Oskar Morgenstern

Oskar Morgenstern (January 24, 1902 – July 26, 1977) was a German-born Austrian economist. He, along with John von Neumann, helped found the mathematical field of game theory (see Neumann-Morgenstern utility). Morgenstern was born in Görlitz, Germany. His mother was an illegitimate daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor. He was educated in Vienna, and was a recipient of a three year fellowship financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. When Adolf... more

Oskar Morgenstern (January 24, 1902 – July 26, 1977) was a German-born Austrian economist. He, along with John von Neumann, helped found the mathematical field of game theory (see Neumann-Morgenstern utility). Morgenstern was born in Görlitz, Germany. His mother was an illegitimate daughter of Frederick III, German Emperor. He was educated in Vienna, and was a recipient of a three year fellowship financed by the Rockefeller Foundation. When Adolf Hitler took over Vienna through the Anschluss, Morgenstern was in the United States and decided it would be a good idea to stay. He became a member of the faculty at Princeton University, but gravitated toward the Institute for Advanced Study. His first book was "Economic Prediction". In 1944, he and von Neumann co-wrote Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, recognized as the first book on game theory. Morgenstern also wrote the book "On the accuracy of economic observations". He applied game theory to business. He died in Princeton, New... less