While the general foreign language requirement for an economics PhD was officially abolished at M.I.T. in 1969, at least Charles Kindleberger (European Economic History) and Evsey Domar (Communist Economies) were free to require their thesis writers to demonstrate competency in a foreign language as needed for research.
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Carbon copy of letter from E. Cary Brown to William F. Bottiglia
May 14, 1969
Professor William F. Bottiglia
Head of Department
Modern Language
14N-207
Dear Bill:
The following statement describes our new language requirement. As you see, we hope that your Department will police it when it is needed.
* * * * * * * *
“The Department has no general foreign language requirements. When a foreign language is essential for full access to the literature in the field of the student’s major interest (e.g., European Economic History, Communist Economies) or to his thesis research, a language requirement will be imposed by the Department upon the recommendation of the Thesis Superviosr or the Graduate Registration Officer. Such a requirement will be administered by the Department of Foreign Literatures and Linguistics, and can be met by satisfactory course work at M.I.T., at other schools, or by examination.”
Sincerely yours,
E. Cary Brown, Head
Professor of Economics
ECB/mr
Source: M.I.T. Archives. Department of Economics Records, Box 2, Folder “Grad Curriculum”.
Image Source: Technology Review, February 1914.