Walter Oi
Walter Yasuo Oi (born 1929, in Los Angeles, California) is the Elmer B. Milliman Professor of Economics at the University of Rochester in Rochester, New York. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a distinguished fellow of the Society of Labor Economists, and a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service.
Education
Oi received a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Chicago in 1961.
Role in the development of an all volunteer force
In his contribution to the The Costs and Implications of an All-Volunteer Force (1967) (of which he was also editor) Oi outlined the different calculations required to differentiate between the budgetary cost of military personnel and the economic cost to the nation of conscription. He identified the hidden costs of drafted force as the impact on the mental well being of those drafted. Oi estimated the loss in monetary terms of this effect to be between $826 million and $1,134 billion.[1]
Oi was then employed as the staff economist on President Nixon's Commission on an All-Volunteer Armed Force (the Gates Commission) in the early 1970s. His research was used as a key piece of evidence in the debate to end the policy of conscription.[2] Conscription ended in 1973.[3]
Role in relation to disability
Oi was Vice-Chair of the President's Commission on Employment of People with Disabilities.[2]
Personal
Oi has been totally blind since 1956 but has continued to defy his handicap through his work. He had been gradually losing his sight for the majority of his life and unable to read text since entering College. He continues to teach, collaborate and work despite his blindness and has achieved an impressive career.
During World War II, Oi was interned at the Granada internment camp[4] since he was a Nisei, an American of second generation Japanese descent.
Bibliography
- Oi, Walter Y (ed.) (1967). The Costs and Implications of an All-Volunteer Force. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
{{cite book}}:|first=has generic name (help) - Oi, Walter Y (1967). "The Economic Cost of the Draft". American Economic Review. 57 (2): p39–62.
{{cite journal}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - Oi, Walter Y. (1992). "Work for Americans with Disabilities". The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 523 (1). American Academy of Political Science: 159–174. doi:10.1177/0002716292523001014. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
Notes
- ^ Henderson, The Role of Economists in Ending the Draft, p363.
- ^ a b Conference Organized to Honor Economist Walter Oi
- ^ Henderson, The Role of Economists in Ending the Draft, p362.
- ^ "National Archives: Walter Oi". Retrieved 2010-04-30.
References
- "Conference Organized to Honor Economist Walter Oi". Press release. University of Rochester. 1 November 1999. Retrieved 2007-01-31.
- Henderson, David R. "The Role of Economists in Ending the Draft" (PDF). Econ Journal Watch. 2 (2): p362–376. Retrieved 2006-02-03.
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