Academic Jobs - Home of Higher Ed Logo

Rate My Professor William Bowen

Princeton University

Ratings & reviews

5.04/23/2026

A role model for academic excellence.

Taught by or worked with William?

Add your rating. It takes about 30 seconds.

About William

William G. Bowen was a prominent figure in Business & Economics at Princeton University, serving as Professor of Economics and Public Affairs. He earned a B.A. in economics from Denison University in 1955, where he was Phi Beta Kappa, co-chairman of student government, and Ohio Conference tennis champion. Bowen received his Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University in 1958, with a dissertation titled 'The Wage-Price Issue: A Theoretical Analysis' under adviser Richard A. Lester. Joining the Princeton faculty that year in the Department of Economics, he held a joint appointment in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. His research focused on labor economics, the economics of education, the economics of the performing arts, and problems of stability and growth. Key publications include 'Performing Arts: The Economic Dilemma' (1966, co-authored with William J. Baumol), a landmark study on the economics of culture; 'The Economics of Labor Force Participation' (co-authored with T. A. Finegan); 'Economic Aspects of Education'; and 'The Shape of the River: Long-Term Consequences of Considering Race in College and University Admissions' (1998, co-authored with Derek Bok), a seminal work on affirmative action.