Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Categories: 1933 births | Naturalized citizens of the United States | Foreign-born US political figures | Presidents of the World Bank
James Wolfensohn
James Wolfensohn (b. December 1, 1933) was the ninth president of the World Bank Group. He was born in Sydney, Australia. In 1980, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States. On April 14, 2005 he was named international “special envoy” to help coordinate Israel’s planned withdrawal from the Gaza Strip and to spearhead reconstruction efforts once the Palestinians take over the area.
Wolfensohn's much-criticized successor is the former Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz.
According to The World's Banker by Sebastian Mallaby, Wolfensohn was raised in Australia, the son of an unsuccessful Jewish businessman who left England for Australia during the Great Depression. He was captain of the Australian fencing team in the Olympic Games before studying business at Harvard Business School. After a successful career in international banking, he was appointed president of the World Bank in 1995.
Further reading
- The World's Banker by Sebastian Mallaby, ISBN 1594200238.
External links
- Book reviews of The World's Banker give more information on Wolfensohn.
- World Bank biography
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