York Lecturer Series

Dr. Luther G. Tweeten was born in Las Vegas, New Mexico in 1931 and was brought up on a farm in northern Iowa. After completing undergraduate work at Iowa State University in Ames, Tweeten entered graduate school at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, where he received an M.S. degree in agricultural economics in 1958. He received a Ph.D. in economics from Iowa State University in 1962.

Dr. Tweeten, who is currently Regents Professor of Agricultural Economics at Oklahoma State University, began his academic career in 1962 at OSU as an instructor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. Dr. Tweeten also served as a visiting professor at the Food Research Institute, Stanford University, in 1966-67 and the Institute of Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1972-73.

During his career, Dr. Tweeten has directed pioneering research on public policy for agriculture and its impact on rural development. His research has substantially contributed to the theoretical and empirical understanding of the economic impact of national inflation and the farming economy.

Among his many research contributions, Dr. Tweeten published the first estimates of the elasticity of demand for farm output that included export demand elasticities. The estimates helped arouse the profession to the responsiveness of exports to price. Other original contributions include measuring the cost-effectiveness of various government commodity programs for farmers and job and welfare programs for rural development.

In addition, he directed research to estimate the net economic impact of industrial development on rural communities. These results are the foundation for several computerized industry impact models in use throughout the United States.

Dr. Tweeten is the author of over 250 journal articles and has authored or coauthored four books. His text, Foundations of Farm Policy, is currently used in universities across the nation. His book with George Brinkman, Micropolitan Development, is a comprehensive text on rural development.

The noted international economist has presented his research findings to farmers, congressional committees and numerous other groups. He has served as consultant to the National Advisory Commission on Food and Fiber, the Congressional Office of Technology Assessment, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Harvard Development Advisory Service, and the Center for Agricultural and Economic Development.

In 1985, the American Agricultural Economics Association gave him the Distinguished Policy Contribution Award for his research on macro-economic policy related to agriculture. In 1981-82, Dr. Tweeten was the Elmo Bauman Distinguished Professor, Division of Agriculture, at Oklahoma State University. In 1983, he was selected as a fellow of the American Agricultural Economics Association, an organization he directed in 1980-81. Dr. Tweeten was a Mid-American State University Association honors lecturer in 1983-84; on the Board of Directors for Bread of the World, New York, 1980-83; Vice-President of the Federation of Scientific Agricultural Societies, 1980-82; and United States Information Agency Lecturer in Japan, Korea, and Taiwan in 1984. He has taught courses in research methodology, mathematical economics, rural poverty, rural development, and farm policy. He is a member of six professional societies and two honorary fraternities.

Dr. Tweeten is married to Eloyce Hugelen. Their children are Brent, Lon, Deonne, and Karyn.

-Biography Originally Compiled March 11, 1986