Post, April 26, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "How to Ensure Stimulus Today, Austerity Tomorrow." Financial Times, March 25, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "The U.S. Tax System Needs Rebuilding." Financial Times, February 26, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "The US Tax System Needs Rebuilding." Financial Times, February 26, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Economic Uncertainty is No Excuse for Inaction." Financial Times, January 23, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "What You (Really) Need to Know." New York Times, January 20, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Why Isn’t Capitalism Working?" Reuters, January 9, 2012.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Time for the IMF to Step Forward." Washington Post, December 8, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Three Ways to Combat Rising Inequality." Washington Post, November 20, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Five Grim and Essential Lessons for World Leaders." Financial Times, November 3, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "How to Stabilize the Housing Market." Washington Post, October 23, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Harvard Must Remain Bold in a Changing World." Boston Globe, October 15, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "The World Must Insist that Europe Act." Finance Times, September 19, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Mr. President, We Need a 10-Year Plan." Newsweek/Daily Beast, September 12, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Patriotism on the Quad." New Republic & National Post, September 9, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Moving Forward After the Debt Deal." Washington Post, August 2, 2011.
    • Summers, Lawrence H. "Time is of the Essence, Any US Budget Deal Will Do." Financial Times, July 12, 2011.