- Jacob Viner, 1892-1970. Together with Knight, the Canadian-born Jacob Viner was the leading light of the Chicago School of the inter-war period. His work ranged all over economics, but it is perhaps his work on the history of economic thought and international trade theory that we find his remarkable strengths. Nonetheless, as Robbins characterized him, Viner was the outstanding all-rounder of ...cepa.newschool.edu/~het/profiles/viner.htm