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Frederick Charles Dunbar ’66

A picture of Frederick Dunbar

Frederick Charles Dunbar ’66, February 1, in New York, from brain cancer. Born in Seattle and raised in the Portland area, Fred majored in mathematics and economics at Reed—an experience that positively affected every aspect of his life. He earned a PhD in economics at Tufts University, and taught there and at Northeastern University before moving on to be program manager in urban development studies with the Charles River Associates in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Feeling a need for his work to have “more immediacy,” he specialized in law and economics and took a position in 1979 with the National Economics Research Associates (NERA), where he worked in environmental economics, deregulation, and financial risk management for utilities. He founded the firm’s securities practice in the late ’80s. During his career at NERA, Fred was considered a leading economic expert, particularly in the field of securities, and provided influential testimony in U.S. federal and state courts and in arbitrations. “He was retained to provide economic analysis and testimony in hundreds of cases by many of the top law firms and corporations in the U.S. and around the world.” In 2009, he was appointed economic fellow in the economic analysis office of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Fred wanted to gain the perspective that he felt being at the SEC would provide—“to get this experience and the satisfaction of public service.” In addition, he taught at Fordham University School of Law and Columbia University Law School, served as president of the Transportation Research Forum, and coauthored the book Estimating Future Claims: Case Studies from Mass Torts and Product Liability. Fred relaxed by running and listening to jazz, and he was a passionate art collector. He is remembered for a sharp intellect and keen sense of humor, and his deep humanity and soft-spoken nature. Survivors include his wife, Helen Mangano, and two daughters.

Appeared in Reed magazine: June 2012