Nobel hat trick

Is this Chicago or what? Robert Mundell, 1999 Nobel Prize winner in economics, was Chicago’s 71st, Chicago economics’ 19th, and the third and final supervisor of my dissertation committee to win the prize (“For the Record,” December/99). Milton Friedman, AM’33 (1976), suggested my dissertation topic title, “Peel’s Act, Deposits, and the Currency--Banking School Controversy,” after reading Frank W. Fetter’s book, The Development of British Monetary Orthodoxy, 1797–1875. He then handed me over to George Stigler, PhD’38 (1982), who was the history of thought professor at the time. Robert Mundell (1999) came to my thesis seminar, showed some interest in the topic, and got drafted to my committee.

Has there been another dissertation committee of at least three, composed of all Nobel Prize winners (economics or any other subject)? Could this anomaly only happen at Chicago?

Douglas K. Adie, PhD’68
Athens, Ohio