Joan E. Spero

Joan Edelman Spero
Born	(1944-10-02) October 2, 1944 Davenport, Iowa, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Diplomat, academic, author
Years active	1973–present
Known for	Ambassador to the United Nations for Economic and Social Affairs (1980–1981); Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs (1993–1997)
Notable work	The Politics of International Economic Relations; The Failure of the Franklin National Bank; New World, New Deal; The Global Role of U.S. Foundations; Charity and Philanthropy in Russia, China, India, and Brazil

Joan Edelman Spero (born October 2, 1944, in Davenport, Iowa) holds the position of Senior Research Scholar at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where her work centers on the influence of international philanthropy within the global framework. Between 2009 and 2010, she was appointed as a visiting scholar at the Foundation Center, investigating how American private foundations shape U.S. foreign policy.

Education and career

Spero completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin, graduating with Phi Beta Kappa honors. She pursued advanced degrees at Columbia University, obtaining a master's in international affairs followed by a doctorate in political science. Additionally, she undertook studies at the Institut d’Études Politiques in Paris, acquiring fluency in French.

Government positions

Her diplomatic career includes serving as Ambassador to the United Nations for Economic and Social Affairs from 1980 to 1981. Later, from 1993 to 1997, she was the Under Secretary for Economic, Business, and Agricultural Affairs at the United States Department of State.

Corporate and academic roles

Between 1973 and 1979, Spero was an assistant professor at Columbia University. She transitioned to the private sector with American Express Company from 1981 until 1993, ultimately becoming Executive Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Communications. From 1997 to 2008, she presided over the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation as its President.

As an expert in international political economy, her seminal work The Politics of International Economic Relations, initially published in 1977, has reached its seventh edition and has been translated into multiple languages. Her bibliography also includes The Failure of the Franklin National Bank (1980), New World, New Deal: A Democratic Approach to Globalization (2000), The Global Role of U.S. Foundations (2010), and Charity and Philanthropy in Russia, China, India, and Brazil (2014).

Organizations

Spero is affiliated with several prestigious groups such as the Academy of Diplomacy, the American Philosophical Society, and the Council of American Ambassadors. She contributes to the Advisory Board of the Genesis Prize Foundation and acts as a Trustee for both the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation and the International Center for Transitional Justice. Her emeritus trustee roles include positions at Columbia University, Amherst College, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the Brookings Institution.

Her experience on corporate boards encompasses directorships at IBM, International Paper, and Citigroup. In previous years, she has also served on boards for companies including ING, FDC, Delta Air Lines, and Hercules.

Publications

• The Politics of International Economic Relations, 1st edition (St. Martin's Press, 1977)
• The Failure of the Franklin National Bank: Challenge to the International Banking System (1980, Reprinted 1999)
• The Politics of International Economic Relations, editions 2 through 7 (St. Martin's Press; Bedford/St. Martin's Press; Thomson/Wadsworth; Cengage; 1981–2010) (with Jeffrey A. Hart)
• New World, New Deal: A Democratic Approach to Globalization (Foreign Affairs, 2000) (co-authored with W. Bowman Cutter and Laura D'Andrea Tyson)
• The Global Role of U.S. Foundations (The Foundation Center, 2010)
• Charity and Philanthropy in Russia, China, India, and Brazil (The Foundation Center and WINGS, 2014)

External links

• Official Biography at the U.S. Department of State [1]
• Joan Edelman Spero's Profile, Trustee at Columbia University [2]