Jules Backman Dead at 72

Jules Backman, chairman of the board of governors of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, and research professor emeritus of economics at New York University, died March 25 at his home in Scarsdale, N. Y. after a brief illness. He was 72 years old.

Backman was elected to the board of governors of Hebrew Union College in 1963 and has served as its chairman since 1976. The college is affiliated with the Reform movement.

A nationally prominent authority on prices, labor and antitrust problems, Backman taught at New York University for more than 40 years where he was the recipient of a number of awards. He wrote more than 100 books and articles on various economic and industrial subjects and frequently served as an economic consultant to industries and corporations as well as to federal, state and municipal agencies. For many years he was an editorial writer for The New York Times. Long active in Reform Jewish affairs, Backman served as national chairman of the Reform Jewish Appeal from 1965-1969, and was a member of the executive committee of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations. As chairman of the board of Hebrew Union College, he led the campaign to build the recently constructed Brookdale Center, the new home of the college’s New York School.

Backman was born in New York and was educated in the city’s public schools. He held four degrees from New York University — Bachelor of Commercial Science, Master of Arts, Master of Business Administration, and Doctor of Commerical Science.