Alan Greenspan – Life and Ideas Alan Greenspan is mostly known for serving as the chairperson of the Federal Reserve of the United States for the second longest period in history-a total of five continuous terms from 1987 to 2006. This has seen him out sit four presidents including Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush. However, it has not been a smooth ride for him since he was named one of the 25 people blamed for the financial predicament in the early 2000s.