It is with sadness that the Economics Department announces the death of Dr. William Oakland, Professor Emeritus, Tulane University. Dr. Oakland joined the faculty in 1979 after having taught at Johns Hopkins University and Ohio State University. During his tenure at Tulane, Dr. Oakland was Chair of the department from 1981 – 1987 and again from 1992 – 1998. In addition, he was the Director of the Murphy Institute from 1980-1981 and the Director of the Tulane Center for Public Policy Studies from 1998 until his retirement in 2003.

Throughout his career he published extensively in scholarly journals and wrote numerous policy studies and reports. He taught thousands of undergraduate students and guided many graduate students to their Ph.D. Much of his professional career was spent in a consulting capacity with the federal, state, and local governments working in areas of taxation and urban development. Most recently he was quoted in the New York Times about the recovery of New Orleans post- Katrina.

Upon his retirement, Dr. Oakland, along with his wife Joyce, divided his time between Mississippi and North Carolina, enjoying the much-deserved break from academic life. While he continued his consulting work, he found time to play golf and bridge even as he battled cancer. The entire Economics Department, along with the rest of the Tulane community, will miss him greatly and wish his family the very best.

Obituary in the Times-Picayune, Sept. 20, 2007

View from Bill's North Carolina home, Summer, 2007