In a financial industry dominated by men, Janet Yellen has proven that women can make a difference too! Considered as one of the most powerful females in the world, Janet Yellen has gone a long way from being a Jewish kid in Brooklyn, New York. Here are several facts that will truly amaze you:
Janet Yellen Facts
1. She is the first-ever female to head the United States Federal Reserve.
Janet Yellen, at the ripe age of 73 years old, is not new to breaking gender barriers. She, however, set the bar up high when she was appointed as the first-ever female chair of the United States Federal Reserve, the country’s prestigious central banking system. She held the position from 2014 to 2018, after which she was succeeded by Jerome Powell.
Before succeeding Ben Bernanke as Chair in 2010, Janet Yellen served as the US Federal Reserve’s Vice-Chairwoman from 2010 to 2014.
Her tenure as the 15th Chair was celebrated because of how it championed low-interest rates and wage increase, an interesting fact about Janet Yellen. Her term also experienced the biggest improvement in unemployment since 1948.
2. She is a veteran public servant.
Janet Yellen, a pillar of public service, has been working for the government since 1997. Before her appointment as chairwoman of the US Federal Reserve, Yellen oversaw the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco as both President and Chief Executive Officer from 2004 to 2010.
Her track record includes serving as Chairwoman of the Council of Economic Advisers under the presidency of Bill Clinton, as well as leading the Committee on Economic Policy of the Organization of Economic and Cooperative Development. She also was a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors.
3. She has received many awards for her contributions to the field of Economics.
Janet Yellen, the true achiever that she is, has been awarded several medals for her accomplishments as an economist. In 1997, Yale University granted her the Wilbur Cross Medal, which is given to alumni who are successful in the fields of public service, teaching, academic administration, and scholarship.
For her ability to bring ‘real business impact’ in the field of treasury, the National Association for Business Economics recognized her with the Adam Smith Award in 2010.
4. She has been heralded as one of the most powerful women in the world.
An interesting fact about Janet Yellen is that in 2012, the popular business magazine Forbes named her as the second most powerful woman in the world after Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany. This is indeed an amazing feat as she edged out Melinda Gates, Hillary Clinton, and Michelle Obama to become the highest-ranked American in the list.
Apart from this distinction, she is also cited in other worldwide lists, such as that of the Bloomberg Markets’ 50 Most Influential Rankings. She has been included a whopping five times, whereas the maximum is six times. From 2012 to 2014, she was recognized by Bloomberg as a top policymaker. She was touted as an excellent policy shaper in 2015, alongside Barack Obama and Angela Merkel.
In 2016, Bloomberg named Yellen as the eighth most influential person in the world. She followed the trail of fellow American trailblazers Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, and Jeff Bezos.
5. She is a celebrated teacher.
They say you learn by teaching, and yes, Janet Yellen lives up to this. She spreads her economic genius by teaching students at the Haas School of Business. As Professor Emerita of the University of California in Berkeley, she is in charge of teaching Business and Economics to undergraduate and graduate students. And for her selfless efforts, she was twice recognized as Haas School’s outstanding teacher.
Before her tenure at Berkeley, Yellen served as an assistant professor at Harvard University, an interesting fact about Janet Yellen. She transferred to the London School of Economics in 1978 before setting up permanently at Haas in 1980.
6. She is a published author.
Janet Yellen is not only a public servant and educator; she is a popular author too!
She published “The Fabulous Decade: Macroeconomic Lessons from the 1990s” with Alan Binder in 2001. The book talked about how Federal Reserve policy and supply shocks were able to foster low inflation and strong economic growth in the 1990s.
Her other research papers are published in respected journals such as that of the Journal of Economics and Business Economics.
7. She is an academic achiever.
From an early age, it was quite obvious that Janet Yellen was a whiz kid. To wit, she graduated valedictorian from Fort Hamilton High School.
In 1967, she obtained a degree in Economics from Brown University. Not only was she admitted in one of the country’s elite Ivy League universities, she graduated with the highest of honors – summa cum laude.
8. She has several Doctorate (Ph.D.) degrees.
Getting a doctorate is no simple feat, and Janet Yellen goes to show it can be done with determination and perseverance.
In 1971, she graduated from another Ivy League school – Yale University – where she obtained her Ph.D. It is interesting to note that out of the institution’s 24 Ph.D. candidates for Economics, Janet Yellen was the only female in the class.
An interesting fact about Janet Yellen is that she holds a handful of honorary doctorate degrees from Bard College, the London School of Economics, the University of Baltimore and the University of Warwick. Her former universities Brown and Yale have awarded her with honorary doctorate degrees as well.
9. She is a current member of the think-tank Brookings Institution.
After stepping down as the Chairwoman of the US Federal Reserve, Janet Yellen embarked on a new economic journey as a fellow in residence of the Brookings Institution. This research group, created in 1916, was established to make recommendations for security, economic, and social welfare, among many pressing issues.
Conclusion
Janet Yellen, without a doubt, is a force to reckon with especially in the field of business and economics. Even though she does not serve the public anymore, she continues to do her part for the American economy by being an excellent professor and a think tank research fellow. Her sheer intelligence and boldness truly make Janet Yellen a role model – one that every girl should follow.
I hope that this article on Janet Yellen facts was helpful! If you are interested, visit the Historical People Facts Page!
