Category: Economists

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Economics Programs Economists M.I.T.

M.I.T. Department of Economics Annual Report by E. Cary Brown, 1975-1976

The following annual report of the M.I.T. department of economics was most likely written for the care and feeding of administrators and the members of the department’s visiting committee. This report covers what was my second year of graduate school, so for folks from that time it reads like an annual Holiday newsletter to the family.

_______________________

Department of Economics
1975 – 76

Undergraduate Program

The long-run impact of the past year’s changes in the Institute Requirement in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences is not yet clear. Unquestionably they have increased the Department’s enrollment, but the precise amount is uncertain because simultaneously a major revision was made in the two introductory economics subjects. In the past year enrollments were larger than previously, but smaller than in the transition of the previous year. Nearly 200 of the Class of 1976 concentrated in economics for their Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences Requirement. Of all students presently enrolled, 327 (primarily juniors and seniors) have elected to concentrate in economics.

Undergraduate majors remain steady in numbers. As in 1974-75, 20 degrees were awarded. In the spring term the Undergraduate Economics Association was reactivated. Its weekly meetings with faculty led to several proposals for revision of the undergraduate program, and several student-faculty socials were organized.

Graduate Program

Enrollment has been remarkably steady in the graduate program. The number of applications for admission was virtually identical to the average of the previous six years. Next year’s entering class of 32 will be slightly larger than average, and will have fewer foreign students and more women, reflecting a shift in the percentage of applications from these groups. Four students from minority groups are expected to be in this class.

Financial support for the graduate student has changed very little over the last several years. We are still fortunate in having from one-third to one-half of the entering students on National Science Foundation Fellowships. For the whole student body, there has been an increase in the support by US foundations (other than NSF) and a decrease in support provided by M.I.T.

The number receiving the Doctor of Philosophy increased somewhat in the past year to 21. For the first time, two American blacks received degrees.* The class fared well in placement, their median salary offer totaling 24 percent above that of 1971. Like the past average, 86 percent went into teaching and 14 percent into non-teaching positions.

*Samuel Myers, Jr. Ph.D. thesis: “A Portfolio Model of Illegal Transfers”, supervised by Robert Solow.
Glenn Loury. Ph.D. thesis: “Essays in the Theory of the Distribution of Income”, supervised by Robert Solow.
See: William Darity Jr. and Arden Kreeger, “The Desegregation of an Elite Economics Department’s PhD Program: Black Americans at MIT“, History of Political Economy 46 (annual suppl.)

The Graduate Economics Association awarded the outstanding teacher in the Department prize to Professor Stanley Fischer.

PUBLIC SERVICE ACTIVITIES

The faculty has always been involved in public service activities tying research to the public interest. In connection with M.I.T.’s participation in the Bicentennial Celebration, Professor Jagdish N. Bhagwati set up a recent conference on the New International Economic Order: Professor Ann F. Friedlaender is planning one for this fall on Air Pollution and Administrative Control. Through the German Marshall Fund, Professor Richard S. Eckaus is organizing a fall conference on economic problems of Portugal. Professor Franco Modigliani arranged a conference through the Bank of Finland on International Monetary Mechanisms.

Various Congressional committees and government agencies have been advised. Professor Peter A. Diamond served on the Consultant Panel on Social Security for the Congressional Research Service. Professors Rudiger Dornbusch and Fischer and Institute Professor Paul A. Samuelson prepared a report for the US Department of Commerce on international financial arrangements. Professor Robert E. Hall was a member of the Advisory Committee on Population Statistics, Bureau of the Census. Professor Jerry A. Hausman served on the Econometrics Advisory Committee to the Federal Energy Administration. Institute Professor Modigliani was a consultant and member of the Committee on Monetary Statistics, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Institute Professor Samuelson consulted with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, the US Treasury, and the Congressional Budget Office. Professor Charles A. Myers was a member of the National Manpower Policy Task Force. Institute Professor Robert M. Solow served as Deputy Chairman, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.

Several faculty members have been involved with the National Academy of Sciences and its related organizations. Professor Eckaus prepared a report, Appropriate Technology for Developing Countries, for the Board on Science and Technology for Developing Countries of the National Academies of Science and Engineering. Professor Franklin M. Fisher served on a National Academy panel on the Effects of Deterrence and Incapacitation; Professor Friedlaender was on the Executive Committee, Assembly of Behavioral and Social Sciences, National Research Council; Institute Professor Modigliani was on the Finance Committee; Institute Professor Samuelson served on the Editorial Board of the Proceedings; and Institute Professor Solow chaired the Steering Committee on Environmental Studies.

Professor Eckaus led an OECD Mission to Portugal that included Professors Lance Taylor and Dornbusch.* Professor Paul L. Joskow was a consultant to OECD in energy. Professor Evsey D. Domar was a member of a delegation of economists sent by the American Economic Association to the Soviet Union. Institute Professor Modigliani, who gave much time to the problems of stabilization in Italy, was a member of the Board of Directors of the Italian Council for Social Sciences.

*Along with several graduate students among whom were Paul Krugman, Andrew Abel and Jeffrey Frankel. Paul Krugman has written a short note about this experience with a picture!

The Brookings Institution Panel for Economic Activity included Professors Dornbusch and Hall, with Institute Professors Modigliani, Samuelson, and Solow as senior advisors to it. Professor Friedlaender served on the examining committee, Graduate Records Examination, Educational Testing Service. Institute Professor Modigliani served on the Committee on Economic Stabilization, Social Science Research Council. Professor Fisher is a member of the Board of Governors of Tel Aviv University. Institute Professor Solow continues as Trustee for the Institute of Advanced Study.

RESEARCH

International topics seem to dominate the research interests of the faculty. Professor Bhagwati, in addition to his work in developing countries and international trade theory, has given attention to a proposal for applying taxation to the brain drain. Professor Eckaus studied the role of financial markets and their regulation and the behavior of income distribution in economic development. Professor Taylor had three major areas of research: the development of nutrition planning models in Pakistan, international food aid and reserve policies, and growth and income distribution in Brazil.

Professor Morris A. Adelman’s continuing research on the world oil market, Professor Joskow’s analysis of the international nuclear energy industry, and Professor Martin L. Weitzman’s examination of OPEC and oil pricing involve applied microeconomics with international implications.

Research in various applied microeconomics areas was responsible for the second largest fraction of faculty effort. Institute Professor Solow continued to research the economics of exhaustible resources, and Professor Weitzman completed his analysis of the optimal development of resource pools. Professor Joskow has explored the future of the electric utility industry and its financing, the future of the US atomic energy industry, and the pattern of energy consumption in the US. He is developing a simulation model of the energy industry, and is reviewing the regulatory activities of government agencies in general and the health care sector in particular. Professor Hausman examined the Project Independence Report and is analyzing the choice of new technologies in energy research.

In the transporation field, Professor Friedlaender surveyed the issues in regulatory policy for railroads and alternative scenarios in federal transporation policy. Professor Jerome Rothenberg examined such problems in urban transportation as pricing policies, demand sensitivity to price, and modeling locational effects. Professor William C. Wheaton considered an optimal pricing and investment policy in highways under a gasoline tax.

Inextricably intertwined with urban transportation are questions of urban location and housing. Professor Rothenberg carried out research in such aspects of this problem as microeconomics of internal migration, supply-demand for housing in multizoned areas, the impact of energy costs on urban location, and the development of a model of housing markets and of metropolitan development and location that can be applied to general policy questions. Professor Wheaton developed an equilibrium model of housing and locational choice based on Boston experience.

Institute Professor Modigliani also conducted research on the housing market, but his interest comes primarily from the side of stabilization policies and similar macroeconomic problems. He also participated in a review after 20 years of his life cycle hypothesis of saving, made monetary policy prescriptions for both the US and Italy, reflected on the description of financial sectors in econometric models, and explored more deeply the application of optimal control to the design of optimal stabilization policies in economic models. Institute Professor Samuelson reviewed the art and science of macromodels over the 50 years of their development. Professor Friedlaender completed a quarterly macromodel of the Massachusetts economy. Professor Hall developed a model to deal with income tax changes and consumption.

Public economics has both macro and micro aspects, both of which are represented in the Department’s research. With Visiting Professor James A. Mirrlees, Professor Diamond theorized about public shadow prices with constant returns to scale, and about the assignment of liability. He also has generalized the Ramsey tax rule and continued his research into an optimal Social Security system. Professor Hausman is reexamining the cost of a negative income tax; Professor Rothenberg analyzed the distributional impact of public service provision; and Professor Wheaton explored intertemporal effects of land taxes, fiscal federalism in practice, and the financial plight of American cities.

Besides such theoretical research, there was significant research of an entirely pure nature. Professor Robert L. Bishop reexamined the measurement of consumer surplus. Professor Fisher extended his exploration of the stability of general equilibrium and of aggregate production functions. Professor Weitzman investigated the welfare significance of national product in a dynamic economy. Professor Hal R. Varian further explored the theory of fairness, non-Walrasian equilibria, and macromodels of unemployment and disequilibrium. Professor Hausman examined the econometric implications of truncated distributions and samples, of probit models, and of simultaneous equation models. In historical research, Professor Domar was concerned with serfdom, while Professor Charles Kindleberger investigated the role of the merchant in nineteenth-century technologic transfer.

Publications

Professor Bhagwati edited Taxing the Brain Drain: A Proposal and Brain Drain and Taxation: Theory and Empirical Analysis, and coauthored Foreign Trade Regimes and Economic Development: India. Professors Dornbusch and Kindleberger published numerous papers on implications of the new international monetary exchange structure for exchange rates, price stability, international trade, and international capital movements. Professor Weitzman continued his study of the Russian economy with a paper on the new Soviet incentive model.

With Visiting Professor of Management Ezio Tarantelli*, Institute Professor Modigliani published Labor Market, Income Distribution and Private Consumption (in Italian) and various papers on stabilization policy in Italy. He also wrote papers on inflation and the housing market and edited New Mortgage Designs for Stable Housing in an Inflationary Environment. Professor Hall’s labor market research resulted in papers on persistence of unemployment, occupational mobility, and taxation of earnings under public assistance. Professor Michael Piore wrote on labor market stratification and the effect on industrial growth of immigration from Puerto Rico to Boston. Professor Fisher had several publications on indexation and adjustment of mortgages to inflationary episodes. In the realm of economic history, Professor Temin published Reckoning with Slavery and Did Monetary Force Cause the Great Depression?

*Ezio Tarantelli was the victim of a Red Brigades’ assassination in 1985.

Institute Professor Samuelson published theoretical papers on factor price equalization and trade pattern reversal. In the realm of pure research, he put out papers on nonlinear and stochastic population analysis, optimal population growth, and the optimal Social Security system implied in a lifecycle growth model. He also brought out the tenth edition of his famous text, Economics: An Introduction Analysis.

FACULTY

Visiting Professor John R. Moroney was here from Tulane University; Visiting Professor Mirrlees came in the spring term from Nuffield College, Oxford University. Regular faculty on leave were Professors Fisher and Joskow in the fall and Professor Weitzman in the spring.

It is a pleasure to report the promotion to Associate Professor of Jerry A. Hausman. A new appointee, Professor Jeffrey E. Harris, with the unusual background of an M.D. and a Ph.D. in economics, will provide long-sought coverage in health economics.

Professor Kindleberger will retire as Ford Professor and become a Senior Lecturer on a half-time basis. Since 1948, when he came as an Associate Professor, Professor Kindleberger has been an effective teacher, scholar, participant in faculty governance, and counselor to governments and the public. He has trained the leading international economists of the next generation; he has produced a dozen books and more than a hundred articles in international trade and finance and in economic history. He epitomizes the highest kind of academician.

Several honors were bestowed on members of the Department. Institute Professor Modigliani will complete his year as President of the American Economic Association. Professor Myers received a Distinguished Alumni award from Pennsylvania State University. Professor Fisher was F.W. Paish Lecturer to the Association of (English) University Teachers of Economics. Institute Professor Solow received a D. Litt. from Warwick University, and Institute Professor Samuelson, a D.Sc. from the University of Rochester.

EDGAR CARY BROWN

Source: MIT Libraries, Institute Archives and Special Collections. MIT Department of Economics Records, Box 1, Folder “Annual Report 1975-6”.

Image Source: Building E52, Alfred P. Sloan Jr. Building, later Morris and Sophie Chang Building

 

https://mitmuseum.mit.edu/collections/subject/building-e52-alfred-p.-sloan-jr.-building-later-morris-and-sophie-chang-building-52

Categories
Chicago Economists Yale

Chicago. Meet Ph.D. alumnus, Charles E. Lindblom, 1945

Charles Edward Lindblom (1917-2018!) was a Chicago economics Ph.D. (1945) who ultimately climbed as far up the Yale ranks as you could get – a Sterling Professorship of Political Science and Economics. He was working on his 1977 book Politics and Markets when I took a course with him in the Spring semester of 1973. His lectures have left no real mark on me, but I recall my impression of watching a thinker in real time who would dare to attempt to think things through while lecturing. I guess it should come as no surprise that someone who attained fame through an article with the title “The Science of ‘Muddling Through’” (1959), talked the talk the way he perceived policymakers to walk the walk (incrementally).

In a different course (Democracy and its Critics) I experienced his long-time colleague and collaborator Robert Dahl as the opposite model of an equally content-rich but silky smooth lecture style. I am glad to have sat at the feet of both when I was still of an impressionable age.

_____________________

From: The Yale Banner of 1960

Associate Professor of Economics CHARLES E. LINDBLOM came to Yale in 1946, after receiving his B.A. at Stanford and his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Mr Lindblom has always had an interest in the fields where economics and political science converge, and thus he is active in both areas. In 1951 he held a Guggenheim Fellowship and later he was a fellow at the Center for Advance Studies in the Behavorial Sciences. Mr. Lindblom also assisted former Connecticut Governor Bowles [Fun fact: Gov. Chester Bowles was economist Sam Bowles‘ father.] on the problems of housing and compensation legislation. At present, Professor Lindblom is on a committee on Latin American economics for the Twentieth Century Fund, a consultant for the RAND Corporation, and a consultant to a United States Senate subcommittee. On the Yale scene, he is an advisor to the Political Union and has written Politics, Economics and Welfare with Mr. [Robert] Dahl and Unions and Capitalism; he is working on several books now. What time he can salvage from this busy schedule is devoted to woodworking and sculpting. Next year he will be a Ford Faculty Fellow in economics.

Source: The Yale Banner 1960, p. 39.

Categories
Economists Yale

Yale. Meet an assistant professor of economics. Montias, 1960

One of the first professors to lead me into the field of comparative economic systems was John Michael Montias (1928-2005). He provided me an early exposure to the economic theory behind the indexes of comparative productivity computed by Abram Bergson (see Chapter 6 by Bergson and also Chapter 7 by Evsey Domar published in Alexander Eckstein (ed.), Comparison of Economic Systems: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches. U. of California Press, 1971).

The portrait shows Mike Montias in his early thirties, a beaming assistant professor at Yale. I include the short biographical clip from The Yale Banner of 1960 that accompanied the portrait. I can confirm that he was very much “a genial person” and will add a “a very learned scholar.”

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From: The Yale Banner of 1960

An authority on Soviet economics, JOHN M. MONTIAS, Assistant Professor of Economics, came to Yale in 1958 after extensive study at Columbia. As an undergraduate, Professor Montias studied both Russian and economics and decided to combine them in his later career. After serving three years as an economic analyst for the United Nations in Geneva, Beirut, and New York, Mr. Montias traveled extensively in central Europe, working as a consultant for the Ford Foundation on the Polish Fellowship Program and holding several fellowships and grants for research. In addition to co-authoring a book on the Polish economy, Professor Montias has written for numerous professional magazines. Mr. Montias likes to play chess, study languages and travel. A genial person, Mr. Montias is well liked in his undergraduate course on the Soviet economy and his graduate course on central planning.

Source: The Yale Banner 1960, p. 35.

Categories
Economists Harvard

Harvard. Some biographical backstory for Evsey Domar up through 1943

This post started small as simply the archival documentation of the teaching fellow positions at Harvard held by my dear dissertation advisor, Evsey Domar, before he left to work at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 1943. But a detail led me to dive into immigration and citizenship records accessible through the genealogy website ancestry.com and I surfaced with Evsey David Domar’s, then (Evsey [Joshua] Domashevitsky’s) declaration of intention (1936) and petition for naturalization (1942). These two artifacts have been included in the post.

In an earlier post I provided Evsey Domar’s account of the final stage of his Ph.D. thesis review.

Harlan Monell Smith (b. 1914, d. 2013!), together with Alvin Hansen, signed an affidavit regarding Evsey Domar’s moral and civic worthiness for U.S. citizenship. Smith himself was educated at Harvard, Brown and the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1949). He went on to become an economics professor at the University of Minnesota. (His obituary can be found at the Minneapolis “Star Tribune”, April 20, 2013, p. B4).

_________________

Evsey Domar
Timeline

1914. Born in Lodz, Poland.
1916. Family moved to Harbin, Manchuria.
1930. Graduated from a Russian high school.
1930-1932 (ca.) Study of economics at the State Faculty of Law in Harbin.
1934. Moved to Dairen, Manchuria.
1936. Emigrated to the United States.
1939. B.A. in Economics  UCLA
1940. Student at University of Chicago
1941. M.A.  (Mathematical Statistics) University of Michigan.
1943. A.M. Harvard University.
1947. Ph.D. Harvard University.
1943-46. Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
1946-47. Assistant Professor, Carnegie Institute of Technology.
1947-48. Research associate. Cowles Commission, University of Chicago.
1948-55. Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University.
1955-58. Professor, Johns Hopkins University.
1958-1984. Professor, M.I.T.
1984-1997. Professor Emeritus, M.I.T. [taught some courses at Brandeis and Wellesley during this time]
1997. Died in Concord, Massachusetts.

_________________

From a note written for a relative

EVSEY D. DOMAR

            I grew up in Harbin, Manchuria, where my family arrived in 1916. Harbin was the hub of the Chinese Eastern Railroad built by the Russians across Manchuria at the end of the last century. It was practically a Russian city, with Russian newspapers, theaters, and even Russian weights and measures. Originally, it had a Russian administration and Russian laws. I graduated from a Russian high school in 1930 and then studied for a year or so at the Economics Department of the State Faculty of Law. In 1934 I moved to Dairen, a Japanese colony at the very southern tip of Manchuria, a delightful city on the sea with an excellent climate but without the active cultural life of Harbin….

Source: Duke University, David Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscripts Library. Economists’ Papers Archives. Evsey Domar Papers, Box 3, Folder “Correspondence D-General.”

_________________

U.S. Department of Labor
Immigration and Naturalization Service
No. 23 51762

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the immigration records show that the alien named below arrived at the port, on the date, and in the manner shown, and was lawfully admitted to the United States of America for permanent residence.

Name: Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky
Port of entry: San Pedro, California
Date: August 16, 1936.
Manner of arrival: SS Taiyo Maru

I FURTHER CERTIFY that this certificate of arrival is issued under authority of, and in conformity with, the provisions of the Act of June 29, 1906, as amended, solely for the use of the alien herein named and only for naturalization purposes.

In Witness Whereof, this Certificate of Arrival is issued.
[Stamped: “Oct 9—1936”]
[Signed]
D. W. MacCormack, Commissioner

_________________

No. 78493

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

(Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof)

United States of America
Southern District of California
County of Los Angeles

ss: In the District Court of the United States
at Los Angeles

I, Evsey (Joshua) Domaschevitsky now residing at1154 W. 37th Dr., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. Occupation Student, aged 22 years, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Sex Male, color white, complexion medium, color of eyes dk.brown, color of hair dk.brown, height 5 feet 4 ½ inches; weight 143 pounds; visible distinctive marks mole on left ear and on right cheek, race Hebrew; nationality Russian. I was born in Lodz, Poland, on April 16, 1914. I am not married. The name of my wife or husband is [left blank], we were married on [left blank], at [left blank]; she or he was born at [left blank], on [left blank], entered the United States at [left blank], on [left blank], for permanent residence therein, and now resides at [left blank]. I have no children, and the name, date and place of birth, [left blank].

I have not heretofore made a declaration of intention:
Number [left blank], on [left blank], at [left blank], my last foreign residence was Dairen, Manchiria [sic]. I emigrated to the United States of America from Kobe, Japan, my lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at San Pedro, Calif. under the name of Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky, on Aug. 16, 1936 on the vessel SS Taiyo Maru. I will, before being admitted to citizenship, renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of which I may be at the time of admission a citizen or subject; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to reside permanently therein. I certify that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of me: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed]
Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky

Subscribed and sworn to me in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Los Angeles, Cal. This 24 day of Oct.anno Domini 1936. Certification No. 23-51762 from the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization showing the lawful entry of the declarant for permanent residence on the date state above, has been received by me. The photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of the declarant.

[signed]
R. B. Zimmerman,
Clerk U.S. District Court, Southern District of California.

Form 2202-L-A
U.S. Department of Labor
Immigration and Naturalization Service

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

OFFICE OF THE DEAN

June 14, 1941

Dear Mr. Conant:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that the following appointments be made for one year from September 1, 1941, at the salaries indicated:

[…]

Teaching Fellows in Economics

Joshua Domashevitsky (B.A., Univ. of California at Los Angeles, 1939; M.A., Michigan, 1941, 640 Oxford Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan (After June: 51 West Second Street, Winona, Minnesota [Note: Domar’s recently immigrated (Dec. 13, 1940) mother Sarah Naumovna Domashevitsky was living in Winona, Minnesota in 1941]); at a salary of $1000. Mr. Domashevitsky is a Polish subject and has taken out first papers in the United States. (1st appointment).

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 178, Folder “Economics, 1940-1941”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

WILLIAM SCOTT FERGUSON, DEAN
PAUL HERMAN BUCK, ASST. DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASST. DEAN

October 27, 1941

Dear Mr. Greene:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin, I recommend that the following increases in salary be made for 1941-42 for members of the Economics Department:

[…]

Joshua Domashevitsky, an increase of $333.33, making a total of $1333.33, all Department.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASST. DEAN

June 5, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that the following appointments be made for one year from July 1, 1942, at the salaries indicated to cover a period of ten months beginning September 1, 1942:

[…]

Teaching Fellow in Economics

Josua Domashevitsky (B.A., University of California at Los Angeles, 1939; M.A., Michigan, 1941), 7 Story Street, Cambridge; at a salary of $1033.33. 2d appointment. Since Mr. Domashevitsky is a Polish citizen and has taken out first papers for citizenship in the United States, a statement concerning his loyalty is attached.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 204, Folder “Economics, 1941-1942”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

E. H. CHAMBERLIN, CHAIRMAN

M-8 LITTAUER CENTER

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

June 6, 1942

Dear Dean Buck:

Mr. Joshua Domashevitsky, who is being recommended by the Department of Economics for reappointment as Teaching Fellow, has been in the United States for a number of years and has taken out his first papers for American citizenship. I am confident there should be no question whatever as to his loyalty to this country.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
E. H. Chamberlin

Dean Paul H. Buck

[Stamped date: “June 8, 1942”]

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 204, Folder “Economics, 1941-1942”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
HENRY CHAUNCEY, ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASSISTANT DEAN

October 2, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that […] the following changes in salary be made for the present academic year:

[…]

            Joshua Domashevitsky, Teaching Fellow in Economics, an increase of $200, making a total of $1233.33.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 226, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943”.

_________________

No. 243932

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION

[Under General Provisions of the Nationality Act of 1940 (Public, No. 853, 76th Cong.)]

To the Honorable the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts at Boston.
This petition for naturalization, hereby made and filed, respectively shows:

(1) My full, true, and correct name is  Evsey David Domaschevitsky a.k.a. Evsey David Domar. (2) My present place of residence is 14 Chauncy Street, Cambridge, Middlesex, Mass. (3) Occupation Student. (4) I am aged 28 years old. (5)  I was born on April 16, 1914 in Lodz Pietrokow Poland. (6) My personal description is: Sex male, color white, complexion medium, color of eyes dkbrown, color of hair brown, height 5 feet 4 ½ inches, weight 134 pounds, visible distinctive marks none, race white; present nationality Polish. (7) I am not married; the name of my wife or husband is [left blank], we were married on [left blank], at [left blank]; she or he was born at [left blank], on [left blank], and entered the United States at [left blank], on [left blank], for permanent residence therein, and now resides at [left blank] and was naturalized on [left blank] at [left blank] certificate No. [left blank]; or became a citizen by [left blank]. (8) I have no children, and the name, sex, date, and place of birth, and present place of residence of each of said children who is living, are as follows: [left blank]. (9) My last foreign residence was Dairen, Manchuria. (10) I emigrated to the United States of America from Kobe, Japan. (11) My lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at San Pedro, Calif. under the name of Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky, on Aug. 16, 1936 on the SS Taiyo Maru as shown by the certificate of my arrival attached to this petition.

(12) Since my lawful entry for permanent residence I have not been absent from the United States, for a period or periods of 6 months or longer, as follows:

[Table without entries omitted here]

(13) I declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States on October 24, 1936 in the USDC Court of Southern District at Los Angeles California. (14) It is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which at this time I am a citizen or subject, and it is my intention to reside permanently in the United States. (15) I am not, and have not been for the period of at least 10 years immediately preceding the date of this petition, an anarchist; nor a believer in the unlawful damage, injury, or destruction of property, or sabotage; nor a disbeliever in or opposed to organized government; nor a member of or affiliated with any organization or body of persons teaching disbelief in or opposition to organized government. (16) I am able to speak the English language (unless physically unable to do so). (17) I am, and have been during all of the periods required by law, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States. (18) I have resided continuously in the United States of America for the term of 5 years at least immediately preceding the date of this petition, to wit, since Aug. 16, 1936 and continuously in the State in which this petition is made for the term of 6 months at least immediately preceding the date of this petition, to wit, since Feb. 1, 1942. (19) I have not heretofore made petition for naturalization: No. [left blank] on [left blank] at [left blank] in [left blank] Court, and such petition was dismissed or denied by that Court for the following reasons and causes, to wit: [left blank] and the cause of such dismissal or denial has since been cured or removed. (20) Attached hereto and made a part of this, my petition for naturalization, are my declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States (if such declaration of intention be required by the naturalization law), a certificate of arrival from the Immigration and Naturalization Service of my said lawful entry into the United States for permanent residence (If such certificate of arrival be required by the naturalization law), and the affidavits of at least two verifying witnesses required by law.

(21) Wherefore, I, your petitioner for naturalization, pray that I may be admitted a citizen of the United States of America, and that my name be changed to

Evsey David Domar.

(22) I, aforesaid petitioner, do swear (affirm) that I know the contents of this petition for naturalization subscribed by me, that the same are true to the best of my own knowledge, except as to matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, and that as to those matters I believe them to be true, and that this petition is signed by me with my full, true name: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed]
Evsey David Domashevitsky
Evsey David Domar

AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES

The following witnesses, each being severally, duly, and respectively sworn, depose and say:

My name is Alvin H. Hansen, my occupation is college professor. I reside at 56 Juniper Rd. Belmont, Mass. and

My name is Harlin [sic] M. Smith, my occupation is student. I reside at 15½ Shepard St. Cambridge, Mass.

I am a citizen of the United States of America Wit. Hansen I have personally known and have been acquainted in the United States with said Domashevitsky, the petitioner named in the petition for naturalization of which this affidavit is a part, since October 1, 1941 and Wit. Smith has known the petitioner since Feb. 1, 1942 to my personal knowledge, the petitioner has resided immediately preceding the date of filing this petition, in the United States continuously since the date last mentioned and at Cambridge, in the State of Mass. continuously since Feb. 1, 1942 and I have personal knowledge that the petitioner is and during all such periods has been a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States, and in my opinion the petitioner is in every way qualified to be admitted a citizen of the United States.

            I do swear (affirm) that the statements of fact I have made in this affidavit of this petition for naturalization subscribed by me are true to the best of my knowledge and belief: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed] Alvin H. Hansen
[signed] Harlan M. Smith

Subscribed and sworn to before me by the above-named petitioner and witnesses in the respective forms of oath shown in said petition and affidavit in the office of the Clerk of said Court at Boston, Mass. this 13th day of October Anno Domini 1942. I herby certify that Certificate of Arrival no 23 51762 from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, showing the lawful entry for permanent residence of the petitioner above named, together with Declaration of Intention no. 78493 of such petitioner, has been by me filed with, attached to, and made a part of this petition on this date.

Deps.

[signed] James S. Allen, Clerk
By [signature illegible], Deputy Clerk.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; SO HELP ME GOD. In acknowledgment whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

[signed] Evsey David Domar…Evsey David Domashevitsky

Sworn to in open court, this 21 day of Dec, A.D. 1942

Petition granted: Line No. [left blank] of List No. 734 and Certificate No. 5703583 issued.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
HENRY CHAUNCEY, ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASSISTANT DEAN

January 27, 1943

Dear Mr. Greene:

Professor Chamberlin has informed me that Mr. Evsey D. Domar (formerly Joshua Domashevitsky) is resigning as Teaching Fellow in Economics as of February 1, 1943. Will you kindly present this resignation to the corporation.

According to Professor Chamberlin Mr. Domar was voted a salary $1233.33 to be pro-rated equally over the ten-month period from September to June. He now says Mr. Domar was expected to carry a heavier load in second half-year. His salary for the first half-year should, therefore, he fixed at a total of $566.67.

Mr. Domar understands than this adjustment will be made in the check to be sent him on February 1. I have asked the Bursar not to make a payment to Mr. Domar until he has been notified by you as to the proper amount to be paid on that date.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 226, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943”.

Image Source: Joshua Domashevitsky (a.k.a. Evsey D. Nomar) in the UCLA yearbook, 1939 Southern Campus, p. 52. Colorized by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.

Categories
Chicago Economist Market Economists Gender

Chicago. Notes on conversation with U Chicago president Colwell by T.W. Schultz, 1946

Biblical Greek Scholar/Theologian Ernest Cadman Colwell served under Chancellor Robert M. Hutchins as the president of the University of Chicago from 1945 to 1951. Theodore W. Schultz was the relatively new head of the Department of Economics who met with Colwell in late September 1946 to brief the president on developments in the economics department, especially with respect to efforts being made in pursuit of several economists needed to fill the gaps left by Henry Simons’ death (1946), Chester W. Wright’s retirement (1944), resignations by Jacob Viner (1946) and Simeon E. Leland (1946), and Oskar Lange’s leave of absence (1945-).

We see in the memorandum of conversation transcribed below that John and Ursula Hicks posed a spousal hire issue needing a creative solution before an actual offer could be made and that sixty year old Frank Knight was due some sort of a “senatorial courtesy” to get him on board with the majority of the department who badly wanted to extend an offer to thirty-one year old Paul Samuelson. 

_________________________

Chicago Economics in 1946

Mitch, David. “A Year of Transition: Faculty Recruiting at Chicago in 1946.” Journal of Political Economy 124, no. 6 (2016): 1714–34. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26549915. Especially the online supplemental materials, where the following memo is quoted in part.

_________________________

More on the Pursuit of Samuelson
by Chicago

Harro Maas, “Making Things Technical: Samuelson at MIT” in E. Roy Weintraub (ed.) MIT and the Transformation of American Economics (Durham: Duke University Press, 2014), pp. 272-294.

Roger Backhouse. Founder of Modern Economics: Paul A. Samuelson. Vol. I: Becoming Samuelson, 1915-1948 (Oxford University Press, 2017), Chapter 28 “Commitment to MIT.”

_________________________

Discussion with Ernest C. Colwell
(25 September 1946)

This discussion with President Colwell was highly satisfactory in that we considered in some detail and carefully, a number of important developments affecting the Department of Economics as follows:

1. I indicated to Mr. Colwell that the role of the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago should be reviewed, with the view of achieving a better division of labor among universities within the U. S. and internationally. An increasing number of universities can do creditable undergraduate work in economics, and also satisfactory graduate work up to and beyond the master’s. There are upwards of two score of such institutions in the U. S. Meanwhile, the number of students seeking training at the undergraduate level, and also in graduate work, has increased rapidly, and the post war promises further growth in numbers. Meanwhile, many Western countries are looking to the U.S. for some of their advanced education in other fields as well as in economics), this along with the development that is taking place within the U. S., suggests that the time has come for the University of Chicago to allocate its resources even more largely to the most advanced reaches of economics. I proposed that we examine carefully the implications of this kind of refocusing of our program. I was pleased that Mr. Colwell found himself drawn to the kind of analysis I was presenting. He made several contributions to it and concurred with the analysis itself. He very cordially urged the Department to examine this thesis and reconstitute itself to serve more effectively, taking full account of the division of labor within American academic institutions.

2. I reviewed in some detail the state of the Department, pointing out the losses that have come as the result of the death of Simons, the retirement of Wright, the resignations of Viner and Leland, and the leave of absence of Lange. I expressed our pleasure in achieving the appointment of Friedman and Blough, and reaffirmed my confidence in our judgment in seeking these appointments.

With regard to additional appointments, the following individuals were discussed.

(1) Mr. and Mrs. Hicks. I reviewed the agreements we had with Mr. Hutchins, which were the foundation of negotiations last spring. I indicated that the Hicks would arrive this week to be with us the fore-part of the fall quarter. If as a result of this opportunity of being together during part of the fall quarter, the Hicks see a real opportunity for their professional efforts at the University of Chicago, and we continue to be genuinely interested in bringing them to this University, would we be permitted to offer Mr. and Mrs. Hicks the salaries and positions that we had discussed last spring realizing we might have to go higher in the case of Mr. Hicks, for I was convinced his standing warranted our paying the maximum. Mr. Colwell said he was willing to authorize an offer of $10,000 to Mr. Hicks, and probed with me for a while the merit of making it higher instead of offering a position to both individuals. It was my judgment that our bargaining power would be at a maximum if we would offer both individuals a position, but that we could escape the liability of dual membership in one family by making the offer to Mrs. Hicks a term appointment — perhaps that of a Lecturer or Research Associate, say for three years at $3,000, and then reconsider at the end of three years, where she would have the privilege of withdrawing or redefining her relationship, and the Department would likewise have that privilege. Thus, the commitment would be permanent in the case of Mr. Hicks, but meaningful in terms of time turned into professional task to Mrs. Hicks and yet allowing flexibility in her case. Mr. Colwell accepted my proposal to proceed with an offer to both Mr. and Mrs. Hicks along the lines I have outlined.

(2) I reported Mr. Viner’s observations that it was not likely Mr. Robbins would leave the London School of Economics, and that, at least for a year, there was no point in making an indirect approach again to see whether or not he might feel free to accept an appointment in this country. Mr. Colwell fully concurred.

(3) I reviewed our offer to Mr. Colin Clark to come to the University of Chicago as guest professor for a year. I also pointed out we had included in the offer $1000 for travel expenses. I Indicated further that several of my colleagues were disposed to feel that we should now make an offer of a permanent appointment to Mr. Clark, since he is not able to obtain leave of absence to come as visiting professor. I then indicated why I felt, although tentatively, that it was unwise to make this move for a permanent relationship with the Department until we had a chance to become personally acquainted with Mr. Clark, although I continue to have a high regard for his professional work as evidenced by his major writings. Mr. Colwell concurred with the view I expressed, namely, we should not make an appointment on a permanent basis, but should try to get Mr. Clark to come as a visiting professor, if not this year, perhaps next year.

(4) I reviewed the case of Albert G. Hart, indicating that he had accepted a position at Columbia before we could approach him with an offer, and that it was important to his own growth to take the position at Columbia for a year. My plan is to approach him at the end of the year, let him weigh alternatives, including the opportunities as he sees them at Columbia. My proposal to Mr. Colwell was that we approach Hart along in February or March in order to induce him to come to Chicago. We discussed Hart’s background in some detail, Mr. Colwell concurred in the procedure I outlined to him.

(5) I then outlined at some length the case of Paul Samuelson of M.I.T. Mr. Colwell had not had the privilege of visiting with Samuelson at the time he was here. Samuelson visited with Hutchins and Gustavson, as far as Central Administration was concerned. I stated it was my judgment that Samuelson is one of the younger men in economics who has a high probability of achieving a distinguished career as an economist, and that in this respect his promise is most outstanding; that I had no doubt of the merits of the case intellectually and would press for an appointment, were that the only consideration, without delay, but that I had to achieve, however, an acceptance of Mr. Samuelson in the Department, not that a majority was lacking; a mandate existed satisfying the University administrative requirements. But the obstacle lies in what in substance is a matter of “senatorial courtesy” in behalf of the most distinguished and senior member of the Department, Professor Frank Knight. I expressed the hope it would be possible to have Professor Knight concur in the appointment and feel it was being made without any discourtesy to him and his professional role and standing in this University and in the profession. I felt this end must and could be achieved and that I was going to give a great deal of effort to it in the coming months. Pending the full exploration of what can be done in this connection I wanted to reserve decision as to whether or not to recommend the appointment of Mr. Samuelson. Mr. Colwell discussed at some length his own appraisal of the problem I had presented. He seemed to be pleased with the approach that was implicit in what I was relating to him. He made the point, and made it explicitly, that if the intellectual stature of Samuelson is as high as my judgment indicated, that it was exceedingly important the University move toward an appointment. I felt sure, though, that he was disposed to await the wishes of the Department, weighing carefully the factors I had tried to describe to him.

  1. At this point Mr. Colwell took me back to my general thesis, namely, the refocusing of the goals of the Department and the use of its resources, urging me to give active attention to this task. Whereupon I suggested the achievement of this role might well mean the setting up of 5 to 7 positions in the Department for individuals to spend 2 to 5 years at this university in what would be essentially a post-doctoral role as scholars, then accept positions elsewhere consistent with their accomplishments and promise. Mr. Colwell was drawn to the proposal as I had put it and referred briefly to similar planning and developments in other fields.

T. W. Schultz.

Source: University of Chicago Archives. Department of Economics, Records. Box 42, Folder “3”.

Categories
Economics Programs Economists Harvard

Harvard. Application for PhD candidacy. Frank D. Graham, 1917

Frank Dunstone Graham (1890-1949) taught at Princeton from 1921 up to his premature death in 1949. The portrait above however comes from the Dartmouth yearbook for the class of 1922. Graham was briefly an assistant professor of economics there for the 1920-21 academic year. Previous to that, from 1917-19 while working on his Harvard Ph.D. he worked as an instructor in economics at Rutgers.

Graham’s records in the files of the Division of History, Government, and Economics of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard have been transcribed for this post. From his transcript we now know exactly which courses he attended as a graduate student at Harvard (and his grades) and from his application to candidacy to the Ph.D. we learn a little bit about his undergraduate preparation at Dalhousie University.

_______________________

AER obituary for Frank D. Graham

In Memoriam: Frank Dunstone Graham 1890-1949, American Economic Review,Vol. 40, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Sixty-second Annual Meeting of the American Economic Asociation (May, 1950), pp. 585-587.

_______________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Application for Candidacy for the Degree of Ph.D.

[Note: Boldface used to indicate printed text of the application; italics used to indicate the handwritten entries]

I. Full Name, with date and place of birth.

Frank Dunstone Graham. Dec 31st 1889, Halifax, N.S.

II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)

Dalhousie University 1906-07: 1910-13
Dalhousie Law School 1913-15
Harvard University 1915-17
Tutor in Classics Dalhousie University 1913-14
Assistant in Political Science Rutgers Univ. 1917-18

III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)

A.B. Dalhousie Univ. (Halifax N.S.) 1913
LL.B. Ibid 1915

IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your undergraduate studies in History, Economics, Government, and in such other fields as Ancient and Modern Languages, Philosophy, etc.)

Two courses in English History.
Elementary Economics. Additional Economics for the degree with distinction. Work covered included Gide’s Principles, Hobson’s Evolution of Modern Capitalism and parts of J. S. Mill and Nicholoson’s on Taxation.
No Government studied in undergraduate work but in my Law course was included. Consitutional and International Law and Consitutional History.
Ancient Languages included 4 years work in Latin and 3 in Greek
Modern Languages I did not study until I came to my graduate work. In Philosophy I took two undergraduate courses one of them devoted to psychology.

V. Department of Study. (Do you propose to offer yourself for the Ph.D., “History,” in “Economics,” or in “Political Science”?)

Economics

VI. Choice of Subjects for the General Examination. (State briefly the nature of your preparation in each subject, as by Harvard courses, courses taken elsewhere, private reading, teaching the subject, etc., etc.)

  1. Economic Theory. Econ 7 and Econ 11 at Harvard. Private reading on the history of economic theory.
  2. Economic History. Econ. 2a and 2b at Harvard. Work read for degree of AB with distinction in Economics, Dalhousie Univ. including English Economic History.
  3. Public Finance. Econ 31. Harvard.
    Course in Economics at Dalhousie included Nicholson’s treatment of Taxation
  4. Sociology. Econ 8, 18a, 18b at Harvard. A considerable amount of private reading
  5. Political Theory. Gov. 6a, 6b Harvard. Degree of LL.B. covers an allied field
  6. International Trade and Tariffs. Econ 33, Econ 20a at Harvard

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

International Trade and Tariffs

VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)

International Trade of the United States in the Greenback Period

IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)

For general exams. The beginning of the session 1917-18.
For special exam same time toward the close of the session 1917-18.

X. Remarks

[Left blank]

Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.

[signed] Charles J. Bullock

*   *   *   [Last page of application] *   *   *

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: F. D. Graham

Approved: May 25, 1917

Ability to use French certified by C. J. Bullock. 20 May 1917.

Ability to use German certified by  C. J. Bullock. 31 May 1918. [D.N.]

Date of general examination June 3, 1918. Passed [D.N.]

Thesis received December 26, 1919.

Read by Professors Taussig, Persons, Day.

Approved January 22, 1920.

Date of special examination February 4, 1920. Passed. [D.T.]

Recommended for the Doctorate January 21, 1920.

Degree conferred  [left blank]

Remarks.  [left blank]

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Record of FRANK DUNSTONE GRAHAM in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

1915-16
Economics 7a1 [half course]
[Economic Theory. Prof. Taussig]		 A
Economics 81 [half course]
[Principles of Sociology, Prof. Carver]		 A
Economics 18a2 [half course]
[Analytical Sociology, Asst. Prof. Anderson]		 B+
Economics 332 [half course]
[International Trade and Tariff Problems. Prof. Taussig]		 B
French A abs.
Government 6a1 [half course]
[History of Political Theories. Asst. Prof. Holcombe]		 A
Government 6b2 [half course]
[Political Theories of Modern Times. Asst. Prof. Holcombe]		 A
Government 20a
[Selected Topics in Municipal Government. Prof. Munro]		 B
1916-17
Economics 2a1 [half course]
[European Industry and Commerce in the Nineteenth Century. Prof. Gay]		 no return
Economics 2b2 [half course]
[Economic History of the United States. Prof. Gay]		 B
Economics 11
[Economic Theory. Asst. Prof. Day]		 B+
Economics 18b2 [half course]
[Historical Sociology. Asst. Prof. Anderson]		 B
Economics 20a [half course]
[Research course: Economic Theory, also International Trade and Tariff Problems. Prof. Taussig]		 B
Economics 31
[Public Finance. Prof. Bullock]		 B+
German A C
Social Ethics 151 [half course]
[Recent Theories of Social Reform. Asst. Prof. Foerster]		 A

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Certification of reading knowledge
of French

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 28, 1917.

Dear Haskins:

This is to certify that I have examined Mr. Graham and found that he has a suitable reading knowledge of French. I understand that he needs this certificate in connection with his candidacy for the master’s degree, but it may cover the French part of the language requirement if he later comes up for the doctor’s degree.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Postponing General Examination Date

Camp Aloha Summer School
Lake Asquam
Ashland, N.H.

Sept 10th 1917

Mr. Geo. M. Robinson
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robinson

After conferring with Professor Bullock and on his advice, I have decided to postpone the date for my General examinations until the Spring rather than this Fall as I requested in my application for the exams for the Ph.D. degree. Will you be so good as to make the necessary alterations?

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Ph.D. study plan approved
[Carbon copy]

29 May 1917

Dear Mr. Graham:

At its meeting on Friday, May 25, the Division of History, Government, and Economics voted to approve your plan of study for the Ph.D. in Economics.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned]

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Postponing General Examination Date

Camp Aloha Summer School
Lake Asquam
Ashland, N.H.

Sept 10th 1917

Mr. Geo. M. Robinson
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robinson

After conferring with Professor Bullock and on his advice, I have decided to postpone the date for my General examinations until the Spring rather than this Fall as I requested in my application for the exams for the Ph.D. degree. Will you be so good as to make the necessary alterations?

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Scheduling General Examination
[Carbon copy]

7 February 1918

My dear Mr. Graham:

Mr. Robinson has shown me your letter of January 28. It is not easy to arrange examinations for the first of June, as professors’ engagements are very uncertain after the beginning of the final examination period. I would suggest that you arrange to get away some day in May and come up for the examination, say on a Saturday. I should be glad to arrange any such day at your convenience. If that does not work out, let me know and I will see what we can do early in June.

Sincerely yours,
[unsigned]

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Certification of reading knowledge
of French and German for Ph.D.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
J. S. Davis
H. H. Burbank

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 31, 1918.

My dear Haskins:

This is to certify that Mr. F. D. Graham has today passed the examination in French and German required for candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

General examination passed

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
J. S. Davis
H. H. Burbank

Cambridge, Massachusetts
June 4, 1918.

My dear Haskins:

Yesterday afternoon Mr. F. D. Graham passed his general examination for the doctor’s degree. Mr. Graham’s examination was not brilliant in any way, but it was distinctly better than the average general examination.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Expecting Christmas time 1919 for thesis submission

Alumni House,
New Brunswick N.J.
Dec. 13th 1919

Dear Miss Taylor

Your letter of yesterday is under my hand. The preliminary draft of my thesis lay for a long time in the hands of Professor Taussig and of Professor Persons with whom Professor Taussig had consulted about it. Pressure of business prevented them from returning it sooner. As a consequence its completion was a good deal delayed. I have however been hurrying it forward of late as rapidly as possible and expect to have it ready about Christmas time. If you will give me an address to which to send it then, I shall get it off just as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Secretary of the Division
of History, Government & Economics
Harvard University

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Instructions for thesis drop-off
[Carbon copy]

15 December 1919

My dear Mr. Graham:

Your thesis when completed should be sent to 24 University Hall, in care of Mr. G. W. Robinson, the Secretary of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. I shall then see that it is submitted to the committee at once.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Members of thesis committee

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Division of History, Government, and Economics

Cambridge, Massachusetts

F. D. Graham
16 December 1919

Committee on Thesis

Professor Taussig or (Prof. Sprague)
Professors Persons and Day

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Dropping off copy of thesis
on Christmas day

25th December 1919

Mr. George W. Robinson
Harvard University

Dear Mr. Robinson:

This is my Ph.D. thesis with the required summary. I was passing through Cambridge today and brought it with me. Miss Dorothy Taylor wrote me that if I delivered it to you she would see that it got into the proper hands.

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Passing completed thesis
around committee
[Carbon copy]

26 December 1919

Dear Taussig:

I find that the other members of Graham’s thesis committee are Professor Persons and Professor Day. If you could get it to either of these before you leave for Chicago, they could doubtless work on it next week. If that is not convenient for you, if you could get it either to Miss Ham or to my office we could see that it reaches the next member of the committee.

Truly yours,
[unsigned]

Professor F. W. Taussig

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Request for Graham’s preference for date of special examination
[Carbon copy]

14 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

Dean Haskins would be glad to know whether you have any preference as to the date of your special examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. If you wish to come up for the degree at mid-years, the examination must be held not later than 7 February. Your thesis is still in the hands of the committee, but will probably be accepted.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Graham Confirms Time and Place
of his Special Examination

Alumni House
New Brunswick N.J.
Jan 28th 1920

My dear Miss Taylor,

Your letter of the 14th inst. [“instant” = of the current month] is under my hand.

My preference as regards a date for my Doctor’s examination is for Wednesday, Febrary 4th, or Thursday, February 5th. If either of those dates is satisfactory to my examiner and to the committee I wish you would so inform me.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Secretary of the Division
of History, Government & Economics
Harvard University

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Committee Named for the General Exam
[Carbon copy]

[Note: T. N. Carver did not serve on the committee and J. S. Davis added later, see letter from the Secretary of the Division (January 31, 1920) below.]

21 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

Dean Haskins is arranging your special examination for the doctorate for Wednesday, 4 February, at 4 P. M. The committee will consist of Professor Carver (Chairman), and Professors Persons, Day, and Sprague.

I will notify you as to the place later.

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Response Cards from
Examiners for Frank D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Day Requested to Replace Carver
As Chair of Exam Committee
[Carbon copy]

24 January 1920

My dear Mr. Day:

As Professor Carver is to be away at the time of Mr. Graham’s examination on 4 February, Dean Haskins would be glad if you would serve as Chairman of the committee.

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Professor E. E. Day.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Time and Place for Special Exam
[Carbon copy]

26 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

I am glad to be able to inform you that your thesis has been accepted. Your examination on 4 February will be held in Widener U at 4 P. M. Will you please acknowledge the receipt of this letter, in order that the Committee may know definitely that you will be present at the examination?

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Graham Confirms Time and Place
of his Special Examination

Alumni House
New Brunswick N.J.
Jan 28th 1920

Dear Miss Taylor,

I have your letter of the 26th reporting the acceptance of my thesis and naming the date and place of my special examination

Sincerely,
[signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Sect’y of the Division
of History, Gov’t & Econ.
Harvard University

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Final Committee
for the Special Examination
[Carbon copy]

31 January 1920

My dear Mr. Day:

I enclose Mr. Graham’s application blank and a copy of his record in the Gradute School of Arts and Sciences for your use at his special examination on Wednesday, 4 February, at 4 P.M. The examination will be held in Widener U. The committee as it now stands consists of Professors Day (Chairman), Persons, Sprague, and Davis.
May I ask you to return the application with a written statement of the quality and result of the examination as soon as possible?

Sincerely yours
Secretary the Division.

Professor E. E. Day.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Passed Special Exam

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Committee on Economic Research

Charles J. Bullock, Chairman
Charles F. Adams
Nicholas Biddle
Frederic H. Curtiss
Wallace B. Donham
Edwin F. Gay
Ogden L. Mills
Eugene V. R. Thayer

W. M. Persons, Statistician
E. E. Day, Consulting Statistician
F. Y. Presley, Business Manager

Wadsworth House
Cambridge, Massachusetts

February 4, 1920

Dean Charles H. Haskins,
Division of History, Government, and Economics,
University Hall,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Haskins,

I return herewith Frank Dunstone Graham’s record in candidacy for the degree of Ph.D. Graham passed his special examination in Widener U this afternoon. It was the unanimous opinion of the members of the committee present – Professor Sprague being absent – that Graham’s examination was disappointing; but there was no question about his having passed.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Edmund E. Day

EED A

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Memo asking for return of thesis
[Carbon copy]

9 February 1920

My dear Professor Davis:

Miss Ham tells me that you were good enough to offer to bring back Mr. Graham’s thesis, which was taken from University 24 last week for use at the examination. We should appreciate it if the thesis could be returned immediately, since it should be on hand in case any of the Faculty wish to examine it at the meeting on Thursday.

Sincerely yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Professor J. S. Davis

_______________________

Ph.D. Dissertation

Frank Dunstone Graham’s 1920 Ph.D. thesis “The International Trade of the United States in the Greenback Period.” A condensed version was later published “International trade under depreciated paper, the United States, 1862-1879,” Quart. Journ. Econ., 1922, 36: 220-273.

_______________________

Image Source: Dartmouth College, The 1922 Aegis. Vol 64, p. 60.

Categories
Economists Harvard Transcript

Harvard. Application for PhD candidacy. Arthur Eli Monroe, 1915

 

The graduate school records of Arthur Eli Monroe (A.B., 1908; A.M., 1914; Ph.D., 1918) are reasonably complete, allowing us to follow the course of his graduate studies and learn some details regarding his satisfaction of the Ph.D. requirements at Harvard. He did stay at his alma mater for his entire career, with his academic high-water mark attained at the rank of assistant professor of economics from 1922-28. He was able to occupy an instructional niche as lecturer-tutor, which is pretty good considering he entered graduate school in economics after doing what he could to avoid the subject during his college years.

Tutor, 1915-1923
Instructor in Economics, 1916-22
Assistant Professor of Economics, 1922-28
Lecturer on and tutor (Kirkland House) in economics beginning in 1928 through his retirement sometime in the 1950’s.

For historians of economics Monroe’s 1924 edited volume Early Economic Thought: Selections from Economic Literature Prior to Adam Smith is a useful collection of bite-sized chunks of original texts, though current students of economics might possibly choke on Monroe’s servings.

_______________________

From Reports of the Harvard College Class of 1908

ARTHUR ELI MONROE
[1914]

After spending half a year in looking for a job, and four years and a half in working at it, I withdrew from the teaching profession, which had occupied me continuously, and strenuously at Kent School, Kent, Conn., to enter the Harvard Graduate School. Since leaving college, I had become interested in Economics. This has been the subject of my work this year, and I hope to continue it at Harvard next year. Member: Phi Beta Kappa.

Source: Harvard College, Class of 1908. Secretary’s Second Report, Sexennial Celebration, June 1914, p. 233.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

ARTHUR ELI MONROE
[1918]

Born: West Brookfield, Mass., Aug. 2, 1885.
Parents: Eli Monroe, Louise Octavia Arsino.
School: High School, Brookfield, Mass.
Degrees: A.B., 1908; A.M., 1914; Ph.D., 1918.
Occupation: Teacher.
Address: 56 Thayer Hall, Cambridge, Mass.

After graduation I taught Latin and German in a boys boarding school (Kent School, Kent, Conn.), until June, 1913, when I returned to Harvard for graduate work in economics, a subject I had carefully avoided in college. The next year I was appointed assistant in economics in Harvard College, to which was later added a tutorship. In January, 1916, I went to Williams College, to substitute for Professor McLaren, remaining until the end of the college year. I have been at Harvard since then, as instructor and tutor.

Source: Harvard College, Class of 1908. Secretary’s Third Report, Decennial Report, April 1920, p. 334.

_______________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Application for Candidacy for the Degree of Ph.D.

[Note: Boldface used to indicate printed text of the application; italics used to indicate the handwritten entries]

I. Full Name, with date and place of birth.

Arthur Eli Monroe. West Brookfield, Mass. Aug. 2, 1885.

II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)

Harvard College, Sept. 1904 – June 1908
Harvard Graduate School. Arts & Sciences, Sept. 1913 –
Teacher, Latin and German, Kent School. 1909 – 1913

III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)

A.B. [magna cum laude] (Harvard) 1908
A.M. (Harvard) 1914

IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your undergraduate studies in History, Economics, Government, and in such other fields as Ancient and Modern Languages, Philosophy, etc.)

French 2c, 6, 9
German A, 1a, 4, 6, H, 32b, 9
Latin B, 1, E
Greek B, E

V. Department of Study. (Do you propose to offer yourself for the Ph.D., “History,” in “Economics,” or in “Political Science”?)

Economics

VI. Choice of Subjects for the General Examination. (State briefly the nature of your preparation in each subject, as by Harvard courses, courses taken elsewhere, private reading, teaching the subject, etc., etc.)

  1. Economic Theory & Its History.
    Economics 11, 7, 14, Reading
    Assistant in Economics A
  2. Economic History since 1750.
    Economics 2a, 2b, Reading
  3. Public Finance.
    Economics 31
  4. Statistical Method & its Application.
    Economics 13
  5. History of Political Theory.
    Private Reading
  6. Special field to be a suitable portion of the field of the History of Economic Thought

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

Some topic in the History of American Economic Thought

VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)

Professor Bullock

IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)

General Examination, Autumn, 1915

X. Remarks

[Left blank]

Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.

[signed] Charles J. Bullock

*   *   *   [Last page of application] *   *   *

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: A. E. Monroe

Approved: May 28, 1915

Ability to use French certified by F. W. Taussig

Ability to use German certified by F. W. Taussig

Date of general examination 13 October 1915. Passed [per W.C.W.]

Thesis received [Left blank]

Read by [Left blank]

Approved [Left blank]

Date of special examination 20 May 1918. Passed 

Recommended for the Doctorate[left blank]

Degree conferred  [left blank]

Remarks.  [left blank]

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Record of ARTHUR ELI MONROE in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University

1913-14

 

Economics 2a1 [half course]
[European Industry and Commerce in the Nineteenth Century, Prof. Gay]		 B
Economics 2b2 [half course]
[Economic and Financial History of the United States, Prof. Gay]		 B minus
Economics 7
[Theories of Distribution and Distributive Justice, Asst. Prof. Anderson]		 A
Economics 11
[Economic Theory, Prof. Taussig]		 A
Economics 31
[Public Finance, Prof. Bullock]		 A
1914-15
Economics 13
[Statistics: Theory, Method, and Practice, Asst. Prof. Day]		 A
Economics 14
[History and Literature of Economics to the year 1848, Prof. Bullock]		 A
1915-16
Economics 20e (2 co. [courses?])
[Economic Research (American Taxation and Finance; History of Economic Thought, Prof. Bullock]		 AA
1916-17
Economics 20e (2 co.) [courses?])
[Economic Research (American Taxation and Finance; History of Economic Thought, Prof. Bullock]		 AA
1917-18
Economics 20
[Economic Research (for Ph.D. candidates)]		 A

Note: A transcript can also be found in Harvard University Archives, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Record Cards of Students, 1895-1930, Marks—Neville (UAV 161.2722.5). File I, Box 10, Record Card of Arthur Eli Monroe.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Certification of reading knowledge of French and German

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
H. L. Gray

Cambridge, Massachusetts
April 28, 1915.

Dear Haskins:

I hereby certify that A. E. Monroe has reading knowledge of French and German such as is required for the Ph.D. degree.

Sincerely yours,
[signed] F. W. Taussig

Dean C. H. Haskins

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Approval of Ph.D. Plan of Study
[Carbon copy]

4 June 1915

Dear Mr. Monroe:

At a meeting on May 28 the Division of History, Government, and Economics voted to approve your plan of study for your degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned]

Mr. A. E. Monroe

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Committee named for the General Exam
[Carbon copy]

[Note: identical copies were sent to Professors Gay, Taussig, Day, Holcombe]

4 October 1915.

Dear Professor Bullock:

Will you kindly serve as one of the committee for the General Examination in Economics of Arthur E. Munroe, Wednesday, October 13, at 4 P. M.? The committee consists of Professors Bullock (Chairman), Taussig, Gay, Day, and Holcombe.

Mr. Muroe’s subjects are: Economic Theory and Its History, Economic History since 1750, Public Finance, Statistical Method and its Application, History of Political Theory, and a special field to be a suitable portion of the field of the History of Economic Thought.

Mr. Munroe has decided upon Public Finance and Statistics. Will you kindly see that the papers are set and the written examination held a reasonable time in advance of the oral?

Very sincerely yours,
[unsigned]

Professor C. J. Bullock.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Time and Place of General Exam
[Carbon copy]

9 October 1915

My dear Mr. Monroe:

Your examination, Wednesday, October 13, will be held in Widener U at 4 P.M.

Yours very truly,
[initials of Dean Haskins added]
C. H. H.

Mr. A. E. Monroe

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Passed General Exam

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.

Cambridge, Massachusetts
October 14, 1915.

My dear Haskins:

Mr. A. E. Monroe passed his general examination for the doctor’s degree in Economics on October 18th. He passed creditably in all subjects except History of Political Theory, in which his examination was not satisfactory; but the instructor thought should not stand in his way if the other subjects were good.
His written examinations in Public Finance and Statistics were of A quality, and his oral examination in the other economic subjects was thoroly satisfactory.

Sincerely yours,
[signed] Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Special Exam Field
[carbon copy]

25 January 1917

Dear Mr. Monroe:
At its meeting last Tuesday the Division of History, Government, and Economics voted to approve, as your special field, the History of Economic Thought to 1776, with special reference to the period subsequent to 1500.

Sincerely yours,
[unsigned copy]

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Passed Special Exam

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
J. S. Davis
H. H. Burbank

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 21, 1918.

My dear Haskins:

I wish to report that yesterday Mr. A. E. Monroe passed his special examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Mr. Monroe passed an unusually good examination which was from every point of view thoroly satisfactory.

Sincerely yours,
[signed] Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government, and Economics. Ph.D. exams and records of candidates, study plans, lists, etc. pre-1911-1942. Box 3. Folder “Ph.D. Applications.”

_______________________

Ph.D. Dissertation

Arthur Eli Monroe’s 1918 Ph.D. thesis “The Theory of Money before 1776” was revised and published as Monetary theory before Adam Smith as number 25 of the Harvard Economic Studies (1923).

Image Source: At least as early as 1923, this portrait of Arthur Eli Monroe is found in the Harvard Class Albums. This portrait clipped from the 1925 Class Album and colorized by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.

Categories
Economists Harvard Transcript

Harvard. Application for PhD candidacy. James Waterhouse Angell, 1921

The empirical questions behind most of the collection of archival artifacts found here at Economics in the Rear-view Mirror can be reduced to i) what was being taught ii) who was teaching it, and iii) what was the pattern of the courses actually taken by young economists. These artifacts can be thought of as occupying cell(s) in a matrix of year by academic institution, e.g. this post deals with question (iii) and will be filed in the Harvard, early 1920’s cell.

James Waterhouse Angell (1898-1986) was a Harvard and Chicago trained economist who joined the Columbia faculty upon receiving his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1924. He was a member of Columbia’s faculty for over forty years, interrupted by government service during World War II at the War Production Board and the Foreign Economics Administration.  More about his life and career can be read in his New York Times obituary (April 1, 1986)

With this post we have the record for Angell in Harvard’s Division of History, Government, and Economics. It provides us with a wealth of information about his academic training. There will be a flow of such records for other graduate students that promises to match the flow of syllabi and exams, the stock of which constitute the core of archival material.

 You  should subscribe to Economics in the Rear-view Mirror if you are working on the history of economics. To do so scroll down (or search “Subscribe” on this page from your web browser).

_______________________

Autobiographical snippet

Angell’s personal statement in the 25th year anniversary report of the Harvard Class of 1918

_______________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Application for Candidacy for the Degree of Ph.D.

[Note: Boldface used to indicate printed text of the application; italics used to indicate the handwritten entries]

I. Full Name, with date and place of birth.

James Waterhouse Angell. May 20, 1898. Chicago.

II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)

Undergraduate: Harvard 1914-18. Graduate: University of Chicago, March 1919-June 1920; Harvard, September 1920-date. Teaching: Assistant in Economics, Univ. of Chicago, October 1919-June 1920.

III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)

A.B. Harvard, 1918. [magna cum laude]

IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your undergraduate studies in History, Economics, Government, and in such other fields as Ancient and Modern Languages, Philosophy, etc.) In case you are a candidate for the degree in History, state the number of years you have studied preparatory and college Latin.)

History. Harvard: Hist. A, 30a. Government. Univ. of Chicago: Elementary Comp. Govt. Economics. Harvard: Economics A, 2a, 2b, 4b, 5a, 5b. Univ. of Chicago: Labor Problems, Money and Banking, Statistics.

Greek: Harvard: Greek G, A, 2, 8. Latin. Harvard: Latin B, 8. French. Harvard: French 2. Philosophy. Univ. of Chicago: Social and Political Philosophy. Psychology. Harvard: Psychology A, Univ. of Chicago: Social Psychology.

V. Department of Study. (Do you propose to offer yourself for the Ph.D., “History,” in “Economics,” or in “Political Science”?)

Economics

VI. Choice of Subjects for the General Examination. (State briefly the nature of your preparation in each subject, as by Harvard courses, courses taken elsewhere, private reading, teaching the subject, etc., etc.)

  1. Economic Theory and Its History. Harvard: Economics A, 11, 14; Univ. of Chicago: History of Econ. Thought. Teaching: Univ. of Chicago: 2 quarters of elementary theory, 1920.
  2. Economic History since 1750. Harvard: Economics 2a and 2b.
  3. Public Finance. Harvard: Economics 5a, 5b, 31
  4. Money and Banking. Harvard: Economics 38. Univ. of Chicago: Elementary Money & Banking. Also private reading.
  5. International Trade and Tariff Policy. Harvard: Economics 33; and private reading.
  6. [Constitutional] History of the U.S., 1789-1914. Univ. of Chicago. 3 quarters of graduate study. (A. D. Mr. Laughlin)

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

Special subject either Economic Theory or Public Finance; to be specified later. Money and Banking

VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)

International Price Levels (With Professors Taussig and Young)

IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)

General: Last week in October, 1921.

X. Remarks

[Left blank]

Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.

[signed] Edmund E. Day

*   *   *   [Last page of application] *   *   *

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: James W. Angell

Approved: April 29, 1921

Ability to use French certified by Charles J. Bullock. 10 March, 1922 B.S.M.

Ability to use German certified by Charles J. Bullock, 10 March, 1922 B.S.M.

Date of general examination June 2, 1922 Passed A.A.Y.

Thesis received Oct. 15, 1923

Read by Professors Taussig, Young, and Persons

Approved October 29, 1921

Date of special examination Thursday, March 6, 1924. Passed A.A. Young 

Recommended for the Doctorate[left blank]

Degree conferred  [left blank]

Remarks.  [left blank]

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Record of James Waterhouse Angell in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Harvard University

1920-21
Economics 11.
[Economic Theory, Prof. Taussig]		 A
Economics 14
[History and Literature of Economics to the year 1848, Prof. Bullock]		 A minus
Economics 31
[Public Finance, Prof. Bullock]		 A
Economics 331 [half course]
[International Trade and Tariff Problems, Prof. Taussig]		 A
Economics 382 [half course]
[Selected Monetary Problems, Prof. Young]		 A
Attained the degree of Master of Arts.
1921-22
Economics 20 (F.W.T.)
[Economic Research (for Ph.D. candidates)]		 A

Note: A transcript can also be found in Harvard University Archives, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Record Cards of Students, 1895-1930, Aab—Belcher (UAV 161.2722.5). File I, Box 1, Record Card of James Waterhouse Angell.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Committee on Economic Research
Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
Charles J. Bullock, Chairman

Charles F. Adams
Nicholas Biddle
Frederic H. Curtiss
Wallace B. Donham
Ogden L. Mills
Eugene V. R. Thayer

W.M. Persons, Editor
Review of Economic Statistics

J.B. Hubbard, Editor
Harvard Economic Service

F.Y. Presley
General Manager

March 10, 1922.

Professor Charles H. Haskins,
23 University Hall,
Cambridge, Mass.

This is to certify that I have examined Mr. J. W. Angell and find that he has such a knowledge of French and German as we require of candidates for the doctor’s degree.

[signed] Charles J. Bullock

CJB/AMB

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Cambridge, Massachusetts
6 June 1922

I beg to report that Mr. James W. Angell passed the General Examination in Economics held on Friday, 2 June. Mr. Angell’s examination clearly earned a pass, but it is proper to say that the examination was not as distinguished and the margin was not as large as Mr. Angell’s brilliant course record indicated it would be.

[signed by D.C. for] Allyn A. Young

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

[Carbon copy]

26 February 1924

My dear Professor Young:

We are arranging J.W. Angell’s special examination for Thursday, 6 March, at 4 p.m. I will let you know the place later. The committee will consist of Professors Taussig, Williams, Sprague, and yourself as chairman.

Very truly yours,
Secretary of the Division.

Professor A. A. Young

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Cambridge, Massachusetts
March 7, 1924

Dear Haskins:

On behalf of the committee appointed to conduct the special examination of Mr. J. W. Angell, I beg to report that Mr. Angell successfully passed the examination. I may add that the examination as a whole was unusually satisfactory.

Very truly yours,
[signed by k. for] Allyn A. Young

Dean C. H. Haskins

Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government, and Economics. Ph.D. exams and records of candidates, study plans, lists, etc. pre-1911-1942. Box 5. Folder “J. W. Angell.”

_______________________

Annotated Typescript for
Division of History, Government, and Economics
Examinations for the Degree of Ph.D. 1923-1924
JAMES WATERHOUSE ANGELL.

SPECIAL EXAMINATION in Economics, passed. Thursday, March 6, 1924.

GENERAL EXAMINATION passed June 2, 1922.

ACADEMIC HISTORY: Harvard College, 1914-18; University of Chicago, March, 1919, to June, 1920; Harvard Graduate School, 1920-23. A.B., 1918; A.M., 1921. Assistant in Economics, University of Chicago, 1919-20; Tutor in the Division of History, Government, and Economics, Harvard, 1921-22; Frederick Sheldon Travelling Fellow, Harvard, 1922-23; Instructor in Economics and Tutor in the Division of History, Government, and Economics, Harvard, 1923-4.

GENERAL SUBJECTS: 1. Economic Theory and Its History. 2. Economic History since 1750. 3. Public Finance. 4. Money and Banking. 5. International Trade and Tariff Policy. 6. American History since 1789.

SPECIAL SUBJECT: Money and Banking.

COMMITTEE: Professors Young (chairman), Taussig, Williams,
and Sprague.

THESIS SUBJECT: The Theory of International Prices and its History.

COMMITTEE ON THESIS: Professors Taussig, Young, and Persons.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government, and Economics. Ph.D. exams and records of candidates, study plans, lists, etc. pre-1911-1942. Box 5. Unmarked Envelope/Folder

_______________________

Image Source:  James Waterhouse Angell’s July 18, 1922 U.S. passport application. National Archives.

 

Categories
Economists Harvard

Harvard. Graduate student teaching assistant, A.M. but no Ph.D. Frank Richardson Mason, 1906

Not all graduate students complete the requirements for a Ph.D. and, early in the 20th century, it was quite common for the Master’s degree to be the terminal degree and not all career paths lead to economics education and/or research. From time to time your curator of Economics in the Rear-view Mirror stumbles upon career information of the one or other graduate student of economics who left the formal study of economics for that so-called real world and the information is added as a biographical post. 

Here we feature two reports from the Harvard Class of 1905 graduate (summa cum laude), Frank Richardson Mason. A trace of his academic life was encountered in the previous post that dealt with the Principles of Economics course taught at Harvard in 1905-06.  Earlier we found mention of his Special Examination for the Ph.D. that was scheduled for May 14, 1908. Presumably something must have wrong in his special examination, because he looked to be on track for a Ph.D., having passed his general examinations and published a paper on his thesis topic in the Quarterly Journal of Economics.

_______________________________

From the Class of 1905
Twenty-fifth Reunion (1930)

FRANK RICHARDSON MASON

BORN: Hebron, Ill., Oct. 6, 1882. PARENTS: Ralph Nathaniel Mason, Helen May Richardson.

PREPARED AT: John Marshall High School, Chicago, Ill.

IN COLLEGE: 1901-1905. DEGREES: A.B. summa cum laude 1905; A.M. 1906.

MARRIED: Jennie Louise Barr, Chicago, Ill., Sept. 25, 1912. CHILDREN: Alfred Barr, Sept. 5, 1914; Jennie Louise, Oct. 19, 1917; Donald Frank, March 17, 1926.

OCCUPATION: Accountant.

ADDRESSEs: (home) 1124 No. Harvey Ave., Oak Park, Ill.; (business) 10 So. LaSalle St., Chicago, Ill.

For three years after graduating I was in the Graduate School, where I held a teaching fellowship, specializing in economics. For two years I was secretary of Northwestern University School of Commerce, and since then have been in various business positions. For seven years, 1912 to 1919, I was office manager for J. W. Butler Paper Company, in Chicago. For the past several years I have been a public accountant on my own, operating under the firm name of F. R. Mason & Co.

My life has been singularly free from either high lights or shadows. Outside of one trip to Europe before the war, I have had no mad adventures. My chief preoccupation has been raising a family. I meet the Chicago boys of our class about once a month, and so keep in vicarious touch with the past and present glories of our Alma Mater.

PUBLICATIONS: “The Silk Industry in the United States,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, 1908; “Business Organization and Principles,” (Cree Pub. Co., 1910); various translations from French and German.

MEMBER OF: Harvard Club, Chicago, Ill.

Source: Harvard Class of 1905, Twenty-Fifth Anniversary Report (June, 1930), pp. 410-11.

_______________________________

From the Class of 1905
Thirtieth Reunion (1935)

FRANK RICHARDSON MASON has spent the last five years “accounting, and getting clients out of trouble when Uncle Sam thinks they’ve ‘rationalized’ on their income tax” During this time he has performed the following public service: “gone to one Phi Beta Kappa dinner and stuck it out to the bitter end; contributed generously to Samuel Insull’s total of defalcation.” He has also written several diatribes condemning the new dealers for not paying the swatters for the home runs they didn’t make, and has spent a good deal of time standing on his head to see if he can’t make the new deal look right side up. His chief aversion is “The guy with one idea which will solve the world’s problems.” But he adds seriously, “After a life of frugal toil, having accumulated a few thousands by diligence and self denial, I have lost everything — except faith, hope, and charity.

Faith — that the American people will rise with the strength of their own backbone out of the Slough of Despond in which they have been wallowing for the past five years; Hope — that there are greater horizons further on than those we have already seen, and that dauntless souls will forge ahead to call us on to the visions discernible from the new heights; Charity — for the loud-mouthed demagogues continually shouting a rallying cry for every mirage that shimmers over the barren desert of our economic outlook. I still have Faith, Hope, and Charity, and I agree with St. Paul, the greatest of these is Charity.” Address: 10 South La Salle Street, Chicago, Ill.

Source:  Harvard Class of 1905, Thirtieth Anniversary Report (June, 1935),  p. 91.

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Frank Richardson Mason died Jan 22, 1953 in Oak Park, Illinois.

Source: Find-a-grave website.

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Image Source: Frank Richardson Mason’s 1905 Class Album picture and his twenty-fifth reunion portrait.

Categories
Economists Germany Public Finance Transcript

Germany. Wolfgang Stolper’s Seminarschein for a public finance seminar. Schumpeter, 1932

Back in the day before German universities began awarding Bachelor and Master degrees instead of their historical Diplom and Magister degrees (a process initiated in August 2002 and essentially completed by 2010), German students collected their certificates seminar-by-seminar, signed by their instructors, that together constituted their entry tickets required for degree examinations. I began teaching in a German university (Freie Universität Berlin) in 1994 and have signed such “Seminarscheine” for my students. The printed fonts had changed and typed insertions replaced hand-written ones, but the Scheine themselves were essentially identical to those used by earlier generations.

Below we have the image of the Seminarschein obtained by Wolfgang Stolper who attended Joseph Schumpeter’s advanced seminar in public finance in 1932. Official course transcripts are of considerable informational value but when it comes to antiquarian charm, I’ll take a stack of Seminarscheine any day over a registrar’s one page (stamped) transcript.

__________________________________

Stolper’s Seminarschein
for a Schumpeter seminar
in Bonn, 1932

Staatswissenschaftliches Seminar
der Universität Bonn

Bonn, den 26 Juli 1932
Herr Wolfgang Stolper hat im Sommer-Winterhalbjahr 1932 an meinem finanzwissenschaftlichen Vollseminar—Proseminar
Besprechungen zur _____________________________
mit gutem Fleiß und gutem Erfolg teilgenommen und folgende Arbeiten geliefert:

Hausarbeiten

Aufsichtsarbeiten
mit Auszeichnung:
gut:  ___1___
voll befriedigend:
genügend:
nicht genügend:

[signed] Schumpeter

Translation

Political Science Seminar
of the University of Bonn

Bonn, 26 July 1932
Mr. Wolfgang Stolper was enrolled in my public finance advanced/ introductory seminar during the summer/winter semester 1932.
Tutorial on  _______
His participation demonstrated good work and good performance, completing the following assignments:

Written home assignments

Proctored written examinations
with distinction: [blank]

[blank]
good:  ___1___

[blank]
satisfactory: [blank]

[blank]
sufficient: [blank]

[blank]
insufficient: [blank]

[blank]

[signed] Schumpeter

Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Economists’ Papers Archive. Wolfgang F. Stolper papers, 1892-2001. Add. 02/207: Box 23, Folder unlabeled (job search 1940-41 correspondence).

Image Source: Harvard University Archives, from Schumpeter’s 1932 German passport. J. Schumpeter Papers. Box 2 (Correspondence and Papers relating to death of JAS), Folder “Dept of Labor–citizenship”.