Alfred Cowles

Alfred Cowles III was an American economist, businessman, and founder of the Cowles Commission for Research in Economics, an influential research institute which advanced the field of econometrics in the 20th century. When he established the Cowles Commission in 1932, he was intent on making economics more of a "science" by collecting data and applying modern mathematical and statistical techniques. Although he shared the same name as his father and grandfather, both of whom had been involved with the Chicago Tribune Company, he preferred to be known simply as Alfred Cowles.