Mr. Social Security: The Life of Wilbur J. Cohen

JFK tagged him “Mr. Social Security.” LBJ praised him as the “planner, architect, builder and repairman on every major piece of social legislation [since 1935].” The New York Times called him “one of the country’s foremost technicians in public welfare.” Time portrayed him as a man of “boundless energy, infectious enthusiasm, and a drive for action.” His name was Wilbur Cohen.

For half a century from the New Deal through the Great Society, Cohen (1913-1987) was one of the key players in the ...