Bankers with a Mission: The Presidents of the World Bank, 1946-91

Abstract

This book attempts to find out who the presidents of the Bank were and to examine their actions and the reasons for their decisions as a useful and illuminating way of understanding the history of the institution. The story of the seven men who presided over the Bank from 1946 to 1991 throws light on the importance of leadership for the building and performance of an institution, especially a global institution. Each president made a distinct contribution to building the organization and to defining its mission. While their contributions necessarily reflected their times and the problems they confronted, their personalities and their personal experiences also shaped the style and content of their presidencies. The chapters describe who the presidents were, how they came to the Bank, and what experiences they brought with them. The essays also analyze the problems these men encountered during their tenure and how they dealt with them, discuss the impact each president had on the evolution of the Bank - on its policies, operations and on its organizational character - and, finally, describe the legacies of these presidents. To the extent that a history of the Bank's presidents can provide a window on the evolution of the institution, this book also provides a brief overview of the history of this important international institution.

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