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Jacob Viner (May 3, 1892 - September 12, 1970) was
a noted economist.  He was born in Montreal,
Canada and attended McGill University.  He later
moved to the Harvard University and then in 1916
to the University of Chicago where he was based
until 1946 then leaving for Princeton University.

He is noted for a wide range of contributions to
many areas of economics.  He developed the basic
model of the firm, devising the long and short run
cost curves that are still a staple.

Viner was a noted opponent of John Maynard Keynes
during the Great Depression.  While he agreed with
the policies of government spending that Keynes
pushed for, Viner argued that Keynes' analysis was
flawed and would not stand in the long run.

He also made important contributions to the study
of international trade and to economic history.

Viner often left academia to play a role in
government, doing so frequently throughout his
career.

At both Chicago and Princeton, Viner had a
reputation as being one of the toughest
professors, and many students were terrified by
the prospect of studying under him.