James R. Barth, prolific researcher, renowned scholar and beloved teacher and mentor to thousands of undergraduate and graduate students at Auburn University's Harbert College of Business for 33 years, died at the age of 79 on January 25, 2023.

Barth had written 21 books and authored or co-authored 458 research papers published in some of the most prestigious scholarly journals in the world.

Barth received a bachelor's degree from California State University at Sacramento in 1965, a master's degree from the University of New Mexico in 1967 and a Ph.D. in 1972 from Ohio State University. He went on to join George Washington University as an assistant professor of economics in 1972. He rose to the position of professor, and then in 1987 departed the university to become the chief economist and director of the Office of Policy and Economic Research, Federal Home Loan Bank Board. Subsequently, he then served as chief economist, Office of Thrift Supervision, U.S. Department of the Treasury until he joined Auburn's faculty in 1989.

At the time of his death, Barth was also a Fellow of the Wharton Financial Institutions Center, University of Pennsylvania since 2012 and a Senior Finance Fellow at the Milken Institute since 1997.

He is survived by his wife Mary Barth, daughter Rachel Barth and her husband Sam Votsis, his grandchildren Lily (13), Thomas (11) and his siblings Linda Matthews, Carol Evans, and Robert Barth.

Donations can be made to the James R. Barth Memorial Endowed Fund for Excellence in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business at Auburn University.

https://alumniq.auburn.edu/giving/to/jbarthmem?appealcode=JBARTHMEMW