Tributes to our Founding Chairman, Paul A. Volcker
Mr. Volcker was known for his lifelong dedication and commitment to the public good. Voices around the world celebrate his life and legacy.
“Paul knew that public service is a calling that can change the world for the better. But as he said, ‘Vision without execution is hallucination.’ That’s why his work at the Commission on Public Service and at The Volcker Alliance was intended to bring more talent to public service and to deploy it more wisely. Whether enhancing preparation for public service or bringing clarity to the budget process Paul demonstrated emphatically that public service is a noble profession.”
∙ Bill Bradley, Chairman of the Volcker Alliance and former US Senator
“In his final years, Paul returned to the central theme of his career and set up the Volcker Alliance to foster better management in government. There’s no worthier cause: The prevailing paralysis in both Britain and America testify to the need not just for better political leadership, but also for greater competence and wisdom in the civil service.”
∙ Mervyn King, Former Governor of the Bank of England
“Paul did not believe in a giant government, but he believed in the essential role of government. And he wanted it to work, and he wanted the best and brightest among us to consider public service. He wanted the schools of public service and public administration to focus on training their students to fulfill that mission. In this perilous time in the country, with the core areas of public service under direct siege, it is even more essential.”
∙ Norman J. Ornstein, Volcker Alliance Board Member and Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute
“Paul Volcker was the greatest American hero that I have known. What was most important to him was making sure that public servants were well-educated and equipped to serve our nation well.”
∙ Ray Dalio, Co-Chief Investment Officer & Co-Chairman of Bridgewater Associates
“Paul was a public servant -- someone who truly believed in the honor of serving others. His scorn was reserved solely for those who corrupted institutions or put their own selfish interests above the good of society.”
∙ Christine Harper, Executive Editor of Bloomberg Markets Magazine
“Paul A. Volcker was a giant among American public servants. He was a man of great courage and integrity who committed most of his working life to the public good. He believed in the importance of an effective government to our democracy. He cared deeply about the future of America and those who serve in our government.”
∙ Thomas W. Ross, President of the Volcker Alliance
“Throughout Mr. Volcker's extraordinary life and career, he kept coming back to the centrality of effective government and sound public administration to solving problems. His steadfast commitment will forever be an inspiration for all of us working to improve government.”
∙ Dustin Brown, Deputy Assistant Director for Management at the Office of Management and Budget in the Executive Office of the President
“Paul Volcker lived an extraordinary life and served his country in its most challenging economic times. He never stopped helping us solve tough problems or working to make government better through the Volcker Alliance.”
∙ Anthony Foxx, Volcker Alliance Board Member, Chief Policy Officer and Advisor to the Co-Founders of Lyft, and former US Secretary of Transportation
“Chairman Volcker was a dedicated public servant and leader whose remarkable contributions to financial reform made our financial system safer and promoted stable economic growth.”
∙ Maxine Waters, US Representative
“His life is a testament to what dedicated public servants can do when they put their heads down and are guided not by how things worked in the past, or how they might wish them to be, but by the world as it is. And the right answer isn’t always the most popular.”
∙ Neil Irwin, Senior Economics Correspondent for The New York Times
“The Chairman’s stoicism, sobriety, and dignity should not suggest that he lacked humor or humanity. The reality was the opposite: he had a quick wit, no shortage of passion, and despite having every reason to be haughty, assiduously resisted taking himself too seriously.”
∙ Peter Morrissey, Project Manager at the Volcker Alliance
“More than anything, Volcker’s life should be remembered as a life dedicated to public service, with a legacy of independence and intellectual and moral integrity.”
∙ Dana Chasin, Principal of 20/20 Vision
“We salute Mr. Volcker for his exceptional public service and lasting contributions to our country and thank the Volcker Alliance for carrying his vision forward.”
∙ Joe Heck, Chairman of the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service
∙ Jerome H. Powell, Chair of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, delivering welcoming remarks for the Volcker Alliance and PennIUR's Special Briefing on April 21, 2022.