Isaac Max Rubinow (1875 – September 1, 1936) was a leading theorist on

social insurance Social insurance is a form of Social protection, social welfare that provides insurance against economic risks. The insurance may be provided publicly or through the subsidizing of private insurance. In contrast to other forms of Welfare spend ...

and one of the most influential writers on the subject. Rubinow had an

M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...

from

New York University Medical School The New York University Grossman School of Medicine is a medical school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1841 and is one of two medical schools of the university, the other being the NYU Gr ...

and held a Ph.D. in

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

. His 1913 book, ''Social Insurance'', was the most influential early work on

social security Welfare spending is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifically to social insurance ...

. His work impacted a generation of

social reform Reformism is a type of social movement that aims to bring a social or also a political system closer to the community's ideal. A reform movement is distinguished from more radical social movements such as revolutionary movements which reject t ...

ers, including President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

, who used Rubinow's work in drafting the Progressive Party platform in 1912. The Progressive Party was the first of its kind to call for social insurance. Rubinow was a Russian

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

who immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in 1893, at the age of 18. Attending Columbia University and New York University Medical School, he trained as a medical doctor. He grew so upset with the misery of his patients that he decided he could do more good for the common man by helping to alleviate their economic woes than he could as a physician. Employed as an economic expert in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Bureau of Statistics, Division of Foreign Markets, Rubinow wrote several extensive analyses of the development of the Russian wheat market and the impact of growing Russian wheat exports on U.S. and world markets. Employed as an

actuary An actuary is a professional with advanced mathematical skills who deals with the measurement and management of risk and uncertainty. These risks can affect both sides of the balance sheet and require investment management, asset management, ...

, Rubinow was central to the formation of the Casualty Actuarial and Statistical Society of America in 1914, which is known today as the

Casualty Actuarial Society The Casualty Actuarial Society (CAS) is a leading international professional society of actuaries, based in North America, and specializing in property and casualty insurance. The two levels of CAS membership are Associate (ACAS) and Fellow (FCAS ...

. Rubinow was elected its first president. In 1916 he was elected as a

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

of the

American Statistical Association The American Statistical Association (ASA) is the main professional organization for statisticians and related professionals in the United States. It was founded in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 27, 1839, and is the second-oldest continuous ...

.List of ASA Fellows
, retrieved 2016-07-16. Rubinow's 1934 book, ''The Quest for Security'', established him as the most recognized theorist on social insurance in the first three decades of the twentieth century. Rubinow also authored a series of articles that appeared in the Journal of Political Economy, Journal of Home Economics, and Journal of Sociology on the so-called domestic service problem, and the difficulties that white middle-class women faced in finding an adequate supply of domestic servants. Rubinow argued that the reluctance and refusal of white native-born and immigrant women to enter domestic service reflected the feudal labor conditions that informed the occupation. In particular, Rubinow criticized mistresses for failing to open their homes to the same reforms that had been implemented in industrial workplace such as contracts, set hours, and other standardizations. Dr. Rubinow married Sophie Himwich. Their son, Raymond S. Rubinow (1905–1996), was a noted New York civic leader. Their daughter, Olga Rubinow Lurie (1907–2004), was a

child psychologist Developmental psychology is the scientific study of how and why humans grow, change, and adapt across the course of their lives. Originally concerned with infants and children, the field has expanded to include adolescence, adult development, ...

and specialist in the emotional health of children. Raymond Rubinow married Consuelo Kamholz (1909–1993).

References

* * U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Statistics, "Russia's Wheat Surplus; Conditions Under Which It Is Produced," Bulletin No. 42, 1906

References

Further reading