Alan Heston, Professor Emeritus of Economics and South Asia Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, passed away on October 25, 2024, at the age of 90.
Alan earned a BA in Economics from the University of Oregon in 1955, followed by an MA from the University of Washington in 1957. In 1962, he completed his PhD in Economics at Yale University, where he also served briefly as an Assistant Professor.
In 1962, Alan joined Penn’s faculty. Along with collaborators Robert Summers and Irving Kravis, he developed the International Comparison Program (ICP), and the Penn World Table. These resources, now indispensable to economists, policymakers, and researchers worldwide, introduced a methodology for comparing prices and real incomes across countries, transforming the field of international economics. The ICP, currently administered by the World Bank, stands as a major legacy of this work. For this work, Drs. Summers and Heston were named American Economic Association Distinguished Fellows in 1998.
Alan co-directed (with Robert Summers) Penn’s Center for International Comparisons (CIC), a successor to the ICP. Over his career, Alan also served as a consultant to the World Bank, United Nations, and numerous international organizations, helping to establish influential standards for international price comparisons. He retired from Penn and was awarded emeritus status in 2004.