W. Lee Hansen

Background

Hansen, W. Lee was born on November 8, 1928 in Racine, Wisconsin, United States. Son of William R. and Gertrude M. (Spillum) Hansen.

Education

Bachelor, University of Wisconsin -Madison, 1950; Master of Arts, University of Wisconsin -Madison, 1955; Doctor of Philosophy, Johns Hopkins University, 1958.

Career

Assistant professor economics University of California at Los Angeles, from 1958, associate professor, to 1965. Associate professor economics University Wisconsin, Madison, from 1965, professor, professor emeritus, since 1996. Senior staff economist President's Council Economic Advisers, Washington, 1964-1965.

Trustee National Council on Economic Education, New York City, 1976-2000, secretary, 1996-2000. Member board founders NCEE, since 2000, member Wisconsin Advisory Committee Civil Rights, United States Commission Civil Rights, since 2008. Sergeant United States Army, 1951-1953.

Achievements

• W. Lee Hansen has been listed as a notable Economics educator, author by Marquis Who's Who.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Unemployment Insurance: The Second Half-Century (La Follette Public Policy Series)

    ( Modeled after Wisconsin’s own unemployment compensation...)

  • Discussing Economics: A Classroom Guide to Preparing Discussion Questions and Leading Discussion

    ("Discussing Economics" treats discussion - meaning formal...)

  • Education, Income and Human Capital
  • Discussing Economics a Classroom Guide to Preparing Discussion Questions and Leading Discuss
  • Benefits, costs, and finance of public higher education (Markham series in public policy analysis)
  • Discussing Economics: A Classroom Guide to Preparing Discussion Questions and Leading Discussion by Michael K. Salemi, W. Lee Hansen (2007) Paperback

Views

My interests in economics have been and continue to be wide-ranging. Basically, I am a labour economist. Early in my career I got caught up in the interest in human capital.

This led to a growing and indeed continuing interest in the economics of education, with particular attention to the costs, benefits, and finance of higher education. At the same time I maintained a strong interest in the operation of labour markets for highly-educated personnel, such as scientists, engineers, and academics. While my research interests always dominated, I have over the years become increasingly interested in economic education — how to enhance general economic literacy and how to improve the effectiveness of economics instruction at the college level

All of these interests are reflected in the selection of publications listed above. What it all adds up to is for others to judge.

Membership

Served as sergeant United States Army, 1951-1953. Member American Association of University Professors (chair commission on the economics status of the profession 1979-1986, member of national county 1980-1982, retirement committee since 1985), American Economics Association (chairman commission on economics education 1983-1988, executive secretary commission graduate education economics 1988-1991), Industrial Rels. Research Association, Midwest Economics Association (president 1987), Phi Beta Kappa.

Interests

• 820 Labour Markets: Public Policy. 810 Manpower Training and Allocation: Labour Force and Supply. 912 Economics of Education.

Connections

Married Sally Ann Porch, December 26, 1955. Children– Ellen J., Martha L.

Father:

William R.

Mother:

Gertrude M. Hansen

Spouse:

Sally Ann Porch

child:

Martha L. Hansen

child:

Ellen J. Hansen