Death: Jón Sigurðsson
Jón Sigurðsson, former central bank governor, chairman of the Progressive Party and minister has died. He was 75 years old when he died.
RÚV reports this. Jón reported it in the film Male cancer which was shown in March last year that he had been diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer.
Jon was born in Kollafjörður in Kjalarnes on August 23, 1946. His parents were Sigurður Ellert Ólason, Supreme Court lawyer and state attorney, and Unnur Kolbeinsdóttir, teacher and librarian.
Jón studied at the College of Education in Reykjavík, but he graduated there in 1966. From there, he studied Icelandic and history at the University of Iceland. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in those subjects three years later.
Jón took over the position of editor of Tíman in 1978 and held that position until 1981. After that, he became the headmaster of the Cooperative School in Bifröst and later he became the school’s rector until 1991.
In 1988, Jón graduated with a master’s degree in educational studies and teaching management from Columbia Pacific University in San Rafael, USA. He graduated with a doctorate in the same subjects two years later. In 1993, he graduated from the MBA program in business economics and management from the National University in San Diego, USA.
From 2003 to 2006, Jón was governor of the central bank. After that, he took over the position of Minister of Industry and Trade until 2007. Then he was also the chairman of the Progressive Party.