UChicago Economics News Archives

Remembering Lester G. Telser

Lester G. Telser, Professor Emeritus in Economics and the College, died September 3, 2022. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago in 1956 and was on the faculty since 1958.

Telser was an economist with broad interests, including futures and forward markets, industrial organization, U.S. Economic History including the Great Depression, and the Theory of the Core. He was the author or editor of numerous books, mainly on core theory (Competition, Collusion, and Game Theory, Theories of Competition, and The Core Theory in Economics: Problems and Solutions, among others), but also on mathematical methods as applied to economics (Functional Analysis in Mathematical Economics, co-authored with Bob Graves).

Telser’s contribution to the department, both in terms of research and teaching, was significant and he remained active in his research until very recently, often sharing his most recent papers and engaging in lively electronic debate with his colleagues. He also worked closely with his graduate students, fostering an environment that helped them formalize their research ideas and develop the skills necessary to complete their projects. 

For a full bibliography of Telser’s work and research, visit here. A full obituary will be published on this website and at news.uchicago.edu in the coming days.