Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Alan Frishman P’00

Professor Emerita of Physical Education
1976-2017

An expert in economic development, urbanization and industrialization, Frishman taught at HWS for 41 years. He earned his B.S. in mathematics from City College of New York and later attended Northwestern University where he earned a master’s degree, a certificate in African studies, and a Ph.D. in economics. A Peace Corps volunteer in Nigeria, Frishman taught math at Birnin Kudu Secondary School for three years and lectured at Kano State College of Advanced Studies before joining the HWS faculty in 1976. With his scholarship focusing on Africa (primarily Nigeria), Asia and Latin America, Frishman taught a wide range of courses at HWS, including Intro to Economics, Macro Theory, Economic Development of the Third World, Urban Economics, and Mathematical Economics among others. Beyond the Economics Department, he was active in the African, Afro American Studies and Urban Studies programs. Former associate editor of the journal African Urban Quarterly, Frishman has served as a consultant to the World Bank and is a member of the American Economics Association and the African Studies Association. He chaired the HWS Economics Department and the Committee on the Faculty. In 1986, he was awarded the Faculty Award for Service for his active and public stand against the apartheid system in South Africa. Read more here. 

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