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Zvi Griliches

Hirsh Zvi Griliches, a renowned Lithuanian-born economist, made significant contributions to the field of economics, particularly in the areas of technological change and innovation. Born on September 12, 1930, in Kaunas, Lithuania, Griliches was raised in a Jewish, Russian-speaking family with his parents Efim Ilyich Griliches and Clara Ziv Griliches.

During World War II, Griliches and his family were deported to the Dachau concentration camp. After being liberated by American troops on May 2, 1945, he spent two years in Munich before attempting to enter Palestine illegally by ship in 1947. However, he was arrested by the British and taken to a camp in Cyprus, where he established relationships with academics and learned English during his seven-month imprisonment.

Griliches eventually arrived in Palestine, where he briefly joined the forces of Israel and worked in a kibbutz, learning Hebrew along the way. He later enrolled in a history study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem due to a university entrance examination. His sister and uncle had emigrated to America after the war, prompting Griliches to apply for studies at the University of Berkeley, which he started with a scholarship in 1951.

Griliches earned his Bachelor's degree in agriculture in 1953, followed by a Master's in Economics and Econometrics. He met his wife Diane Asseo Griliches during this time, with whom he had two children: Eve Griliches (born 1957) and Marc Griliches (born 1960). In 1954, Griliches moved to the University of Chicago, where he received an assistant professorship in economics in 1956 and obtained a doctorate in 1957.

Griliches became a naturalized American citizen in 1959. He held various prestigious positions throughout his career, including president of the US Econometric Society in 1975 and one of the editors of the journal Econometrica from 1969 to 1977. Griliches was awarded the John Bates Clark Medal in 1965 for his work on technological change.

Griliches' contributions to economics were recognized with several awards, including the Zvi Griliches Excellence Award established by the Economics Education and Research Consortium (EERC) in Russia