RICHARD "DICK" ECKAUS

1926 - 2022

BORN

1926

DIED

2022

About

Westport Junior-Senior High School Brandeis University Massachusetts Institute of Technology Washington University

RICHARD ECKAUS Obituary

ECKAUS--Richard. Richard "Dick" Eckaus, Ford Foundation International Pro- fessor of Economics, emeritus, in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Department of Economics, died on September 11, 2022, in Boston. He was 96 years old. Eckaus was known as a "complete" economist who straddled all styles of the profession with distinction. Eckaus had two seminal articles published early in his career, before going on to develop large computable models and work in an advisory capacity in countries as diverse as Portugal and India. Eckaus was born in Kansas City, Missouri on April 30, 1926, the youngest of three children to parents that had emigrated from Lithuania. His father, Julius Eckaus was a tailor, and his mother, Bessie (Finkelstein) Eckaus helped run the business. The family struggled to make ends meet financially but academic success offered Eckaus a way forward. He graduated from Westport High School, joined the United States Navy, and was offered a college scholarship via the V-12 Navy College Training Program during World War II to study Electrical Engineering at Iowa State. After graduating in 1944, Eckaus served on a base in New York state until he was discharged in 1946 as Lieutenant Junior Grade. He attended Washington University in St. Louis on the GI Bill, graduating in 1948 with a Master's in Economics, before relocating to Boston and serving as Instructor of Economics at Babson Institute and then Assistant and Associate Professor of Economics at Brandeis University from 1951-1962. He concurrently earned a PhD in Economics from MIT in 1954. The following year, the American Economic Review published, "The Factor Proportions Problem in Economic Development," Eckaus' paper that remained part of the macroeconomics canon for decades. He returned to MIT in 1962 and went on to teach development economics to generations of MIT students. He continued to work and teach there for the remainder of his career. Eckaus served as an adviser to the governments of Italy, India, Egypt, Bhutan, Mexico, and Portugal, using his development planning models to provide economic forecasts and help inform public policy. The Government of Portugal awarded Eckaus the Great-Cross of the Order of Prince Henry the Navigator after he brought graduate students from MIT--including the prominent economists Paul Krugman, Andrew Abel, Jeremy I. Bulow, and Kenneth Rogoff--to assist the country in its peaceful transition to democracy following the 1974 Carnation Revolution. In 1991, Eckaus served as one of four founding faculty members of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, which continues to integrate natural and social sciences to provide independent assessments of the impacts of global environmental change and the expected value of responsive actions. Eckaus retired in 1996, but continued to conduct research, mentor colleagues, and write papers related to climate change and the energy crisis. He leaves behind a trove of more than 100 published papers and eight authored and co-authored books. Eckaus is survived by his beloved wife of 32 years Patricia Leahy Meaney of Brookline, Massachusetts. The two traveled the world, hiked the Alps, and collected pre-Columbian and contemporary art. He is lovingly remembered by his daughter Susan Miller, his step-son James Meaney (Bruna), step-daughter Caitlin Meaney Burrows (Lee), and four grandchildren, Chloe Burrows, Finley Burrows, Brandon Meaney, and Maria Sophia Meaney. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Professor Eckaus' name to MIT Economics (77 Massachusetts Avenue, Building E52-300, Cambridge, MA 02139). A memorial in his honor will be held later this year.

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Published by New York Times on Sep. 30, 2022.

Memories and Condolences
for RICHARD ECKAUS

3 Entries

Rob Eckaus

April 27, 2023

Richard Samuel Eckaus cared about people everywhere. He spent his life working to improve lives around the world. He was interested in people. He listened, he chatted, he asked questions, he cared. He was a humanitarian. He looked for ways a nation could change within its power to do so. His contributions to a country helped people prosper. And yet, except for a handful of people in each country, no one knew the name of this man working on their behalf. His wife Pat said he considered himself a "citizen of the world".

But when he was with us, he was Uncle. Uncle Richard, as we knew him, was a family man. And we, his family, would like to honor him as we knew him. We are the handful of Eckaus´ who are proud to carry the Eckaus name.

Julius, Richard´s father, fled Europe on the last ship to leave Europe before the United States entered World War 1, in about 1916 or 1917. His mother, Bessie, was also an immigrant, from Eastern Europe who came to the United States as a young girl.

Well versed in religions, when asked once about our origins by David, the youngest son of Richard Eckaus, Ted and Noreen´s oldest son, Uncle Richard replied "Tell David we come from Abraham, Isaac and Jacob". There is great reassurance in those words. Uncle Richard was grounded in the knowledge of God´s children.

And Uncle Richard was fun! There was always laughter at our family gatherings.
His wife Pat said he cared about each of us, what we were doing, what we were thinking about, and how our children were. Richard was gracious; he was charming; he was sincere; he was genuine. That was the appeal, we knew he cared about us!

He was extraordinary, accomplished, widely traveled, published, and a great source of wisdom. Occasionally in conversations about weightier matters, one of the siblings would say "I wonder what Uncle Richard would say". Lani and her brothers shared that for many years they thought Uncle Richard would receive a Noble Prize for economics and would check closely to see who won each year.

Jesse, Lani´s son, remembers "whenever Richard visited us, we would gather as a family. He always had so much to say on a variety of topics, but whatever he was speaking about, I made sure to listen... His conversations were always intriguing... No matter the topic, Richard always spoke with such an informative and in-depth knowledge. It was enjoyable and a blessing to listen to what he had to say. We will miss him".

Ted, our father and Richard´s older brother, felt such high regard for Richard that he named his first-born son "Richard". And in fact, Ted bought his brother Richard his first bike, many decades ago, when they were very young. Richard and Ted were men who strived to always do the right thing, the loving thing, each in their own way. A strong work ethic was another trait that was passed down to the Eckaus children and grandchildren.

We enjoyed receiving postcards from Richard as he traveled around the world in his working years. Places exotic and fascinating to think about!

Over the years, Richard and sometimes Pat, joined us for Thanksgiving, weddings, graduation, our parents´ funerals, and several other times, just to be together. It was wonderful. He was our patriarch, from 1995 on, and we all reveled in being together as family.

Richard was very generous with us, his nephews and niece. He once told Lani that he wanted to do for us what he knew Ted would have done, had he lived to do so. (Ted passed away in 1995).

Jessica wrote of her dearest memories of Uncle Richard... "He was a father figure. He made me feel very welcomed into the family. He was very genuine, humble, and respectful; always mindful of being present in family gatherings. One Thanksgiving he joined us. It was a special time when we enjoyed many days of laughter, family unity, his childhood stories, and the bond he shared with his brother Ted and family".

Nikki, Jesse´s wife, has a very fond memory. Nikki has a horse and the conversation turned to a discussion about horses. Uncle Richard was well informed about her horse´s breed, a Morgan, and about horses in general. She said it was a great conversation!

David Eckaus, Ted´s 2nd oldest son, remembers Uncle Richard as "very gracious, always had a smile and would reply to all questions that were asked. Michael, Lani´s son, said "It was like he was an exotic super-car owner and yet he like to hang out with Camry and Civic owners. And he made it a comfortable environment when he hung out with us." Richard put us at ease; he joined in with us; he became one of us. Because behind the questions and discussions, he really cared about us.
Pat said he was "a brilliant and loving man, and it doesn´t get any better than that". We all agree!

Authored by the children of Theodore and Noreen Eckaus. Ted and Noreen are survived by their four children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren:

Lani Kallstrom and her sons Michael and Jesse. Michael has a committed relationship with Danielle, who has four children; Jesse and his wife Nikki have two children, Oliver and Alina.

Richard Eckaus and his wife, Jessica. Richard and Jessica have three children, Brandon and his wife Jessica and her son Koen; Shannon, and David.

David Eckaus and his two children. Tobias and his partner Katie Stevens and their daughter Nova; Gina Eckaus, and her partner Derrick and their son David.

Robert Eckaus and his wife Jenna Gallo, and her daughters Larin, and Taylor and her partner Mac and their daughters, Raiden, Kori and Tegan.