Harold F. Moulton

Nationality

U.S.A.

Date of Birth

Date of Death

Political
Preference

Was the first president of the Brookings Institution, a think tank that aims to ‘strengthen American democracy; foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans; and secure a more open, safe, prosperous, and cooperative international system’. In this capacity he was also asked to join the President’s Committee on Foreign Aid in 1947.

Through the Brookings Institute, influenced the organizational set-up of the European Recovery Plan (ERP), as the institute drafted a blueprint on how the ERP should function. It was to be run in a business-like manner, without much government interference. Eventually the Economic Cooperation Administration was headed by Paul Hoffman – a businessman like no other – who reported directly to the President, and not the State Department.