Malcolm H. Wiener (born July 3, 1935) is an American attorney, prehistorian and philanthropist. Most notably, Wiener has served as general counsel of the Archaeological Institute of America, as an advisor for the United States Department of State and as principal and chairman of The Millburn Ridgefield Corporation and ShareInVest, both asset management firms. In 1988, Wiener endowed the Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The center focuses on increasing social and economic wellbeing, equity and opportunity, and to advance the cause of social justice and effective social programs. He is also a trustee emeritus of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He holds honorary doctorates from multiple institutions, including the University of Cincinnati.

Early life and education

Wiener was born July 3, 1935 in Qingdao, China, to American parents Myron Wiener and Ethel Wiener (née Zimmerman). He was raised in a Jewish family. His mother was born in Yantai to Russian-born Samuel Zimmerman and she died when he was only 4 days old. Wiener came to the United States to San Francisco in 1939. He was awarded a Naval Reserve Officers' Training Corps scholarship for study at Harvard College; the award was made "on the basis of financial need, and high academic personal promise in class and extracurricular activities". He graduated magna cum laude with an honors thesis in economics and was elected to the Phi Beta Kappa Society. While at Harvard, he was president of the University Chess Club. Between his years at Harvard College (1953–1957) and Harvard Law School (1960–1963), he served at sea as an Ensign/Lieutenant JG in the United States Navy from 1957 to 1960.

Career

Wiener was the founder and CEO of The Millburn Corporation (later The Millburn Ridgefield Corporation, 1977-1997) CommInVest (1977-1997) and ShareInVest (1982-1997). In 1981 he founded the Institute for Aegean Prehistory (INSTAP) and in 1984 the Malcolm Hewitt Wiener Foundation (both are registered non-profit organizations). From 1996 to 2010, he served as a Trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. From 1984 to 2016, he served as a Trustee of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, the last five years as Chair of the Board; at the American School, he proposed and funded the Malcolm H. Wiener Laboratory for Archaeological Science (1992). The Malcolm Wiener Center for Social Policy at Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University was founded and funded by Wiener. The Center encompasses programs in health, criminal justice, housing, education, and inequality. Wiener has also published several works on economic policy. Wiener is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. There, he has been active in promoting the consideration of non-lethal military technologies; in particular, he chaired and authored the report of a CFR Independent Task Force on the subject in 1995. He also endowed the CFR Annual Lecture on Science and Technology. Wiener is the author of numerous works on Aegean prehistory and the eastern Mediterranean in the Bronze Age. Several works have focused on the chronology of the Bronze Age Mediterranean world. His publication (2014) on "The Interaction of Climate Change and Agency in the Collapse of Civilizations ca. 2300–2000 B.C." has attracted notice for its contribution to the history of climate change episodes in world history.

Awards and recognition

Wiener has received seven honorary doctorates: Litt.D., University of Sheffield, 1997; Ph.D., University of Tübingen, 1998; D., University of Athens, 1998; Dr. of Humane Letters, University of Cincinnati, 2007; D.Sc., University College London, 2009; D. Archaeology, Dickinson College, 2013; D.Sc., University of Arizona, 2014. Wiener is a Fellow or Member of the following: the Academy of Athens, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Archaeological Institute of America, the Austrian Academy of Sciences, the Austrian Archaeological Institute, the German Archaeological Institute, the Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, and the Society of Antiquaries of London. He is a Chevalier in the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres of France and an Honorary Member of the Board of the Archaeological Society at Athens. He has also received the Ring of Honour of the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz, Germany. Additionally, he received the Bandelier Award for Public Service to Archaeology from the Archaeological Institute of America, and the Philhellene Award and Athens Prize from the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. In 2014, the Greek government bestowed upon him the Gold Cross of the Order of Honor.

Personal life

Wiener was previously married to Mary F. McLarnon in1975. On June 8, 1990, Wiener married Carolyn Talbot Seely (born 1948), a daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Frederic T. Seely, of Old Greenwich, Connecticut. She was Counsel to the Republican Leader Bob Dole and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Baltimore's School of Law. Wiener is a resident of Greenwich, Connecticut.

Publications

Forthcoming publications

Sources