Leon Hollerman, 90; Claremont McKenna economist was Japan expert

Leon Hollerman, 90, a professor emeritus at Claremont McKenna College and an expert on Japan’s economy, died Dec. 6 in Claremont of an aneurysm.

A native of Rochester, N.Y., Hollerman graduated from the University of Rochester in 1939 and served in the Army during World War II. After the war, he served with the Allied Powers Supreme Command in Tokyo as an international trade economist, Claremont McKenna said in announcing his death. He returned to Japan in the ‘60s as a Fulbright Scholar.

Hollerman joined the Claremont faculty in 1957, the year he completed his doctoral work at UC Berkeley. He also served as a professor of economics at the Claremont Graduate School. Over the years, he became a frequent commentator on Japan in the news media. He also wrote or co-wrote a dozen books on Japan or Asian economic issues.

He retired in 1987.