Background

Isaac Roet

Isaac Roet (1891-1944) was an economist (chartered accountant) and lived in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. He was one of the founders of the Dutch association for chartered accountants NIVRA. Isaac Roet acted also as an advisor to Mr. Watson, who headed the USA Watson Company (later to become IBM). At the same time he held three patents in his name, one of them for tissue handkerchiefs, (apparently long before the Kleenex tissues) which he thought to be considerable more hygienic than the regular cotton reusable handkerchiefs. He was a bachelor, and had, in 1927 at the age of 37, written his will, in which he allocated one fifth of his estate to the Universiteit van Amsterdam. His request was that the University would hold every ten years a competition among the students of the University for the best essay about the relation between Peace and the Distribution of Resources in the World.

Isaac Roet was murdered in Auschwitz in 1944.

The heritage of Isaac Roet

After the death of the late Isaac Roet in a Nazi-concentration camp, part of his heritage was brought under the Isaac Roet trust fund, according to his last will.

This trust fund stimulates and rewards economic essays of academic level written by students. The broad subject of the essay should be “the promotion of world peace through economic interaction”. The Isaac Roet trust fund is administered by the Faculty of Economics and Business at the Universiteit van Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

The rebirth of the Roet Prize

In 1953 the essay competition was launched for the first time. Because no entries were submitted, this first edition had no winner. From 1953 – 1986 the heritage has not been touched.

In 1986 the Universiteit van Amsterdam relaunched the Isaac Roet Prize. The prize was awarded for the first time in 1987. In 1992 the Flemish/Dutch Economists for Peace and Security (formerly known as ECAAR) became involved when the Dutch Nobel laureate, Professor Jan Tinbergen headed the jury. Since then, the prize has been launched internationally. Students from all continents do participate.

 
Publication on Isaac Roet (only in Dutch): Kaddisj voor Isaac Roet by Professor P.W. Klein (ISBN 90-254-1139-8)