Marina von Neumann Whitman
Marina von Neumann Whitman is an American economist, writer and former automobile executive. She is a Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business as well as The Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.
From 1979 until 1992 she was an officer of the General Motors Corporation, first as vice president and chief economist, and later as vice president and group executive for public affairs, which included the Economics, Environmental Activities, Industry-Government Relations and Public Relations staffs. She also serves or has served as a director of several leading multinational corporations and research and policy institutions, including the Institute for Advanced Study and Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Prior to her appointment at GM, Whitman was a member of the faculty in the Department of Economics at the University of Pittsburgh, beginning as an instructor in 1962 and becoming Distinguished Public Service Professor of Economics in 1973. She served as a member of the President's Council of Economic Advisers in 1972–73, while on leave from the University. She was a director at the Council on Foreign Relations between 1977 and 1987. She is also a former member of the Steering Committee of the Bilderberg Group.
Whitman received a B.A. in government from Radcliffe College, graduating at the top of her class, and her M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in economics from Columbia University. The author of many books, monographs and articles, she is the recipient of numerous fellowships, honors and awards, and holds honorary degrees from over twenty colleges and universities.
Personal life
Her father was the mathematician and polymath John von Neumann, one of the foremost mathematicians and scholars of the 20th century. She is married to Robert Freeman Whitman, professor emeritus of English at the University of Pittsburgh, and has two children and two grandchildren. Her step-brother is George H. Kuper, former president and chief executive officer of the Council of Great Lake Industries and an independent consultant in the areas of public policy, environmental and energy issues. Her son, Malcolm Whitman, is professor of developmental biology at Harvard University. Her daughter, Laura Whitman, is a specialist in internal medicine and out-patient medical education at Yale University. She is married to David L. Downie, a scholar of international environmental policy, who is the son of Leonard Downie, Jr., the journalist and long-time editor of the Washington Post.Education
- Ph.D. Columbia University, 1962 – Economics
- M.A. Columbia University, 1959 – Economics
- B.A. Radcliffe College, 1956 – Government
Honorary degrees
- Doctor of Humane Letters, Eastern Michigan University, 1992
- Doctor of Laws, University of Notre Dame, 1984
- Doctor of Laws, Claremont University Center & Graduate School, 1984
- Doctor of Laws, Denison University, 1983
- Doctor of Laws, Lehigh University, 1981
- Doctor of Laws, Mount Holyoke College, 1980
- Doctor of Letters, Williams College, 1980
- Doctor of Humane Letters, Baruch College, 1980
- Doctor of Laws, Ripon College, 1980
- Doctor of Laws, Amherst College, 1978
- Doctor of Laws, Rockford College, 1978
- Doctor of Laws, Allegheny College, 1977
- Doctor of Laws, Wilson College, 1977
- Doctor of Laws, Rollins College, 1976
- Doctor of Laws, Marietta College, 1976
- Doctor of Laws, New York Polytechnic Institute, 1975
- Doctor of Laws, Coe College, 1975
- Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Massachusetts, 1975
- Doctor of Laws, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, 1973
- Doctor of Laws, Cedar Crest College, 1973
- Doctor of Humane Letters, Russell Sage College, 1972
Professional positions
- Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy, University of Michigan, 1994–
- Distinguished Visiting Professor of Business Administration and Public Policy, University of Michigan, 1992–1994
- Vice President and Group Executive, Public Affairs & Marketing Staffs, General Motors Corporation, August 1990 – 1992
- Vice President and Group Executive, Public Affairs Staffs, General Motors Corporation, April 1985 – August 1990
- Vice President and Chief Economist, General Motors Corporation, August 1979 – April 1985
- Fellow, Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, California, 1978–1979
- Distinguished Public Service Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, September 1973 – 1979
- Member, Council of Economic Advisers, Executive Office of the President, March 1972 – August 1973
- Member, National Price Commission, October 1971 – February 1972
- Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1971–1973
- Senior Staff Economist, Council of Economic Advisers, 1970–1971
- Associate Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1966–1971
- Assistant Professor of Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1964 – spring 1966
- Lecturer in Economics, University of Pittsburgh, 1962–1964
- Staff Economist, Economic Study of the Pittsburgh Region, 1962
Corporate directorships
- Unocal Corporation, 1993–2005
- Procter & Gamble Company, 1976–2003
- J.P. Morgan Chase Corporation 2001–2002
- Alcoa, 1994–2002
- Chase Manhattan Corporation 1996–2000
- Browning-Ferris Industries, 1992–1999
- Chemical Banking Corporation 1992–1996
- Manufacturers Hanover Trust Corporation and Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company, 1973–1991
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation, 1973–1979
- Marcor Corporation, 1974–1976
Academic and research boards
- Board of Trustees, Institute for Advanced Study
- Board of Trustees, National Bureau of Economic Research
- Board of Directors, Institute for International Economics
- Board of Trustees, Salzburg Seminar
- Advisory Board Member, Leadership Council, Center for the Education of Women, University of Michigan
- Board of Governors, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, 1992–1999
- Member, Overseers' Committee to Visit Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1992–1998
- Board of Directors, Eurasia Foundation, 1992–1995
- Board of Trustees, Princeton University, 1980–1990;
- Board of Directors, The Atlantic Council, 1975–1983
- Board of Directors, American Finance Association, 1979–198l
- Board of Directors, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1977–1987
- Board of Overseers, Harvard University, 1972–1978
Government activities
- Member, Technology Assessment Advisory Council of the U.S. Congress Office of Technology Assessment, 1990–1995
- President's Advisory Committee on Trade Policy and Negotiations, 1987–1993
- President's Export Council, 1986–87
- Commission on Security and Economic Assistance, 1983–1984 President's Commission on Executive Exchange, 1981–1984
- President's Commission for a National Agenda for the Eighties,1979–1980
- Economic Advisory Committee, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1979–1980
- Advisory Committee on the International Monetary System to the U.S. Treasury Department, 1977–1985
- Academic Consultants meetings, Federal Reserve Board, February 1977
- Advisory Committee on Technology and World Trade, 1976–1978
- Seminars on Global Trade Objectives in an Interdependent World, for U.S. Information Agency – India, February 17–29, 1976
- Advisory Committee on the Balance of Payments Statistics Presentation, 1975–1976
- The President's Advisory Group on Contributions of Technology to Economic Strength, 1975–1976
- The President's Economic Summit Meetings, 1974
- Quarterly Economic Meetings, Council of Economic Advisers, 1973–1975
- Member, Council of Economic Advisers, Executive Office of the President, March 1972 – August 1973
- Member, National Price Commission, October 1971 – February 1972
- Staff Economist, Economic Study of the Pittsburgh Region, 1962
Selected publications
Books
- The Martian's Daughter. A Memoir, The University of Michigan Press, 2012.
- New World, New Rules: The Changing Role of the American Corporation, Harvard Business School Press, 1999
- Reflections of Interdependence: Issues for Economic Theory and U.S. Policy, University of Pittsburgh Press, 1979.
- Government Risk-Sharing in Foreign Investment, Princeton University Press, 1965
Monographs
- The Responsibility Paradox: Multinational Firms and Global Corporate Social Responsibility, with Gerald David and Mayer Zaid, Ross School of Business Working Paper Series, Working Paper 1031, April 2006
- Do Exchange Rates Matter: A Global Survey, The Conference Board, New York, 2004
- American Capitalism and Global Convergence, Group of Thirty, Washington, D.C., 2003
- The Evolving Corporation: Global Imperatives and National Responses, Group of Thirty, Washington., D.C., 2000
- International Trade and Investment: Two Perspectives: Essays in International Finance #143, Princeton University Press, July 1981
- Economic Goals and Policy Instruments: Policies for Internal and External Balance, Princeton, Special Papers in International Economics #9, 1970
Scholarly and policy articles
- Gerald F. Davis, Marina von Neumann Whitman and Mayer N. Zald, "Political Agency and the Responsibility Paradox: Multinationals and Corporate Social Responsibility" In Contemporary Political Agency, Bice Maiguashca and Raffaele Marchetti, eds., London: Routledge, 2013.
- Gerald F. Davis, Marina V.N. Whitman, and Mayer N. Zald, 2008. "The responsibility paradox." Stanford Social Innovation Review 6: 30-37.
- "The Open Economy Macromodel: Interactions Between Theoretical Developments and Real-World Behavior," in Arie Arnon and Warren Young, The Open Economy Macromodel: Past, Present and Future, Boston, Dordrecht and London, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2002.
- "Global Competition and the Changing Role of the American Corporation," The Washington Quarterly, March 1999.
- "Domestic Policy Requirements for a Liberal Trade Regime," in Géza Feketekuty, Trade Strategies for a New Era: Ensuring U.S. Leadership in a Global Economy, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, 1998
- "Trade and Growth: Restoring the Virtuous Circle" in Jerry Jasinowski, The Rising Tide: A Path Towards Higher Growth and Economic Prosperity, Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1998
- "Labor Market Adjustment and Trade: Their Interaction in the Triad," in Benjamin Cohen, International Trade and Finance: New Frontiers for Research, Cambridge University Press, 1997.
- "The Socially Responsible Corporation: Responsible to Whom and for What?" in John W. Houck and Oliver F. Williams, Is the Good Corporation Dead? Social Responsibility in a Global Economy, Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 1996
- "Using Board Guidelines as a Strategic Tool," The Corporate Board, September/October 1995 *"Flexible Markets, Flexible Firms," The American Enterprise, Vol. 5, No. 3, May–June 1994, pp. 26–37
- "The State of Business: Global Competitiveness and Economic Nationalism," Harvard International Review, Vol.XV, No. 4, Summer 1993
- "Assessing Greater Variability of Exchange Rates: A Private Sector Perspective," in American Economic Review, Vol. 74, No. 2, May 1984
- "Persistent Unemployment: Economic Policy Perspectives," in Unemployment & Growth in the Western Economies, Vol. 2, Project on European Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 1984
- "Global Monetarism and the Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 3:1975
- "The Payments Adjustment Process and the Exchange-Rate Regime: What Have We Learned?" in American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings, May 1975
- "The Current and Future Role of the Dollar: How Much Symmetry?" Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, 3:1974
- "Alternative Theories and Tests of U.S. Short-Term Foreign Investment," Journal of Finance, December 1973
- "A Mean-Variance Analysis of the United States Long-Term Portfolio Foreign Investment," Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. 84
Fellowships and awards
- New York Association of Business Economists, William F. Butler Memorial Award, 1988
- Columbia University, Award for Excellence, 1984
- Women's Equity Action League Achievement Award, 1979
- Jane Addams Medal, Rockford College, 1976
- Catalyst Award honoring outstanding women in the corporate world, 1976
- George Washington Award of the American Hungarian Foundation, 1975
- Columbia University Medal for Excellence, 1973
- Social Science Research Council Faculty Research Fellowship awarded for 1970–71
- National Science Foundation research grant for research on "Long-Term Portfolio Investment in the U.S. Balance of Payments," 1968–70
- Research Grant from International Dimensions Program of the Academic Disciplines at the University of Pittsburgh, 1965–66 and 1966–67
- NSF Cooperative Graduate Fellowship
- AAUW American Fellowship
- Earhart Foundation Dissertation Fellowship Friedman Fellowship
- Jonathan Fay Prize
- Phi Beta Kappa Prize for highest ranking senior
Memberships
- American Academy of Arts and Sciences
- American Economic Association
- Council on Foreign Relations
- National Association for Business Economists
- Phi Beta Kappa Society
Professionally related activities
- Board of Trustees, Institute for Advanced Study
- Board of Trustees, National Bureau of Economic Research
- Member, Bretton Woods Committee, Study of International Institutions
- Board of Directors, Institute for International Economics
- Member, Consultative Group on International Economic and Monetary Affairs
- Member, Council on Foreign Relations
- Advisory Committee, Bioterrorism Response Group, University of Michigan
- Advisory Board, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan
- Board of Trustees, Salzburg Seminar
- Member, Advisory Council, Center for Economic Policy Studies, Princeton University
- Member, Advisory Board, Council of Great Lakes Industries
- Member, Group of Thirty
- Steering Committee, International Institute and Advanced Studies Center, University of Michigan, 2002–2004
- Board of Governors, Rackham Graduate School, University of Michigan, 1992–1999
- Member, Overseers' Committee to Visit Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, 1992–1998
- Member, The Detroit News Michigan Board of Contributors, 1993–1998
- Member, Commission on NAFTA and Beyond, Center for Strategic and International Studies and Carter Center, 1993–1995
- Member, The Trilateral Commission, 1973–1984; 1988–1995
- Board of Directors, Eurasia Foundation, 1992–1995
- Member, Commission on Presidential Debates, 1987–1988
- Member, Planning Committee on International Issues, Harvard University, 1990–1994
- Member, Advisory Board, Issues in Science & Technology published by the National Academy of Sciences, 1984–1990
- Board of Trustees, Princeton University, 1980–1990
- Senior Adviser, Brookings Panel on Economic Activity, 1976–1987
- Board of Directors, Atlantic Council, 1975–1983
- Board of Directors, American Finance Association, 1979–198l
- Board of Directors, The Council on Foreign Relations, 1977–1987
- Executive Committee, American Economic Association, 1977–1980
- Adjunct Scholar and *Member, Academic Advisory Board, American Enterprise Institute, 1976–1979 *National Planning Association, Committee on the Changing International Realities and Their Implications for U. S. Policy, 1975–1981
- Editorial Board, Foreign Policy, 1974–1979
- Board of Overseers, Harvard University, 1972–1978
- Member, Brookings Panel on Economic Activity, 1974–1975
- Board of Editors, American Economic Review, 1974–1977
- Commission on Critical Choices for Americans, 1974–1976
- Selection Committee, Rockefeller Public Service Awards, 1976–1980
- Member, Advisory Council, Department of Economics, Princeton University, 1973–1980, Chairman, 1976–1977
- Chair, Committee to Visit Department of Economics, 1975–78 *Chair, Committee to Visit Department of Statistics, 1972–75
- Moderator of TV Series on 200+ PBS Stations: Economically Speaking, 1978 and 1979