Personal website

American Academy of Arts & Sciences elects Tuck's Professor French as fellow

Kenneth R. French

The Carl E. and Catherine M. Heidt Professor of Finance

E-Mail: kenneth.r.french@tuck.dartmouth.edu Phone:

BS, Lehigh University, 1975; MBA, University of Rochester, 1978; MS, University of Rochester, 1981; PhD, University of Rochester, 1983

Areas of expertise

Portfolio theory, asset pricing, dividend policy, capital structure

Current research topics

Risk and return in domestic and international financial markets, cost of capital, mutual fund performance, capital structure

Selected Publications

With E. Fama, "Dividend Yields and Expected Stock Returns," Journal of Financial Economics, 1988; with J. Poterba, "Investor Diversification and International Equity Markets," American Economic Review, 1991; with E. Fama, "Common Risk Factors in the Returns on Stocks and Bonds," Journal of Financial Economics, 1993; with E. Fama, "Taxes, Financing Decisions, and Firm Value," Journal of Finance, 1998; with E. Fama, "Disappearing Dividends: Changing Firm Characteristics or Lower Propensity to Pay?" Journal of Financial Economics, 2001; with E. Fama, "Disagreements, Tastes, and Asset Pricing," Journal of Financial Economics, 2006; "The Cost of Active Investing," Journal of Finance, 2008

Working Papers

With E. Fama, "Opportunistic Financing"; with E. Fama, "Mutual Fund Performance"

Professional Activities

Academic positions: Research Fellow, Foundation for Research in Economics and Education, University of California, Los Angeles, 1982–83; Assistant Professor, 1983–85, Associate Professor, 1985–87, Professor of Finance, 1987–89, Chicago Mercantile Exchange Professor of Finance, 1989–91, Director, Center for Research in Security Prices, 1989–94, Leo Melamed Professor of Finance, 1991–94, The University of Chicago; David T. McLaughlin Visiting Professor of Finance, Tuck School of Business, 1993–94; Edwin J. Beinecke Professor of Management Studies and Finance, Yale University, 1994–98; Managing Director, International Center for Finance, Yale School of Management, 1994–98; NTU Professor of Finance, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1998–2001; Tuck School of Business, 2001–present

Nonacademic positions: Machine Design Engineer, Eastman Kodak Co., 1975–77

Board memberships: Director, 1991–94, 2003–09, President, 2007–08, American Finance Association; Board of Overseers, International Rescue Committee, 2005–present; Board of Directors, Dimensional Fund Advisors, 2006–present; Board of Governors, The Smile Train, 2008–present

Editorial positions: Advisory Editor, Journal of Financial Economics, Journal of Banking and Finance