Richard Zeckhauser

Richard Jay Zeckhauser (born 1940) is an American economist and the Frank P. Ramsey Professor of Political Economy at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He holds a BA (summa cum laude) and a PhD in economics from Harvard University. Early in his career he was one of the "whiz kids" assembled by Defense Secretary Robert S. McNamara to apply cutting-edge analysis to Cold War military strategy. He is the author or co-author of many books and articles. His most recent book, with Peter Schuck, is Targeting in Social Programs, an incisive examination of how -- and why -- to deploy scarce public resources to solve public problems. While he declines most offers of formal authority he has long been an important informal leader at the Kennedy School and Harvard, especially with respect to the development of younger scholars.

Bridge career

Zeckhauser is a champion bridge player with a devastating opening bid, frequently playing at tournaments with professionals who are unaware of his day job as an academic.

Wins

* North American Bridge Championships (2)
** Blue Ribbon Pairs (1) 1966
** Mixed Pairs (1) 2007

Runner-ups

* North American Bridge Championships (2)
** Men's Board-a-Match Teams (1) 1968
** Mixed Board-a-Match Teams (1) 2003