Celebrating Dewey Daane

On December 16, 2013, the Federal Reserve celebrated turning 100. The commemoration featured past and present chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, board governors, officers and various dignitaries. Chief among the noteworthy—although he’d never claim such an honor himself—was Owen’s own J. Dewey Daane, the Frank K. Houston Professor of Finance, Emeritus.

Several speechmakers that day remarked on his presence and noted that Daane is nearly as old as the Fed itself. Dewey Daane, 95, knows more about the Fed than almost anyone else. After serving at the U.S. Treasury Department, Daane was first appointed to the Federal Reserve Board by President John F. Kennedy in November 1963 shortly before Kennedy’s death. He came to Vanderbilt in 1974 as the Frank K. Houston Chair in Banking and Finance in the fledgling Graduate School of Management, and Owen is honored that he has never left.

Accounts of Daane’s influential career in public service, at the Fed and in academia are matched only by legendary tales of his adventures and zest for life. On the eve of his 96th birthday, Vanderbilt Business is pleased to salute the remarkable Dewey Daane.