Donald John Roberts, a Canadian–American economist and professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, died on January 23, 2026.
He was the John H. and Irene S.
Scully Professor of Economics, Strategic Management and International Business at Stanford. Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on February 11, 1945, Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Manitoba in 1967 and a doctorate in economics from the University of Minnesota in 1972. He taught at Northwestern University from 1971 until joining Stanford in 1980. At Stanford, he held the Jonathan B. Lovelace Professorship from 1980 to 2001 and served as senior associate dean from 2000 to 2008.
Donald John Roberts (February 11, 1945 – January 23, 2026) was a Canadian-American economist who was the John H. and Irene S. Scully Professor of Economics, Strategic Management and International Business at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.