Andrew Brimmer
A groundbreaking economist who broke the color barrier at the Federal Reserve, using his powerful voice to champion economic justice for Black Americans.
1926–2012 (age 86)·American economist and financial advisor·Birthday: September 13·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Andrew Brimmer navigated the highest echelons of American finance with a quiet, analytical authority that commanded respect. Born in the segregated South, his academic brilliance became his passport, leading to a PhD from Harvard and a path that would land him a governor's seat at the Federal Reserve in 1966. As the first Black member of the Board, he was a steadfast inflation hawk, often to the frustration of civil rights leaders who wanted a more activist monetary policy. Yet Brimmer never saw a contradiction; he fought for economic empowerment through rigorous analysis, publishing seminal studies on the economic costs of discrimination and the state of Black capitalism. After the Fed, he built a influential consultancy, remaining a sought-after voice who believed that true equality was built on a foundation of financial understanding and access.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Andrew was born in 1926, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1926
#1 Movie
Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1926Born
Robert Goddard launches the first liquid-fueled rocket
President: Calvin Coolidge"Baby Face" — Jan Garber
1931Started school
The Empire State Building opens as the world's tallest
Gas: $0.17/galPresident: Herbert Hoover"Minnie the Moocher" — Cab CallowayBest Picture: Cimarron
1939Became a teenager
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1942Could drive
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1944Could vote
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1947Turned 21
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1956Turned 30
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 40
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 50
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1986Turned 60
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1996Turned 70
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2006Turned 80
Twitter launches; Pluto reclassified as dwarf planet
Gas: $2.59/galHome: $174,700Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Bad Day" — Daniel PowterBest Picture: The Departed
2012Died at 86
Curiosity rover lands on Mars; Sandy Hook shooting
Gas: $3.64/galHome: $143,200Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Somebody That I Used to Know" — GotyeBest Picture: Argo
Key Achievements
- Became the first African American to serve as a Governor of the Federal Reserve Board, appointed in 1966.
- Authored foundational studies on the economic status of Black Americans, including 'The Negro in the National Economy'.
- Served as the Assistant Secretary for Economic Affairs in the U.S. Department of Commerce prior to his Fed appointment.
- Founded Brimmer & Company, Inc., a successful economic and financial consulting firm in Washington, D.C.
Did You Know?
He grew up in poverty in Louisiana, the son of a sharecropper and a domestic worker.
He served in the U.S. Army's all-black 92nd Infantry Division during World War II.
He was the first African American to earn a PhD in economics from Harvard University.
He taught at Michigan State University and the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.
“Monetary policy must be a scalpel, not a sledgehammer.”
