Jelle Zilstra: A versatile economist

Summary In 1983 Dr. Jelle Zijlstra was a member of the board of editors ofDe Economist for 35 years. At the request of his co-editors, this article has been written to put in a clear light the person and work of Dr. Zijlstra. Zijlstra has been a professor of economics, a minister of economic affairs and of finance in several Dutch cabinets, and, from 1967–1981, President of the Netherlands Bank. During these activities he has made important contributions to economic theory and economic policy, both in legislative work and in various publications. In this article his valuable contributions in such different fields as economic competition, economic order, public finance, monetary theory and central banking policy are analyzed. The author comes to the conclusion that Dr. Zijlstra is an original thinker, who has been a stimulating and inspiring contributor to the different fields of economic theory and economic policy in which he has been active. The author thanks Professor P. Hennipman and Professor S. K. Kuipers for their valuable suggestions.