Stigler, George J.

Stigler, George J. (Joseph) (1911–91) economist; born in Renton, Wash. A leader of the Chicago school of economic thought, he taught at several colleges and universities before joining the faculty of the University of Chicago (1959–91). He wrote on economic theory, industrial organization, and the history of economic thought. His analysis of labor markets was a prototype for all later work on "search models" of unemployment. His examination of pricing policies in industry and public utilities is highly respected. For his work on the theory of market forces and economic regulation he received the Nobel Prize in economics (1982).