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Harvard. Nine Radcliffe graduate students petition to attend “Economics Seminary”, 1926

 

Harvard’s Economic Seminary was a men-only affair going into the mid-1920’s. Before the beginning of the second semester of the 1925-26 academic year, a group of nine Radcliffe graduate students respectfully petitioned Allyn Young, the chairman of the Harvard Economics Department, to allow them “the privilege of regular attendance at the seminary”. Four of those women went on to earn Ph.D.’s in economics or economic history, three of them had substantial academic careers (Harvard, Berkeley and Pomona). At least one of the others had a full career as a government economist. 

Besides transcribing this priceless artifact for the chronicle of women in economics, I have conducted a preliminary sweep of internet sources, including genealogical resources available at ancestry.com to construct partial timelines for this gang of nine. I have even come up with pictures of all nine of them!

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The Petition

January 21, 1926

 

To
Professor Allyn A. Young
Chairman of the Economics Department
Harvard University
Cambridge, Mass

The undersigned Radcliffe graduate students who are doing work in Economics at Harvard, would like permission to attend the weekly seminary in Economics. On two occasions they have been invited to be present at special meetings. They found the lectures stimulating and informative and are inclined to feel that the customary exclusion of Radcliffe students from these meetings puts them at some disadvantage. They must forego the opportunity of hearing both the informal lectures of experts in the various fields of Economics, and the results of the research of their fellow students. They also miss an invaluable chance for discussion less formal than that of the classroom.

Therefore, they petition the Economics Department for the privilege of regular attendance at the seminary.

[Signed]

Elizabeth L. Waterman
Mary C. Coit
Emily H. Huntington
Margaret R. Gay
Eunice S. Coyle
Miriam Keeler
M. Gertrude Brown
R. Guppy
A. Gilchrist

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (1902-1950). Box 25; Folder: “Economics Seminary 1925-33”.

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Elizabeth Lane Waterman
(1903-1973)

1903. Born September 24 in Boston to Arthur J. Waterman from England and Amy H. Lane of Boston.

1924. A.B. (honors in economics and sociology, Phi Beta Kappa) from Barnard College.

1925. A.M. from Radcliffe College.

1926-28. Received an Augustus Anson Whitney and Benjamin White Whitney Fellowship to study at the London School of Economics.

1928-29. Instructor at Wellesey College.

1929. Ph.D., Radcliffe College. Thesis title: Standard of Living of Eighteenth Century English Labor, 1700-1790.

1930. Married Glennon Gilboy (Professor of Engineering at MIT 1925-1937) April 19.

1929-30. Executive secretary of the Harvard Committee on Research in the Social Sciences.

1934. Wages in Eighteenth Century England. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

1930-41. Executive Secretary of the Harvard Committee on Research in the Social Sciences.

1940. Applicants for Work Relief: A Study of Massachusetts Families under the FERA and WPA. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.

In World War II she served as economist for the Office of Strategic Services in Washington.

After the war she returned to Harvard as associate director of the Harvard economic research project, graduate school consultant and economics lecturer.

1953. Divorced in November.

1960-64. Consultant to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

1961. Secretary-General of the International Conference on Input-Output Techniques in Geneva.

1968. Publishes A Primer on the Economics of Consumption (New York: Random House).

1973. Died October 10 in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Sources: A Biographical Dictionary of Women Economists, ed. by Robert W. Dimand, Mary Ann Dimand and Evelyn L. Forget. Also, see her obituary published in The Boston Globe, October 12, 1973. Thanks to Hendrika Vande Kemp for correcting  an error and for pointing to omissions in the original post.

Image Source: Barnard College, Mortarboard 1925, p. 62.

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Mary Chandler Coit
(1895-1984)

1895. Born May 7 in Winchester, Massachusetts to Robert Coit and Eliza Atwood.

1917. Received A.B. with Distinction in Economics from Radcliffe College.

1920. Living with parents in Winchester, Massachusetts working as a secretary at a college.

1925. Received A.M. from Radcliffe College.

1930. Married Oscar Hatch Hawley March 11 in Ames, Iowa. In the 1930 census his occupation is listed as college music instructor (in the 1930 Iowa State College yearbook he is the conductor of the Iowa State Band) and hers as college instructor.

1939. Oscar Hatch Hawley died June 29 in Bolton Massachusetts.

1940. Census lists her as a widow farmer living in Worcester, Massachusetts with two sons, 8 and 6 years of age.

1984. Died 17 July in Lawrence, Massachusetts.

 

Sources: From genealogical data found at ancestry.com. The Iowa State College yearbook, Bomb, 1930.

Image Source: Radcliffe Yearbook, 1917, p. 34.

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Emily Harriet Huntington
(1895-1982)

1895. Born October 22 in Sacramento, California to Dr. Thomas W. Huntington and Harriet Olive Pearson.

1917. A.B. awarded from University of California.

Worked on a cost of living study at the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Attended graduate department of Bryn Mawr College.

Attended London School of Economics.

1924. A.M. awarded by Radcliffe College.

1926-7. Instructor in Economics at Simmons College in Boston.

1928. Ph.D. from Radcliffe College. Thesis Cyclical Fluctuations in the Cotton Manufacturing Industry.

1928. Returns to the University of California at the rank of instructor at the faculty of economics.

1930. Appointment to assistant professor

1937. Promotion to associate professor

1944. Promotion to professor.

1961. Retirement.

1982. Died April 20 in Berkeley, California.

 

Source: University of California, Bancroft Library/Berkeley. Regional Oral History Office. Emily H. Huntington: A Career in Consumer Economics and Social Insurance. Interview conducted by Alice Greene King. 1971. From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

Image Source: 1921 passport photo.

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Margaret Fitz Randolph Gay
(1901-1989)

1901. Born December 17 in Toledo Ohio to Edwin Francis Gay and Louise Fitz Randolph

1922. A. B. awarded by Radcliffe College. Phi Beta Kappa with distinction in history.

1923. A. M. Radcliffe College.

1928-29. $1,200 Augustus Anson Whitney and Benjamin White Whitney Fellowship to study abroad.

1931-36. Tutor in history and economics at Radcliffe.

1936-41. Assistant professor of history at Scripps College, Claremont, CA

1939. Married Godfrey Davies, member of the research staff of the Huntington Library and editor of its Quarterly.

1942-45. Analyst for Douglas Aircraft Co.

1948-1967. Instructor through professor ranks at Pomona College in Claremont.

1952. Ph. D. in History. Presumably thesis published as The Enforcement of English Apprenticeship: A Study in Applied Mercantilism, 1563-1642 (Harvard Economic Studies 97, Harvard University Press, 1956).

1967. Retirement.

1989. Died August 3 in Santa Barbara, CA.

 

Sources: Radcliffe College Annual Reports. John H. Gleason’s In Memorium: Margaret Gay Davies (1901-89).   From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

Image Source: John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Margaret G. Davies awarded fellowship 1961

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Eunice Shipton Coyle
(1895-1982)

1895. Born October 3 in Boston to James Michael and Agnes M. Eisner.

1918. A.B. Radcliffe College.

1926. A.M. Radcliffe College.

1936. Census Bureau

1940. According to the Census her occupation listed as research worker at the Department of the Treasury.

1982. Died December 29 in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

Source: From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

Image Source: Radcliffe Yearbook 1918, p. 35 .

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Miriam Keeler
(1897-1998)

1897.Born September 30, 1897 in Malden Massachusetts to Charles H. Keeler and Susan R. Fisher.

1920. A. B. Magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke. Phi Beta Kappa.

1926. A.M. in economics from Radcliffe College.

1927. Married Samuel E. Cornelius. (died in 1965).

1929-1936. National Child Labor Committee of New York.

1938. Move to Washington area. Worked at Labor Department, editor of the monthly magazine The Child. issued by the Children’s Bureau.

1957. Wrote pamphlet “What Social Security means to Women”

1960. Retirement.

1998. Died November 12 in Sandy Spring, Maryland.

Source: Obituary “Miriam Keeler, Economist” in Washington Post, Dec. 3, 1993, B10. From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

Image Source: Mt. Holyoke Yearbook, Llamarada, 1920, p. 194.

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Gertrude Brown
(1903-1989)

1903. Born Mary Gertrude Brown on February 26 in Carre, Vermont to Joseph E. Brown and Dora Ellen Reagan.

1924. A. B. Mount Holyoke College. (Mary E. Wooley Fellowship)

1926. A. M. in economics. Radcliffe College.

1926. Assistant in the Department of Economics and Statistics, M.I.T.

1927. Married Elmer J. Working (Harvard economics Ph.D.) June 11 in Somerville, Massachusetts.

1928. Residence in St. Paul, Minnesota. Husband employed as associate professor in the College of Agriculture.

1932. Ph.D. in Economic History at Radcliffe College. “The History of Silk Culture in the North American Colonies.”

1930. Residence in Washington, D.C. Husband employed as a government economist.

1935. Residence in Washington, D.C.

1940. Living in Urbana, Illinois. Husband professor at the University of Illinois.

1989. Died January 9 in Denver Colorado.

Source: From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

Image Source: Mt. Holyoke Yearbook, Llamarada, 1924, p. 68.

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Ruth Guppy
(1899-1991)

1899. Born June 11 in Marblehead, MA to George Guppy (architect, born in New York City) and Florence R. Gray (born in Chelsea, MA).

1926. A.M., Radcliffe College.

1930. According to Census, Ruth Guppy was single, living in Brooklyn and working as an economic researcher for a bank.

1930. Married Lawrence G. Ropes in 1930.

1940. Residence in Beverly, Massachusetts. Husband’s occupation listed as hydraulic engineer.

1991. Died Jan 7. Last residence Short Hills, New Jersey.

Source: From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *

Lynne Ranieri, a former neighbor of Ruth Guppy Ropes, came across this page in Economics in the Rear-view Mirror during the course of her research on her former neighbor. Ms. Ranieri graciously provided me the image of Ruth Guppy, age ca. 15 years and wrote me via Facebook:

At the end of her life my neighbor, Ruth Guppy Ropes lived with her brother here in NJ and when he moved to MA to be with his son (by which time Ruth had died), I attended his estate sale and bought some artifacts of their lives, including photos of Ruth. I saw your blog post had photos of some of the Radcliffe petitioners, but none of Ruth. In the event you would like to add her to your archives, I have attached here one of my favorite photos of her at her desk. The photo is dated 1914 and as Ruth was born in 1899, I would assume this was when she was in high school. If it is too small to see, I can email you a larger version. I have also attached here a photo of an obviously-older Ruth [see below]. FYI, it seems she married Mr. Ropes in 1930 and I have not yet found any evidence of her having returned to her work in economics…
I am happy to see Ruth get a bit more recognition for her accomplishments. She was much older than I am and I didn’t have much time to get to know her well, but in the little time I spent with her it was clear she was a bright, gentle woman.

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Anna True Gilchrist
(1882-??)

1882. Born January 17 in Arlington, Massachusetts to George E. Gilchrist (born in Canada) and Annie J. Warren.

1900. Pupil at Northfield Seminary in Northfield, Massachusetts.

1901-02. Lived in Europe.

1910. Residence in Melrose, Massachusetts with parents.

1906. A. B. Boston University. Member Delta Delta Delta and Phi Beta Kappa.

1920. Listed in the Simmons College yearbook Microcosm as a graduate student.

1922. Passport renewal application for travel to England, Egypt, Palestine, Greece, France, Italy and Switzerland with scheduled departure on the Lapland (President Wilson) on January 18, 1923. Her occupation is listed as social worker, residing in Melrose.

1926. A.M., Radcliffe College.

1940. Residence at 110 Sewall Ave. in Brookline, MA.

Source: From genealogical data found at ancestry.com.

 

Categories
Barnard Columbia Economists

Columbia. Budgeting John Bates Clark’s Salary After His Retirement, ca. 1911

 

The following undated memorandum comes from Prof. E.R.A. Seligman’s papers in a folder of Columbia related material for 1911-1913. From the Bulletin of the Faculty of Political Science we know that Prof. Simkhovitch took over Clark’s course on socialism in 1908 (Seligman below writes that Simkhovitch gave a similar course “at Columbia for the last two or three years”). Robert E. Chaddock took up the statistics assistant professorship mentioned in the memo in 1911. So it is pretty clear that this memorandum was written to motivate the economics department decision not to seek a senior professor with the funds released by Clark’s retirement but instead divided the funds between hiring someone for statistics, additional compensation for Henry Roger Seager to continue his teaching a labor course at Barnard and additional compensation for Professor Vladimir Simkhovitch to take over Clark’s course on Socialism at Barnard.

_____________________________

MEMORANDUM in reference to PROFESSOR CLARK’S RETIREMENT.

Professor Clark’s retirement is a serious loss to the Department of Economics and to Barnard College. Ordinarily the withdrawal of such a distinguished member of the faculty should lead to the appointment of a successor of equal prominence. In this case, however, there is no one of equal distinction available, and after making a thorough and impartial survey of the field, the department is convinced that it will be wiser to call the most promising younger man to be found as assistant professor then to call in a full professor who might prove disappointing. This plan has the advantage, moreover, of permitting a readjustment of the courses in economics to be open to Barnard students that would be highly advantageous for the College.

It will be remembered that when the original arrangement was entered into the trustees of Barnard agreed to provide the sum of $5,000 toward the higher or university work in economics at Columbia, on condition that certain courses at Columbia be open to women graduates, and on the further understanding that the Department of Economics should provide six hours a week of lectures in economics to Barnard Seniors at Barnard College. Later on, by special arrangement with Dean Gill, as ratified by the trustees, it was provided that two of these six hours might be given at Columbia instead of Barnard. It is now proposed to readjust the courses so as to provide ampler opportunities for Barnard students.

In considering the interests of Barnard, three facts should be held in view. First, experience has shown that merely throwing open courses given at Columbia to Barnard students fails adequately to meet their needs. The plan adopted when Professor Clark was called here of having six hours advanced work in economics given at Barnard ought to be reintroduced. Second, the number of students desiring to take advanced work in economics is steadily increasing and for their benefit every opportunity should be seized which will open to them additional courses at Columbia. Third, the most important field of economics study not now covered by the courses offered at Barnard is that of economic and social statistics. Not only does the ordinary student need a knowledge of statistical methods to apply economic theories to the facts of every day life, but Barnard graduates are concerned to an ever increasing extent with different forms of social service. Some become the paid agents of settlement, charitable societies or municipal departments concerned with social work. Others become officers in reform and charitable organizations. For both classes, training in the manipulation and interpretation of statistics would be of great value.

Having regard to these three facts the plan which the Department of Economics recommends is as follows: –

(1) that $2,500 of the $5,000 released by Professor Clark’s withdrawal be used to pay the salary of an assistant professor, who shall give a course on social and economic statistics to Barnard Seniors. While this professor under the terms of the original agreement, is to be primarily a graduate professor, he may, if so desired, be asked temporarily to relieve Professor Mussey of one of the Junior sections in Economics A1–A2 in exchange for a university course by Professor Mussey. It is also proposed that in further recognition of a similar course to be given by the new instructor at Columbia and of supervising work in the statistical laboratory at Columbia, which might be open to Barnard students for research work, the Department of Economics should admit Barnard Seniors to Columbia courses given by Professors Seligman, Giddings, Seager, and Mussey, that is, Sociology 151-152, Economics 101-2, Economics 107-108, Economics 106, and Economics 104.

(2) That Professor Seager be asked to continue his course on the Labor Problem at Barnard and that a contribution of $1,500 towards his salary be paid out of the $5,000 released. Professor Clark’s withdrawal will add to Professor Seager’s burdens at Columbia and his natural inclination would be to meet the situation by discontinuing his course at Barnard. If he continues his course it seems but fair that a contribution toward his salary should be paid out of Barnard funds.

(3) That Professor Simkhovitch be asked to give at Barnard the course on Socialism and Social Reform formerly given by Professor Clark and that the remaining $1,000 of the $5,000 fund be contributed to his salary. Fortunately Professor Simkhovitch is specially qualified to give such a course acceptably, having given a similar course at Columbia for the last two or three years.

By carrying out this plan the Barnard trustees will not only secure a reintroduction of the six hours of advanced instruction in economics for the special benefit of Barnard Seniors, courses even better adapted to the present needs of such Seniors than those previously given, but will also secure admission for Barnard students to eight of the most valuable courses in economics and social science offered at Columbia, without any increase in the appropriation for economic instruction. Inasmuch as at the present time only four hours are given to Barnard Seniors, and only five Columbia courses are open to them, we believe that the plan is fair to all concerned and that it will prove highly advantageous to Barnard College.

 

Source: Columbia University Libraries, Manuscript Collections. Seligman, Edwin Robert Anderson Collection. Box 98a, Folder “Columbia (A-Z) 1911-1913”.

Image Source:  Barnard College student council. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540.