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Ben Bernanke
Benjamin Shalom Bernanke (b. December 13, 1953, in Augusta, Georgia) previously served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Bernanke was nominated to his first term by President George W. Bush in 2005 and confirmed by a Senate voice vote on January 31, 2006.[1] He was then nominated for a second consecutive term by President Barack Obama in 2009 and was confirmed by a Senate vote of 70-30 on January 28, 2010.[2] It was the weakest confirmation vote in the position's history.[3] Bernanke previously served on the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System before being appointed Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors by President Bush.[4]
Bernanke did not seek nomination for a new term in 2014.[5]
Biography
Born in Augusta, Georgia, Bernanke grew up in Dillon, South Carolina.[4] He graduated summa cum laude with a degree in economics from Harvard University in 1975 before earning his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1979.[6] Bernanke published many books and scholarly articles on various economic issues during his time as a professor at Princeton University, Stanford University, New York University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[6]
Career
Below is an abbreviated outline of Bernanke's academic, professional, and political career:[4]
- 1975: Graduated from Harvard University
- 1979: Earned Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- 1979-1985: Associate professor at Stanford University
- 1985-1996: Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton
- 1996-2002: Chairman of the Princeton University Economics Department
- 2002-2005: Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
- 2005-2006: Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors under the Bush administration
- 2006-2014: Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System
Confirmation vote
Bernanke was confirmed for a second consecutive term on January 28, 2010, but the vote was the weakest showing of support in the history of the position with a vote of 70-30. The economic downturn in 2008 brought full attention to the Federal Reserve, leading to the votes against his confirmation to a second term. Many in favor of his confirmation suggested the downturn could have been worse if Bernanke had not been the chairman.[3]
| Ben Bernanke confirmation vote, January 28, 2010 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes for  |
Votes against  |
Total votes |
 Democrats |
47 | 11 | 58 |
 Republicans |
22 | 18 | 40 |
 Independents |
1 | 1 | 2 |
| Total Votes | 70 | 30 | 100 |
Bernanke was confirmed by voice vote on January 31, 2006, by members of the United States Senate for his first term as Chairman of the Federal Reserve.[1]
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Bernanke is married with two children.[6]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term Ben + Bernanke + Chairman + Federal + Reserve
External links
- Biographies:
- Financial (federal level):
- Works by or about:
- Media appearances:
- Media coverage:
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Philly.com, "The Bernanke Fed era begins," February 1, 2006
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 New York Times, "Senate Vote 16 - On the Nomination," January 28, 2010
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 New York Times, "Senate, Weakly, Backs New Term for Bernanke," January 28, 2010
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 CNN, "Ben Bernanke Fast Facts," March 7, 2013
- ↑ U.S. News and World Report, "The Right Man at the Right Time," August 19, 2013
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, "Ben S. Bernanke," accessed June 12, 2013 (dead link)
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alan Greenspan |
Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve 2006-Present |
Succeeded by - |
| Preceded by Harvey Rosen |
Chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors 2005-2006 |
Succeeded by Edward Lazear |
