Allan Meltzer's career in economics has featured outstandingcontributions in an astonishingly wide range of activities. As thebasis of all of these, of course, lies his work in economic research.Perhaps most well known is Allan's long line of papers in monetaryeconomics, many written together with Karl Brunner, which helped toestablish the broad and widely accepted approach once known asmonetarism. But several other areas have, at different times,attracted his main research efforts; among these are business-cycleanalysis, financial intermediation, analytical political economy, andthe history of economic thought. Recently, he has become deeplyimmersed in a major historical project — the writing of an extensivehistory of the Federal Reserve System and its monetary policymaking. A second type of outstanding accomplishment has been Allan Meltzer'swork as a conference-series creator and organizer. In the 1970's, heand Karl Brunner founded the Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series onPublic Policy, which has been unusually fruitful as an incubator ofnew ideas and talent. Together, Brunner and Meltzer also founded theInterlaken Seminar on Analysis and Ideology, which for many yearsbrought together economists, political philosophers, and other socialscientists. Allan was a major contributor to Brunner's organizationof the Konstanz Seminar on Monetary Theory and Policy — still acreative force in European economics — and with colleagues he createdand ran the Carnegie Mellon Conference on Political Economy from 1979to 1990.

As if all this were not enough for three or four normal beings, Allanand Karl created the Shadow Open Market Committee. At its inceptionthis was a unique institution, but it has since served as a model forother groups designed to provide policy analysis for a wider publicaudience. In terms of that latter objective, Allan has been andcontinues to be one of the economists most frequently sought out andquoted in the national and international press. He maintains anamazingly fresh and extensive store of knowledge about economic andsocial affairs the world over, one that he shares generously withother scholars.

Allan Meltzer has not spent much time in full-time governmentalpositions, but has served extensively as a consultant or advisor to the U.S. Treasury and theCouncil of Economic Advisors, as well asofficial agencies in several other nations, including most notablythe Bank of Japan. Also he has for several years spent a good bit oftime at the American Enterprise Institute. For over 40 years, however, his principal professional home has been the Graduate Schoolof Industrial Administration at Carnegie Mellon University.

From the foregoing account, it will be obvious that Allan Meltzer isequipped with an enormous supply of energy and enthusiasm, as well asanalytical ability. A closely related characteristic, familiar toall those who are lucky enough to spend time with him, is anunfailing attitude of optimism and cheerfulness.

My interview with Allan took place on May 14, 1997, in his office,with its pleasant corner location in the new wing of GSIA's building.We talked in the afternoon and continued somewhat longer thanintended because there was so much of interest to discuss. Evenafter 16 years of having nearby offices andmultiple conversations — on dayswhen we both are in Pittsburgh — I found it instructive and enjoyableto learn more about Allan Meltzer's remarkable career. The interviewwas taped, transcribed, and edited lightly.