It is with great sadness that the Department of Economics announces the death of Professor Emeritus Robert "Bob" Goldfarb on November 23, 2025. Bob was 82 years old and passed away in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Bob was born in the Bronx, New York in February 1943. He received his bachelor's degree from Columbia University and earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University in 1968. He served as an Assistant Professor at Yale from 1968 to 1973, where he met his wife and colleague Marsha. Bob joined the George Washington University faculty in 1973 and dedicated nearly four decades to GW, becoming Professor Emeritus in 2012. He served as chairman of the Department of Economics from 1983 to 1986.
Throughout his distinguished career, Professor Goldfarb made significant contributions across multiple areas of economics. Through the 1980s, his research focused on labor economics, covering wage and hours determination, geographical wage variation, wage regulation, economic effects of U.S. immigration laws, and labor compensation provisions under legislated deregulation. Beginning in the mid-1980s, he expanded his research interests to economic methodology and economics and ethics, exploring how economists choose assumptions, the incorporation of moral norms in microeconomic modeling, empirical testing of economic theories, and the relation between economic modeling and empirical work. His applied microeconomics and public policy research investigated why people choose harmful behaviors such as smoking or repeated cycles of weight gain and dieting, as well as the economics of vaccination, controversial public sculpture, and nursing shortages. He published over 80 refereed articles and comments, either independently or with co-authors, as well as numerous reports for government and international agencies.
In the classroom and the department, Bob was deeply committed to service, teaching, and advising. He was known for his genuine curiosity about colleagues' research, often meeting with them to explore ideas across a wide range of topics. As department chair, he was especially supportive of junior faculty and unconventional research interests, providing encouragement and mentorship at crucial moments in their careers. One colleague recalls: "Bob was one of the most generous and supportive colleagues I have known. He would say he wanted to 'pick my brain,' and we would end up exploring a huge variety of topics. His early encouragement was especially meaningful. Bob always contributed selflessly, and was as deeply committed to service, teaching, and advising as he was to research. He was a true role model, and he became a trusted colleague and friend for more than a quarter century through his retirement."
Bob was a dedicated teacher and colleague who brought warmth, humor, and humanity to the academic environment. His legendary sense of humor, particularly his love of puns and wordplay, brightened countless departmental gatherings and graduate seminars. Students and colleagues alike appreciated his kindness, gentleness, and genuine interest in their lives and work. In everything he said and did, Bob demonstrated what it means to be a committed academic economist and a deeply good person.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, Bob was deeply committed to building and maintaining community. He was known for organizing gatherings of old friends from his graduate school days and GW colleagues, often taking the initiative to keep connections alive through regular emails and reunions. His ability to nurture lifelong friendships speaks to his generosity of spirit and the care he showed for others.
Bob's interests extended far beyond economics. He was passionate about classical music, art museums, and good food. He and Marsha enjoyed spending time at their condo in Bethany Beach, Delaware, where they created many cherished memories with family, friends, and colleagues.
All of us who worked with Bob benefited from his wisdom, his wit, and his warmth. He leaves behind his beloved wife Marsha, his son Steven, grandson Dexter, sister Judy, and many nieces, nephews, and grandnieces and grandnephews who loved him dearly. The Department of Economics, and indeed the entire GW community, has lost a treasured colleague, mentor, and friend. Bob knew how to keep friends for a lifetime, and we will remember him with affection and gratitude for many lifetimes to come.