Dean Emeritus John L. Palmer was appointed to a distinguished University Professorship (only the seventh such appointment Syracuse University’s history) in 2003 in recognition of his exceptional professional accomplishments. At that time he was also serving as a public trustee of the Medicare and Social Security programs--a position to which he was initially appointed by President Clinton and recently reappointed by President Bush. Between 1988 and 2003, he had served as dean of the Maxwell School and professor of Economics and Public Administration.

Under Palmer’s leadership, the Maxwell School grew and thrived. Graduate student enrollment increased from less than 600 to over 800, the faculty from 115 to 145, externally sponsored program funding from $1 million to $7 million annually, and the School’s endowment from $3 million to nearly $50 million. The construction of Eggers Hall greatly enhanced the School’s physical facilities, several new research and graduate training centers were created, the executive education and international relations programs were considerably expanded, and undergraduate and graduate curricula were substantially strengthened. During the second half of his tenure as dean, the Maxwell School was continuously ranked number one nationally among all graduate schools of public affairs by U.S.News and World Report magazine.

Dean Palmer has a B.A. in mathematics from Williams College and a Ph.D. in economics from Stanford University. After serving briefly as an assistant professor of economics at Stanford, he moved to Washington, D.C., in 1971, where he held several different positions over the next 17 years, including senior fellow in the Economic Studies Program of the Brookings Institution and at the Urban Institute and assistant secretary for planning and evaluation for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Throughout his career Dean Palmer has written and consulted extensively on a wide range of economic, budgetary, and social policy concerns. His publications include 13 books and more than 50 professional and popular articles. He has testified before Congress on many occasions, been a consultant to numerous government agencies, universities, and private foundations and an officer of several national professional associations, and served on various committees of the National Academy of Sciences’ National Research Council and the Social Science Research Council. He is a fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and past president of the National Academy of Social Insurance and member of the Visiting Committee of the Brookings Institution.  

This page current as of: May 17, 2006