Herman Daly, a world-renowned ecological economist and University of Maryland School of Public Policy professor emeritus, died October 28.
Daly championed the integration of ethics, quality of life, environment and community. His most recent article, This Pioneering Economist Says Our Obsession With Growth Must End, appeared this summer in The New York Times Magazine.
Daly's interest in economic development, population, resources, and environment resulted in over a hundred articles in professional journals and anthologies, as well as numerous books, including Toward a Steady-State Economy (1973); Steady-State Economics (1977; 1991); Valuing the Earth (1993); Beyond Growth (1996); Ecological Economics and the Ecology of Economics (1999); Ecological Economics: Theory and Applications (with J. Farley, 2003, 2011); Ecological Economics and Sustainable Development (2007); and From Uneconomic Growth to a Steady-State Economy (2014).
He was co-author with theologian John B. Cobb, Jr. of For the Common Good (1989; 1994) which received the 1991 Grawemeyer Award for Ideas for Improving World Order. In 1996 he received Sweden's Honorary Right Livelihood Award, and the Heineken Prize for Environmental Science awarded by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1999 he was awarded the Sophie Prize (Norway) for contributions in the area of Environment and Development; in 2001 the Leontief Prize for contributions to economic thought, and in 2002 the Medal of the Presidency of the Italian Republic for his work in steady-state economics. In 2010 the National Council for Science and the Environment (USA) gave him its Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2014 he received the Blue Planet Prize awarded by the Asahi Glass Foundation of Japan.
On behalf of the entire University of Maryland community, the School of Public Policy extends our deepest sympathies to Herman’s family, friends and colleagues. We welcome community members to share condolences and remembrances in the comments below.
Comments
Herman Daly
Submitted by Douglas Olds (not verified) on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 10:36
Herman was an advisor and mentor to me at UMd SPA in the mid-90s. He was a courtly man, a rare combination of a moral clarion and intellectual giant. He was a member of my dissertation committee at another school and was most generous in his evaluation. I learned from him that economics should be structured on the common good, not about maximizing private "utility." The awards he won far outshone the Nordic bankers appropriation, in service of financiers, of Nobel's legacy. I hope someday there will be a "Herman E. Daly" award for intellectuals committed to sustainable human development.Student approbium
Submitted by Abigail Daken (not verified) on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 11:22
Dr. Daly's class remains the best educational experience of my life, from a total of 22 years of school.Herman Daly
Submitted by David Falk (not verified) on Wed, 11/02/2022 - 15:23
Herman was one of the nicest person I have ever had the pleasure to know, always friendly whether discussing policy or the complexities of life..For the Common Good
Submitted by Michael Butler (not verified) on Thu, 11/10/2022 - 18:15
Herman Daly taught me more about economics than I ever thought possible. He was a brilliant man whose intellect was somehow surpassed by his humanity. May his many insights bear fruit in transforming policy and practice before it is too late.Dr. Herman Daly
Submitted by Sarwat Chowdhury (not verified) on Wed, 01/04/2023 - 19:14
Dr. Herman Daly was my Ph.D. Advisor at UMCP School of Public Affairs. I had applied for only one Ph.D. program because of Dr. Daly, and when he interviewed me and later offered admission, I was so excited. The last I saw him was about 20 years ago at my Ph.D. defense. Since then, I have been working overseas in various countries and have not had the opportunity to meet him again. So many times in my work, I have returned to Dr. Daly's teachings, and my bookshelf has a special space for his seminal works. Dr. Daly was a brilliant scholar and humane mentor who shaped my thinking as an economist and environmentalist. I hope he will receive his due honors posthumously. May Dr. Daly rest in peace.Add new comment