Biography.guide
Home › People › Economist › William Brainard
Portrait of William Brainard

William Brainard

b. 1935

American economist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About William Brainard

Born 1935. William Brainard is an American economist.

William C. "Bill" Brainard (born 1935) is an American economist. He is the Arthur Okun Professor Emeritus of Economics at Yale University, and he served as the provost of the university from 1981 to 1986. Brainard is the namesake of the William C. Brainard chair, which current Yale provost Ben Polak holds. Brainard earned both his economics M.A. and Ph.D. (1963) at Yale. He has been teaching at Yale since 1962. The letter "Q," however, was not introduced until Tobin's 1969 article "A general equilibrium approach to monetary theory." So, while references to "Q theory" generally carry only Tobin's name, Brainard and Tobin jointly introduced the concept. Brainard was co-editor with George Perry of the Brookings Papers on Economic Activity from 1980 through 2007, and continues to serve on its advisory panel. Brainard's fields of interest are: Microeconomics, microeconomics and macroeconomic theory, monetary theory and policy, market valuation of firms, and models of financial markets.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1935
Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Education
Yale University
Employers
Yale University
Awards
Distinguished Fellow of the American Economic Association; Fellow of the Econometric Society
Also known as
William C. Brainard

People in William Brainard's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped William Brainard's

Frequently asked questions

Who is William Brainard?

American economist

When was William Brainard born?

William Brainard was born in 1935.

What is William Brainard's occupation?

William Brainard is an economist.

What nationality is William Brainard?

William Brainard is American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: William Brainard

· Wikidata: Q15126286

· DBpedia: William Brainard

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). William Brainard. https://biography.guide/william-brainard/

MLA: "William Brainard." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/william-brainard/.

Chicago: "William Brainard." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/william-brainard/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC