Rubinow, Isaac Max

Rubinow, Isaac Max (1875–1936) physician, economic statistician, social reformer; born in Grodno, Russia. Immigrating to New York City in 1893, he took his M.D. from New York University (1898) and practiced mainly among the urban poor. Realizing that poor health had much to do with economics, he quit his practice (1903) and turned to the social sciences, economics, and statistics. Working for the federal government, he provided much of the data behind the worker compensation laws passed by states between 1911–20. He left government service to work on insurance problems for private organizations. As president of the Casualty Actuarial Society (1914–16), he systematized the accident premium system. He also continued to work for "social insurance," reaching a popular audience with The Quest for Security (1934) and influencing the adoption of social security. A socialist as a young man, he wrote Was Marx Wrong? (1914) before becoming disillusioned with the Russian Revolution in the 1920s. He also devoted significant time to Jewish causes, including directing medical units in Palestine (1919–22).