Richard C. Levin
Richard Charles Levin | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 7, 1947 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, university administrator |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Known for | 22nd President of Yale University (1993–2013); CEO of Coursera (2014–2017) |
Richard Charles Levin (born April 7, 1947) is a prominent American economist and university administrator. He held the position of the 22nd President of Yale University from 1993 until 2013. Between March 2014 and June 2017, Levin served as the chief executive officer of Coursera, guiding the online education platform through a significant expansion period.
Early life and education
Levin was born in San Francisco, California, to parents of Jewish-American descent. He completed his secondary education at Lowell High School in 1964, where he was active in competitive debating. He received a B.A. in history from Stanford University in 1968, followed by a Bachelor of Letters degree focusing on politics and philosophy from Merton College, Oxford. Levin earned his Ph.D. in economics from Yale University in 1974, concentrating on industrial research and development, intellectual property rights, and manufacturing efficiency.
Career
Levin began his academic career at Yale as an assistant professor of economics in 1974, advancing to associate professor by 1979 and then to Professor of Economics and Management at the Yale School of Management in 1982. In 1992, he was appointed Frederick William Beinecke Professor of Economics. Before assuming the presidency, he chaired Yale’s Economics Department and served as dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
In 2004, Levin contributed to the Iraq Intelligence Commission tasked with assessing U.S. intelligence on Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. He also participated in review panels concerning the U.S. Postal Service and economic aspects of Major League Baseball. His board memberships include the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, American Express, and Satmetrix.
Though affiliated with the Democratic Party, Levin was an early guest of President George W. Bush and hosted him during Yale’s honorary degree ceremony in 2001. He was considered for the role of director at the White House National Economic Council prior to Gene Sperling’s appointment.
Levin resigned as Yale president on June 30, 2013, shortly after releasing The Worth of the University, a sequel to The Work of the University. Peter Salovey succeeded him.
Throughout his presidency, Levin emphasized the development of Asian universities and expanded Yale’s engagement within the region. In 2013, he joined the advisory board for Schwarzman Scholars, a prestigious global postgraduate fellowship based at Tsinghua University in Beijing designed to promote international cooperation.
Levin assumed leadership as CEO of Coursera in March 2014 and remained until June 2017 when Jeff Maggioncalda took over.
He resides in New Haven, Connecticut with his wife Jane, who is also a Yale professor. Together they have four children and eight grandchildren. Their son Jonathan Levin was named Stanford University’s 13th president starting August 1, 2024.
Yale under Levin
During Levin’s administration, Yale’s endowment increased dramatically from $3.2 billion to more than $20 billion. The university saw substantial improvements in admissions selectivity and academic reputation, with applications climbing from fewer than 11,000 in 1993 to nearly 29,000 by 2012. Incoming classes reported some of the highest standardized test scores nationwide. Under his leadership, Yale enhanced efforts to recruit international students as well as those from underrepresented regions within the United States.
Levin initiated an undergraduate program based in Beijing and significantly expanded opportunities for international work and study experiences, underscoring Yale’s commitment to China. He also joined the board of the National Committee on United States-China Relations.
He directed Yale’s largest campus construction and renovation initiative since the 1930s, refurbishing approximately 70% of campus facilities between 1993 and 2013. Levin approved construction of new residential colleges—the first since the 1960s—to raise undergraduate enrollment from about 5,400 to over 6,000 students. Although delayed by the financial crisis in 2008, building commenced soon after his departure.
Levin broadened Yale’s physical presence by acquiring a former Bayer Pharmaceutical site spanning 136 acres in Orange, Connecticut for $107 million in 2007; this facility became a cutting-edge research center located seven miles from Yale’s main campus.
He improved relations with unionized local employees by negotiating eight-year contracts in 2003 that included healthcare benefits, paid leave provisions, and wage increases ranging from 32% to 43%. Nonetheless, he resisted unionization attempts among hospital staff, graduate workers, and security personnel.
Levin also led the establishment of Yale-NUS College—the first liberal arts institution in Asia—through collaboration with the National University of Singapore. This initiative encountered criticism due to Singapore’s limitations on press freedom and LGBTQ+ rights potentially conflicting with Yale-NUS’s liberal arts principles.
Honors
In 1998, during his tenure as Yale's President, Levin was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Oxford, an honor he shared with Neil Rudenstine, who was serving as President of Harvard University at the time. Later, in 2013, he gained membership in the prestigious American Philosophical Society.
See also
External links
- 1947 births
- Living people
- Presidents of Yale University
- Economists from California
- Alumni of Merton College, Oxford
- American Express people
- 20th-century American Jews
- Lowell High School (San Francisco) alumni
- Academics from San Francisco
- Stanford University alumni
- Yale University alumni
- Yale University faculty
- Educators from California
- Fellows of Merton College, Oxford
- 21st-century American economists
- Hewlett Foundation
- 20th-century American economists
- Members of the American Philosophical Society
- 21st-century American Jews