W. Braddock Hickman
- President, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, 1963–1970
- Born: October 6, 1911
- Died: November 28, 1970
W. Braddock Hickman served as the fifth president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland from May 1963 to November 1970.
A native of Baltimore, Hickman was born in 1911. He graduated from the University of Richmond. In 1937, he earned his doctorate in economics from Johns Hopkins University, where he was also a fellow of the Social Science Research Council. He was a faculty member at Princeton University, Rutgers University, and the Institute for Advanced Study. During World War II, Hickman was a lieutenant in the US Naval Reserve. After the war, he became a member of the research staff and director of the Corporate Bond Research Project of the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Hickman was supervisor of economic studies at New York Life Insurance Company from 1953 to 1956 before joining American Airlines, serving first as director of economic research and then as assistant vice president.
Hickman was appointed senior vice president of the Cleveland Fed in 1960 and was named president in 1963. During his tenure as president, the Cleveland Fed and its branches developed a strong reputation for service and efficiency.
As a nationally recognized monetary economist, Hickman was especially concerned with controlling inflation. He always retained a lively interest in economic research and was appointed by President Richard Nixon to the National Commission on Federal Statistics in 1970. He was a member of the American Economic, American Statistical, American Finance, and Metropolitan Economic associations, as well as the National Association of Business Economists. Hickman also chaired the advisory committee of the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Study on Interest Rates. During the course of his career, he published three books on corporate finance as well as many articles.
Hickman was an outstanding leader in his community and a strong supporter of civic and cultural organizations. He served as president and trustee of the United Appeal of Greater Cleveland, trustee of the Welfare Federation of Cleveland, president of the Cleveland Commission on Higher Education, board member of the Greater Cleveland Growth Association, trustee at Case Western Reserve University, and member of the Businessmen’s Interracial Committee on Community Affairs, in addition to many other organizations.
Hickman, who died unexpectedly in office in 1970 at age fifty-nine, was survived by his wife, Audrey.
Written by the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. See disclaimer.
