Oskar Morgenstern
Oskar Morgenstern entered the world on the 24th of January 1902 in Görlitz, Prussian Province of Silesia. His mother was rumored to be a daughter of Emperor Frederick III. He grew up in Vienna, Austria, where he attended university. The University of Vienna awarded him a PhD in political science in 1925. A three-year fellowship financed by the Rockefeller Foundation supported his work from 1925 until 1928. After returning home, he became a professor of economics at the same institution.
Morgenstern published an article titled Perfect Foresight and Economic Equilibrium in 1935. His colleague Eduard Čech directed him to an article by John von Neumann called Zur Theorie der Gesellschaftsspiele from 1928. Adolf Hitler took over Vienna during the Anschluss while Morgenstern visited Princeton University in 1938. He chose to remain in the United States instead of returning to occupied Austria. Together with von Neumann, they wrote Theory of Games and Economic Behavior, which appeared in 1944. This book stands as the first text on game theory, creating a mathematical framework for studying strategic structures governing rational decision-making in economic, political, and military situations.
Morgenstern became a faculty member at Princeton but gravitated toward the Institute for Advanced Study where he met von Neumann. In 1944, he officially became a United States citizen. Four years later he married Dorothy Young, with whom he had two children named Carl and Karin. He remained at Princeton as a professor of economics until his retirement in 1970. After retiring, he joined the faculty of New York University. He died in Princeton, New Jersey on the 26th of July 1977. The archive of his published and unpublished works is held at Duke University.
In 1958, Morgenstern and several Princeton University colleagues started a small research organization. This group later became known as Mathematica Inc. He was involved as a founder or co-founder in companies including Industrial Surveys Company, which later became Market Research Corporation of America. He also helped establish its successor, Mathematica Policy Research. These ventures allowed him to provide economic consulting for government and private sector organizations throughout the mid-twentieth century.
In November 2012, a square in Alsergrund, Vienna, received the name Oskar-Morgenstern-Platz. It sits at the location of the Faculties of Economics and Mathematics of the University of Vienna. In 2013, the University of Vienna awarded the Oskar Morgenstern Medal for the first time. Roger B. Myerson won that inaugural medal as a Nobel laureate. Subsequent recipients included Robert F. Engle in 2015, Ernst Fehr in 2017, Christopher Pissarides in 2019, Muriel Niederle in 2021, Thomas Piketty in 2023, and Phanish Puranam in 2025. The University of Vienna relocated the Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics to this square in 2013.
Continue Browsing
Common questions
When and where was Oskar Morgenstern born?
Oskar Morgenstern entered the world on the 24th of January 1902 in Görlitz, Prussian Province of Silesia. He grew up in Vienna, Austria, where he attended university.
What did Oskar Morgenstern publish with John von Neumann?
Together with John von Neumann, they wrote Theory of Games and Economic Behavior which appeared in 1944. This book stands as the first text on game theory creating a mathematical framework for studying strategic structures governing rational decision-making in economic political and military situations.
Why did Oskar Morgenstern stay in the United States instead of returning to Austria?
Adolf Hitler took over Vienna during the Anschluss while Oskar Morgenstern visited Princeton University in 1938. He chose to remain in the United States instead of returning to occupied Austria.
Who won the inaugural Oskar Morgenstern Medal awarded by the University of Vienna?
Roger B. Myerson won that inaugural medal as a Nobel laureate when the University of Vienna awarded the Oskar Morgenstern Medal for the first time in 2013. Subsequent recipients included Robert F. Engle in 2015 Ernst Fehr in 2017 Christopher Pissarides in 2019 Muriel Niederle in 2021 Thomas Piketty in 2023 and Phanish Puranam in 2025.
When did Oskar Morgenstern die and where is his archive held?
Oskar Morgenstern died in Princeton New Jersey on the 26th of July 1977. The archive of his published and unpublished works is held at Duke University.
All sources
10 references cited across the entry
- 1bookToward a History of Game TheoryAndrew Schotter — Duke University Press — 1992
- 2bookVon Neumann, Morgenstern and the Creation of Game TheoryRobert Leonard — Cambridge University Press — 2010
- 3journalJohn von Neumann's work in the theory of games and mathematical economicsH.W. Kuhn et al. — 1958
- 4journalZur Theorie der GesellschaftsspieleJ von Neumann — 1928
- 5citationThe League of Nations and the Foreshadowing of the International Monetary FundLouis W. Pauly — Princeton University — December 1996
- 8newsMathematica's Shift Into Software FieldKaren W. Arenson — February 22, 1983
- 9webSamuel D. Barton, 68, A Marketing SpecialistJanuary 29, 1982
- 10webWhile the Atomic Clock Ticks On – The Question Of National DefenseS.L.A. Marshall — November 22, 1959