Robert M. Solow

Facts

Robert M. Solow

Photo from the Nobel Foundation archive.

Robert M. Solow
The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 1987

Born: 23 August 1924, Brooklyn, NY, USA

Died: 21 December 2023, Lexington, MA, USA

Affiliation at the time of the award: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA, USA

Prize motivation: “for his contributions to the theory of economic growth”

Prize share: 1/1

Life

Robert Solow was born in New York, USA. He won a scholarship to Harvard College, and arrived there in 1940. He served in WWII 1942-1945, then returned to Harvard and decided to study economics. He joined the Economics Department at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1949, and has stayed with the institution ever since.

Work

Robert Solow was awarded the Economic Sciences Prize for his important contributions to theories of economic growth. In the 1950s, he developed a mathematical model illustrating how various factors can contribute to sustained national economic growth. From the 1960s on, Solow’s studies helped persuade governments to channel funds into technological research and development to spur economic growth.

To cite this section
MLA style: Robert M. Solow – Facts. NobelPrize.org. Nobel Prize Outreach AB 2024. Wed. 11 Dec 2024. <https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/economic-sciences/1987/solow/facts/>

Back to top Back To Top Takes users back to the top of the page

Nobel Prizes and laureates

Six prizes were awarded for achievements that have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind. The 12 laureates' work and discoveries range from proteins' structures and machine learning to fighting for a world free of nuclear weapons.

See them all presented here.

Illustration

Explore prizes and laureates

Look for popular awards and laureates in different fields, and discover the history of the Nobel Prize.