Alan Greenspan, who died last week at the age of 100, was one of the most consequential chairs the Federal Reserve Board has had in its 112 years of existence. But consequential does not mean faultless. One might say that his tenure — the second-longest in Fed history — ultimately vindicated much of what he had opposed. The young and even middle-aged Greenspan did not seem destined to lead the world’s most powerful central bank. Born in 1926 and raised in New York by a single mother, Greenspan had not anticipated a career in economics and finance at all.

While causes of the “Great Moderation” are debated to this day, it reflected global improvements in economic management and institutions more than the skills of one man.

Alan Greenspan, who died last week at the age of 100, was one of the most consequential chairs the Federal Reserve Board has had in its 112 years of existence. But consequential…