Robert R. Nathan (December 25, 1908 – September 4, 2001) was an American economist heavily involved in US industrial mobilization during World War II, a liberal activist, and a pioneer in third-world economic development.
During this time he worked with the influential economist Simon Kuznets, who he had also studied under at Wharton, in implementing the first national income measurements which would later serve as the basis for the GNP.
A chief insight was to plan for war production based on the U.S. population rather than on the basis of the existing industrial plant.
[2] During a long period of hospitalization for those injuries, Nathan wrote a book entitled Mobilizing for Abundance in which he argued for Keynesian policies to be extended after the war to preserve peacetime economic stability.
[7][3] During subsequent decades, Nathan participated in Johnson administration efforts to further development in South Vietnam; supported Hubert Humphrey's presidential candidacy; and consulted in a number of high-profile projects, including the Curt Flood case.