Alfred L. Edwards (August 9, 1920 – January 26, 2007) was an American economist who was emeritus professor of business administration at

Ross School of Business The Stephen M. Ross School of Business, also known as Michigan Ross, is the business school of the University of Michigan, a public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Founded in 1924, the school is ranked among the best business schools i ...

at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, and the first African-American Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture in the United States.

Early life and education

Edwards was the only son of Eddie and Kathleen Edwards. He was a veteran of the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and graduated from

Livingstone College Livingstone College is a private, historically black Christian college in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Livingstone College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Sout ...

with a BA in 1948,

The University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

in 1949, and the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

in 1958 with a PhD.

Career

Edwards taught at Southern University, the University of Iowa, Michigan State University, and Howard University before being appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary of Agriculture in 1963. He served in this role from 1963 to 1973, receiving the Distinguished Service Award of the Department of Agriculture in 1969. He joined the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan in 1974, and remained at that institution for the remainder of his career. He served as president of the

National Economic Association The National Economic Association (NEA) is a learned society established in 1969, focused on initiatives in the field of economics. The purposes of the Association are "to promote the professional lives of minorities within the profession. In a ...

, and was a longtime trustee of

Western Michigan University Western Michigan University (Western Michigan, Western or WMU) is a public research university in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It was initially established as Western State Normal School in 1903 by Governor Aaron T. Bliss for the training of teachers ...

Selected works

* Cole, John A., Alfred L. Edwards, Earl G. Hamilton, and Lucy J. Reuben. "Black banks: a survey and analysis of the literature." The Review of Black Political Economy 14, no. 1 (1985): 29–50. * Edwards, Alfred L. "Land Reform in Iraq: Economic and Social Implications." Land Economics 37, no. 1 (1961): 68–81.

Legacy

There are several memorials to Edwards at Ross School of Business. The Annual Black Business Students Association Conference at the Ross School of Business is named in his honor, there is an Alfred L. Edwards Collegiate Professorship named for him, and an Alfred L. Edwards Scholarship. The National Economic Association also established the Alfred Edwards Award for service to that organization.

References

1920 births 2007 deaths Livingstone College alumni Ross School of Business faculty African-American economists United States Department of Agriculture officials University of Michigan alumni University of Iowa alumni 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics 21st-century African-American academics 21st-century American academics Presidents of the National Economic Association {{economist-stub