Category: Columbia

This Columbia Faculty of Political Science minute dedicated to the memory of E.R.A. Seligman is the second biographical item posted for him in Economics in the Rear-view Mirror. The earlier item was published in Universities and Their Sons (vol. 2) in 1899.

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Edwin Robert Anderson Seligman, 1861-1939

Through the death of Professor Seligman on July 18, the Faculty of Political Science has lost a colleague distinguished in many ways and beloved for many qualities. No member of the University except President Butler has served Columbia for so many years, and none had contributed more as investigator, teacher, editor, and counsellor to its work. What he did for science and for education grew out of a keen interest in social welfare and grew into multiform activities as a philanthropist, a citizen, and an adviser to lawmakers and public officials. Our sorrow at his passing is mingled with pride in his career a life-long effort to make learning help toward solving problems that confront mankind.

Inheritance and environment combined to produce Professor Seligman’s alert intellect and his social sympathies. Born in New York City on April 25, 1861, eleven days after Fort Sumter fell, he was christened Edwin Robert Anderson in honor of its defender. Growing up in a family of vitality, wealth, and wide cultural interests, he responded to the stimulating influences of his circle with remarkable precocity. Even more remarkable was his industry. After studying in the Columbia Grammar School, he entered Columbia College at fourteen. In his senior year the teaching of Professor John W. Burgess focussed his interests upon political science. On graduating at eighteen he chose a scholar’s life despite his father’s wish that he enter the family bank – a choice the more noteworthy because he possessed a quickness in analyzing complicated problems, and ability in negotiation, and drive toward incessant activity that would have won success in business.

In 1879, still only eighteen, he went abroad for post-graduate study. Two years in Germany, and one in France, supplemented by vacations in Italy and England, gave him a broad view of European work in the fields he wished to cultivate and acquainted him with many of the workers. Returning to New York in 1882, he entered this School of Political Science that had just been formed at Columbia, and, at the same time, begin the study of law. Within two years he was awarded the degrees of M.A. and LL.B. and in one year more that of Ph.D.

Promptly appointed to a prize lectureship in the School of Political Science, young Dr. Seligman began his career as a teacher in 1885 – a career that continued for forty-six years. His early courses dealt with the history of economics, railway problems, and tariffs. Presently what he’d like to call a “mere accident of departmental organization” led him to take up public finance. It proved to be a subject admirably suited to one who united capacity for analysis with extraordinary mastery of realistic detail, and unflagging energy.

A notice in the Political Science Quarterly sense of his work in this field:

“Professor Seligman early recognized the practical importance in the scientific interest of incidence and progression and he made these two subjects peculiarly his own province, pushing the analysis to borders far beyond those reached by earlier writers. His monographs in dealing with these topics served as the foundation stones of his reputation. However, as he was drawn into the discussion of the many important fiscal issues that arose during his lifetime, he wrote the luminously on almost every aspect of public finance – on the income tax, the general property tax, the inheritance tax, on war finance, and international double taxation, and on many other topics, dignifying and illuminating every subject he discussed.

“It has been an occasion for regret, particularly by his host of students, that Professor Seligman never published a systematic treatise covering the general field of public finance. His reason for not doing so reveals one of his most appealing characteristics, that in his constant and passionate questing for new truth. He made plans for such a treatise and carried the work forward to an advanced stage; but no draft was ever satisfactory, judged by his own high standard, for he was always modifying and adjusting his views and his analysis in the light of further observation, study and reflection. Only five years before his retirement he published in this Quarterly a remarkable series of articles, entitled “The Social Theory of Fiscal Science”, in which he radically modified many of the fundamental concepts and definitions used in his earlier work. The mind of Professor Seligman continued to grow until the very end. It would not be surprising if his monumental theory of fiscal science, the fruit of his last seven years since retirement, should prove, when published, to be the most valuable and significant of his contributions.”

In addition to the enormous amount of work devoted to his “specialty”, Professor Seligman somehow found time and energy for other undertakings that would have overtasked most mortals. He helped to organize the first university settlement in this country, and later served both Greenwich House and the Neighborhood Guild. He took an effective share in fighting the spoils system in local government, and was among the founders of the City Club of New York and the Bureau of Municipal Research. Housing reform was one of his life-long interests. The Society for Ethical Culture counted him among its staunchest supporters. Though he grew up in a great city and made his home there, he loved nature, and labored with the characteristic shrewdness and vigor for the preservation of wildlife.

Economists are grateful to Professor Seligman not only for his scientific contributions but also for the active party took in founding the American Economic Association, for the Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences which he did more than anyone else to turn from a dream into an accomplishment, and for the loving care with which he assembled his great collection of books relating to the development of economics. Purchased by Columbia, the Seligman Library ranks high among the University’s treasures, and will be used for generations to come by scholars who are interested in the gradual unfolding of men’s thoughts about their social institutions.

All who believe in liberty of thought are indebted to him for wise and forceful championship of academic freedom. Long before the American Association of University Professors was founded, he had defended scholars who were under fire for expressing what they held to be true, and he kept this course through praise and blame after many others had rallied to his side. What he said carried weight because he stressed the duty of a teacher to maintain a scientific attitude in discussing controversial issues not less strongly than he stressed the duty of administrators and trustees to remember the Bill of Rights.

As the years went on, the calls for his help multiplied beyond any man’s power to meet. Especially was his advice sought upon questions of public finance. No one has contributed so much directly and through pupils, to improve the fiscal systems of American governments, local, state and national. Generously as he gave time to philanthropic and public service, he never neglected his university duties. Year after year he taught classes that grew in size, and carried the burden of administration for his department. He served long terms as editor of the Political Science Quarterly and of the Columbia Studies in History, Economics, and Public Law. His acts of kindness to youthful colleagues and his students are memories treasured by many in our circle, and by more who are far away.

Recognition came to him in abundance – honorary degrees, medals, membership in foreign academies, decorations. His numerous books were translated into many tongues. And every quarter of the globe he had devoted pupils and friends, from Ambedkar of the Untouchables in India, to Lord Stamp in Great Britain and the Chief Justice of the United States. We who had the privilege of working by his side wherever the qualities to which his friendship, fame, and honors were spontaneous tributes, and shall seek to emulate as best we can the example he set of on resting search for knowledge.

Source: Columbia University Archives. Minutes of the Faculty of Political Science, 1920-1939. November 17, 1939, pp. 856-859.

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Columbia Honors Late Dr. Seligman

The late Dr. Edwin R. A. Seligman, economist and tax authority will be honored at a Memorial meeting sponsored by Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler and trustees of Columbia University in Low Memorial Library at 4:30 P, M. today.

Dr. Butler will read a letter from Charles Evans Hughes, Chief Justice of the United States, extolling Professor Seligman, who died July 18. Dr. Seligman was a member of the Columbia teaching staff for fifty-four [sic, 45] years, and was professor emeritus from 1931 until his death.

Source: Columbia Daily Spectator, Volume LXIII, Number 52, 13 December 1939.

Image Source: Clipping from portrait in American Economic Review, 1943.