Clifford E. Reid, the Charles A. Dana Professor of Economics, Emeritus at Colby College, died on November 6, in Waterville, Maine. He was 76 years old. Reid was a distinguished scholar on discrimination in American life who taught at Colby College for 22 years.
Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Professor Reid held a bachelor’s degree in economics from George Washington University and a Ph.D. from Princeton University in New Jersey. After earning his doctorate, Professor Reid joined the faculty at Grinnell College in Iowa. He taught there for 16 years, rising to the rank of full professor. Dr. Reid joined the Colby College faculty in 1987. He chaired the economics department from 1995 to 1997.
Professor Reid’s scholarship focused on discrimination in housing, employment, and wages in the U.S. He also studied voting behavior in the U.S. Congress and public finance. He retired from teaching at Colby College in 2009.
Sad news. Cliff and I were cohorts at Princeton, getting PhDs the same year. He took economics with a grain of salt and a wry sense of humor, which made all of his classmates’ experiences better. I also learned something about pickup basketball from him: don’t try to post up a guy just because he’s shorter. Cliff was quick and strong. May his memory be a blessing.