Tribute
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.
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