born March 6, 1926, New York, N.Y.
U.S. economist and chairman of the board of the Federal Reserve System .
He grew up an only child and initially wanted to be a professional musician. He received his doctorate from New York University in 1977. Having become a private economic consultant, Greenspan served as chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers under Pres. Ronald Reagan appointed him chairman of the Federal Reserve Board, a position he continued to hold under Presidents George Bush, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush. As Federal Reserve chairman, he fought {{link=inflation">inflation through controlling the discount rate .