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Michael Barclay: 1957–2007

Michael Barclay, a Simon School professor who had been ranked by BusinessWeek as one of the nation’s best business teachers, died August 16 in a seaplane crash near Irondequoit Bay. He was 50 years old.

Barclay joined the Simon School in 1985 after completing his Ph.D. in economics at Stanford University, and he later was appointed Alumni Distinguished Professor of Business Administration, professor of finance, and area coordinator of finance.

“All of us at the Simon School are deeply saddened by this tragic accident,” said Mark Zupan, dean of the Simon School. “Mike was a world-class scholar and a supremely gifted teacher, having been, among other things, rated among the top business school instructors in the world by BusinessWeek.

“He was also a wonderful human being and friend. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Laura, and to his family.”

President Joel Seligman expressed his sympathy on behalf of the University community. “This is a terribly saddening loss for the University,” Seligman said. “Mike was a great talent. To lose him at so young an age makes this so much harder for his colleagues and students.”

Barclay’s research in corporate finance, the role of large-block shareholders in public corporations, and market microstructure has appeared in a variety of scholarly journals, including the Journal of Finance and the Journal of Financial Economics. He served as an advisory editor of the Journal of Financial Economics and as an associate editor of three other journals.

After 10 years of teaching, Barclay took a leave of absence to spend the 1995–96 academic year teaching at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he was a finalist for the Helen Kardon Mars Anvil Award for outstanding teaching. He was honored with 11 Simon School M.B.A. Superior Teaching Awards, and in October 1994, he was ranked by BusinessWeek as one of the top 12 business professors in the United States.

He served as the chairman of the Nasdaq Economic Advisory Board and as an expert witness in cases involving securities litigation, financial market operations, and antitrust economics. A native of Wisconsin, who grew up in New Jersey, Barclay earned his B.A. degree in economics from Colgate University.

“Mike was an exceptional colleague, an influential scholar, an inspiring teacher, an effective administrator, and most importantly, an extraordinarily nice person,” said Clifford Smith Jr., a senior member of the Simon School finance faculty.

Barclay is survived by his wife, Laura Thurner, and his family. A memorial service was held at the University in August.