Marius Schwartz

Marius Schwartz, a Professor of Economics at Georgetown University, beloved husband of 38 years, father of three, lover of animals and nature, and seasoned world traveler, died of natural causes on June 9, 2026. He was 69.

Professor Schwartz was born in Tecuci, Romania on September 12, 1956, the only child of Herman and Esther Schwartz. The family immigrated to Israel when he was four, where he enjoyed an idyllic childhood residing in immigrant housing beside the sea near Tel Aviv. He excelled at the Tabeetha School, a Scottish school in Tel Aviv that he attended until he received a scholarship to complete his high school education at their mother school in Edinburgh, Scotland. After high school, he earned his B.Sc. in Economics with First Class Honors at the London School of Economics. He then moved to the United States to study at the University of California, Los Angeles, earning his PhD in Economics in 1982.

He began his career at Georgetown University in 1983, was tenured in 1993, and served as a professor there until his death in 2026. He taught a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses; his specialty was industrial organization and antitrust. Professor Schwartz served as the Economics Department’s Director of Undergraduate Studies for a time and also as Director of Graduate Studies. Professor Schwartz received the Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award in 2001 and 2010.

Professor Schwartz took several leaves of absence from teaching over the years to pursue public service in government positions. He was Chief Economist of the Federal Communications Commission from June 2011 to December 2012. He was Senior Staff Economist on President Clinton’s Council of Economic Advisers from June 1995 to May 1996. From September 1998 to April 2000, he served in the Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice as Economics Director of Enforcement and Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General of Economics. Over the years, the Antitrust Division hired Professor Schwartz to advise as an outside economic expert for numerous major merger challenges.

Professor Schwartz also consulted with prominent private firms, including Bates White, Compass Lexecon, the Brattle Group, and Econic Partners.

Professor Schwartz became a naturalized citizen of the United States in 1988. Later that year he married Leslie Blackmon. They were married for 38 years and raised three beautiful children: Ellen, Daniel, and Laura. He died peacefully at home with Leslie, the children, and his lovely daughter-in-law Izzie present.

Professor Schwartz had a deep connection to his homeland, Israel. He is survived by many beloved family members in Israel, the United States, Romania, and Germany, including his dear cousin Yakov Shaham, who was like a brother to him.

Marius was an energetic man with an infectious laugh and generosity of spirit. He was known for his unique sense of humor and irreverence. He was relentlessly positive and took joy in life’s simple pleasures. He loved physical activity of all kinds, especially biking, soccer, hiking, swimming, skiing and, in his younger days, windsurfing. He enjoyed many hours watching international soccer and rugby games with his friends, right up until the end of his life.

He was a lifelong explorer, traveling every chance he could get and religiously pursuing the best restaurants in the area wherever he went. He especially enjoyed adventuring in two of his favorite places: Canaan Valley, West Virginia and Kiawah Island, South Carolina. He was also a passionate music lover, with a cherished CD collection spanning a wide variety of genres from classic rock to bluegrass, bossa nova, blues, and zydeco.

Marius adored animals, and adopted many beloved shelter pets throughout his life. Anyone wishing to honor him with a donation, please consider the Humane World for Animals or Guiding Eyes for the Blind.