Melvin Mister, who had a long career in urban affairs, died of prostate cancer Jan. 10, 2013.
He was 74.
Mister earned his bachelor’s degree from the Carnegie Institute of Technology in 1958 and a master’s degree in 1964 from Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School. He then worked for the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington, after which he was with the D.C. Redevelopment Land Agency from 1967 to 1968. In 1968 he joined the Ford Foundation and was a program officer in social and national development.
In 1976, Mister became the staff director of urban economic policy for the National League of Cities/U.S. Conference of Mayors, and in 1977 became the director of urban and regional economic analysis for the U.S. Conference of Mayors. In 1981, he became the conference’s deputy executive director.
Switching to municipal finance, in 1982 he became a vice president for Citibank, Security Pacific Bank (1984), and Chase Manhattan Bank (1986). In 1991, he was a fellow at the Twentieth Century Fund, and then was with W.R. Lazard & Co. In 1995, Mister formed his own consultancy. He was a member of the Association of Black Princeton Alumni.
Mister is survived by his wife, Joan, and four children.
Graudate memorials are prepared by the APGA.