Ronald C Tress, CBE, (11 January 1915 – 28 September 2006) was a British economist. He studied Economics 1933-36 at University College, Southampton taking a University of London external degree. Beginning in 1941 he was an economic adviser to the British War Cabinet for four years.He became a Professor of Political Economy at the University of Bristol in 1951.He was Master of Birkbeck College, University of London from 1968 to 1977.He was elected a Fellow of Birkbeck College, University of London in 1977.He became director of the Leverhulme Trust of 1978.