History of Stephen Ross (economist) in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 19, 2026

Stephen Ross was a prominent financial economist known for his contributions to financial economics, including initiating several important theories and models. He held prestigious professorships at MIT Sloan School of Management and Yale School of Management. Ross was a prolific author in finance and economics, and co-authored a widely used Corporate Finance textbook. His work has had a significant impact on the field of financial economics.

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Full Timeline

February 3, 1944: Stephen Ross Born

On February 3, 1944, Stephen Alan "Steve" Ross was born. He would later become a prominent figure in financial economics.

1965: Graduated from Caltech

In 1965, Stephen Ross graduated with honors from Caltech, majoring in physics.

1970: Received PhD from Harvard

In 1970, Stephen Ross received his PhD in economics from Harvard University.

1973: Introduced Agency Problem Modeling

In 1973, Stephen Ross introduced a rigorous modeling of the agency problem from the principal's standpoint.

1979: Developed Binomial Options Pricing Model

In 1979, Stephen Ross played a role in developing the binomial options pricing model, also known as the Cox–Ross–Rubinstein model.

1985: Contributed to Cox–Ingersoll–Ross Model

In 1985, Stephen Ross contributed to the creation of the Cox–Ingersoll–Ross model for interest rate dynamics.

1988: President of American Finance Association

In 1988, Stephen Ross served as president of the American Finance Association.

1996: Financial Engineer of the Year

In 1996, Stephen Ross was named International Association of Financial Engineers' Financial Engineer of the Year.

2001: Inaugural Princeton Lecture

In 2001, Stephen Ross gave the inaugural lecture of the Princeton Lectures in Finance, sponsored by the Bendheim Center for Finance of Princeton University.

2004: Lecture Became a Book

In 2004, Stephen Ross's inaugural lecture at Princeton University became a book, presenting and defending neoclassical finance.

2006: Recipient of Smith Breeden Prize

In 2006, Stephen Ross was a recipient of the Smith Breeden Prize.

2012: Recipient of Onassis Prize

In 2012, Stephen Ross was a recipient of the Onassis Prize.

2014: Recipient of Morgan Stanley - AFA Award

In 2014, Stephen Ross received the Morgan Stanley - AFA Award for Excellence in Finance.

2015: Recipient of Deutsche Bank Prize

In 2015, Stephen Ross was awarded the Deutsche Bank Prize for developing models used for assessing prices for options and other assets.

March 3, 2017: Stephen Ross Death

On March 3, 2017, Stephen Alan "Steve" Ross, the Franco Modigliani Professor of Financial Economics at MIT Sloan School of Management and Sterling Professor of Economics and Finance at Yale School of Management, passed away.