Sam Nakagama

Sam Isamu Nakagama (1925^[1]–2006) was a Japanese-American businessman, economist, and financial advisor. He founded Wall Street’s Nakagama Wallace, Inc. Nakagama also served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Sam Nakagama
Born	Delano, CA
Died	March 8, 2006 Rumson, NJ
Nationality	American
Occupation(s)	Economist, businessman
Military career
Service / branch	U.S. Army 1942-1948

Biography

Nakagama was a first generation American born in Delano, California, to Japanese immigrants.^[2] Following the outbreak of World War II, his parents were incarcerated in the Jerome and Rohwer internment camps in Arkansas, while he served in the U.S. Army.^[3] Nakagama himself was incarcerated first at the Fresno Assembly Center,^[4] and then the Jerome War Relocation Center.^[1]

From 1945 to 1948, Nakagama became the sociologist and a pollster at General Douglas MacArthur’s post-war headquarters in Tokyo, Japan before his discharge.^[5] In 1961, he was employed at Citibank, which was then known as First National City Bank. Nakagama was the principal writer of the bank's monthly economic letter.^[6] By 1967, he became the chief economist and vice president of Argus Research Corp.^[7] He left the company and joined Kidder, Peabody & Co., a leading Wallstreet banking firm, eventually becoming the company's vice president and chief economist.^[8]

Nakagama became a Wall Street economist and commented on American economic policies such as those based on the decline of crude oil prices during the 1990s.^[9] He testified before the United States Congress on fiscal policy on numerous occasions. He published articles on economics for publications such as the New York Times.^[6]

Nakagama married Mary Frances Nakagama. They had two daughters. Nakagama died on March 8, 2006, at Rumson, New Jersey.^[3]

References

1. "Japanese American Internee Data File: Sam Nakagama". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
2. "Lowering value of $ gets them down". Daily News. May 10, 1987. p. 145
3. "Deaths NAKAGAMA, SAM ISAMU". The New York Times. 2006-04-09. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-02-03
4. "Densho Encyclopedia: Fresno (detention facility)". Retrieved 2024-09-15.
5. United States Congress House Committee on the Budget (1981). Budget Issues for Fiscal Year 1982: Hearings Before the Committee on the Budget, House of Representatives, Ninety-seventh Congress, First Session. p. 534. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
6. United States Congress House Committee on the Budget (1981)
7. United States Congress Joint Economic Committee. (1969). Hearings, Reports and Prints of the Joint Economic Committee. p. 645. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
8. "THREE ECONOMISTS TAKING NEW POSTS". The New York Times. 1971-10-19. ISSN 0362-4331.
9. United States Congress Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy Regulation and Conservation. (1987). National Oil Security Policy: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Energy Regulation and Conservation of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session, on the Implications of S. 694, a Bill to Provide a Comprehensive National Oil Security Policy, June 2, 1987. p. 381. U.S. Government Printing Office.