Arthur Brooks
Arthur Brooks is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Public and Nonprofit Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Professor of Management Practice at the Harvard Business School, where he teaches courses on leadership, happiness, and nonprofit management. He is also a Contributing Writer at The Atlantic and Host of the "How to Build a Happy Life" podcast. Prior to joining the Harvard faculty in 2019, he served for 10 years as President of the American Enterprise Institute, where he held the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Free Enterprise. Before that, he was the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government at Syracuse University, where he taught economics and social entrepreneurship. Brooks is the author of 12 books, including the 2022 #1 New York Times bestseller From Strength to Strength. He is the subject of the 2019 documentary film “The Pursuit.”
Arthur Brooks Professional Experience / Academic History
Professional Experience
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Creator, “How to Build a Life” column
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Professor of Management Practice and Faculty Fellow
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William Henry Bloomberg Professor of the Practice of Public Leadership
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Columnist
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President, Beth and Ravenel Curry Scholar in Free Enterprise
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Contributing Opinion Writer
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Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy
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Assistant Professor of Public Administration & Economics
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Doctoral Fellow
Academic History
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Ph.D., Public Policy Analysis
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M.Phil., Public Policy Analysis
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B.A., Economics
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M.A., Economics
EXPERTISE
Brooks is recognized internationally as an expert on topics such as technical economics, human happiness, world poverty and behavioral economics.
He specializes in using the highest levels of science and philosophy to provide people with actionable strategies to live their best lives.
He speaks to audiences all around the world about human happiness and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies, and community organizations.
In 2009, Brooks became the 11th president of AEI, as well as holding the Beth and Ravenel Curry Chair in Free Enterprise.
Under his leadership, the Institute more than doubled its annual revenues, deepened its outreach to leaders across the ideological spectrum, and expanded its research portfolio to include work on poverty, happiness, and human potential.
EARLY CAREER
Brooks began his career as a classical French hornist, leaving college at 19, touring and recording with the Annapolis Brass Quintet and later, the City Orchestra of Barcelona.
He later worked as an Analyst for the RAND Corporation's Project Air Force, performing military operations research analysis.
He then spent the next 10 years as a university professor, becoming a full professor at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs in his seventh year out of graduate school and occupying the Louis A. Bantle Chair in Business and Government.
During this decade, Brooks taught economics and nonprofit management, and published 60 peer-reviewed articles and several books, including the textbook “Social Entrepreneurship” (2008).
RECENT RECOGNITIONS
2022 Pioneer Award, Positive Psychology Center, University of Pennsylvania
2022 Irving Kristol Award, American Enterprise Institute
2020 National Peacemaker Award, National Conflict Resolution Center
2020 John Paul II Award for New Evangelization, Catholic Information Center
2020 Joseph McKeen Visiting Fellow, Bowdoin College
2019 Distinguished Alumni Award , Florida Atlantic University College of Business
2019 G.S. Beckwith Gilbert '63 Fellow, Princeton University
2023 Honorary Doctorate, Catholic University of America
2019 Honorary Doctorate, Brigham Young University
2019 Honorary Doctorate, Claremont McKenna College
2018 Honorary Doctorate, Jacksonville University
2015 Honorary Doctorate, Ave Maria University
2013 Honorary Doctorate, Thomas Edison State College
MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS
His work has been featured in The Atlantic, NPR, Netflix, Good Morning America, The New York Times, CNBC, and Forbes, among others.
He speaks to audiences all around the world about human happiness and works to raise well-being within private companies, universities, public agencies, and community organisations.