The backstory to the following list of French, German, and Italian works on public finance that was given to students at the University of Chicago sometime in the early to mid-1940s is illustrative of the forensic effort to prepare such posts.
Henry Simon Bloch (1915-1988) was born in Kehl (Germany) and emigrated to the U.S. in 1937 after having received his doctorate from the University of Nancy for a dissertation on Carl Menger. I ran across two bibliographies he had put together in the files of Robert M. Haig at Columbia University. Both cover letters were written by Bloch on University of Chicago economics department stationary. The bibliography transcribed for this post came without a date, but the course number and senior faculty member, Simon Leland, were easy to confirm. Still, Bloch only appears once or twice in the departmental list of faculty (at the rank of instructor), but never actually listed as an instructor for Economics 360 “Government Finance”.
Bloch left Chicago in 1945 about the same time that Oskar Lange did. Because Bloch wrote in the cover letter to the bibliography below that it hardly seemed as though four years had passed since he had visited New York and his other bibliography had been mailed in January 1940, it seems reasonable to assume that the today’s list was sent in 1944.
Last speculation: in the New York Times obituary linked above it mentions that Bloch was honorary associate fellow of Berkeley College of Yale University. Robert Triffin was master of that residential college at Yale from 1969 until 1977. This likely connection is perhaps related to Bloch’s honorary doctorate from the Universite Libre de Bruxelles?
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Partial timeline
of Henry Simon Bloch
1915. Born April 6 in Kehl, Germany.
1937. Dr. en Droit (Econ) at the University of Nancy with the dissertation La théorie des besoins de Carl Menger.
1937. Emigration to the United States.
University of Chicago
1938. Research assistant.
1941-42. Lecturer, Institute for Military Studies.
1943. Instructor economics, Institute for Military Studies.
1943-45. Research supervisor, Civil Affairs Training School (CATS) for Army and Navy Officers.
1945. Consultant, Foreign Economics Administration.
1945-46. Economist, Treasury Department.
1946. Member Treasury delegate for tax treaty negotiations, Treasury Department, France, United Kingdom, Benelux.
1947-49. Section chief, United Nations.
[gap to be filled]
1955. Visiting professor economics Yale University.
1955-62. Director fiscal and financial branch, United Nations.
1958-1959. Acting director, Bureau Economics Affairs.
1959-1962. Director, Bureau Technology Assistance.
1961-1962. Deputy commissioner for technical assistance, Bureau Technology Assistance.
1962-1966. President, Zinder International Ltd.
1967-1970. Vice-president, director, Engineer of Mines Warburg & Company, Inc.
1970-1975. Senior vice president, Engineer of Mines Warburg, Pincus & Company, Inc.
1976-1981. Executive vice president, Engineer of Mines Warburg, Pincus & Company, Inc.
1982-1988. Managing director, Engineer of Mines Warburg, Pincus & Company, Inc.
1988. Died in Manhattan, February 28.
Columbia University
Lecturer, 1955-1963.
Adjunct Professor law and international relations, 1963-1985.
Professor emeritus, 1985-1988.
Member international advisory board School International and Public Affairs, 1986-1988.
Source: From the Henry Simon Bloch page at the Prabook website of biographies of professionals.
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Budget and Appointment Recommendations 1944-45
February 21, 1944
Economics Department
Item 16
It is recommended that the appointment of Henry S. Bloch as instructor [10/1/1943-9/30/44, $3,600] be renewed [10/1/44 to 9/30/45, $3,600]. Bloch at present is devoting his time exclusively to the CATS program, where his salary is charged. Should that training program be liquidated, Bloch’s services can be transferred immediately to Departmental teaching, research, and assistance in advising students. During the past year such needs have arisen, but because of the demands of the miitary program Bloch has not been able to assist the Department in its civilian program. Attention is called to the fact that Bloch’s salary is on a four-quarter basis.
Source: University of Chicago Archives. Records of the Hutchins Administration, Office of the President, Box 284, Folder “Economics , 1943-47”.
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Course Description 1944-45
[Economics] 360. Government Finance. A survey course covering the main topics dealt with in standard treatises, but emphasizing analysis of the economic effects of various fiscal practices. Prereq: Two years’ work in the Division of the Social Sciences, or equiv. But: MWF 8; Leland.
Source: Annual Register of the University of Chicago. Announcements: The College and the Divisions, Sessions of 1944-45. Volume XLIV, No. 8 (May 15, 1944), p. 279.
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The University of Chicago
Department of Economics
Oct 1
Dear Professor Haig,
I thought this might be of interest to you. It is just a list for our students.
It seems as if I had seen you only yesterday and when I was out at Riverdale it seemed as if there had not been more than 4 years interval. It was so nice.
I assume that you met Oscar Lange in the meanwhile.
Regards,
Henri.
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Economics 360
SELECTED LIST OF FRENCH, GERMAN AND ITALIAN WORKS ON PUBLIC FINANCE
by
S. E. Leland and H. S. Bloch
Authors of the French language group
Allix, E. Traité élémentaire de science des finances et de législation financière française, 4th ed., 1921. Paris, 1931.
Allix, E., and Lecerclé, M. L’impôt sur le revenu. Paris, 1927.
Colson, Clément. Les finances publiques et le budget de la France. Cours d’économie politique, vol. v (2d rev. ed.). Paris, 1931.
De Greeff, Guillaume. L’économie publique et la science des finances. Bruxelles, 1907.
Denis, M. H. L’Impôt sur le revenu. Brussels, 1881.
Garnier, Joseph. Traité de Finance, 3d ed. Paris, 1872.
Jèze, Gaston. Cours élémentaire de science des finances et de législation financière française. Paris, 1912.
__________. Cours de science des finances (Théorie de l’impôt). 1936/37.
__________. Cours de finances publiques. Théories générales sur les phénomènes financiers, les dépenses publiques, le crédit public, les taxes, l’impôt. Paris, 1931.
__________. Théorie générale du budget. Paris, 1922.
__________. Cours élémentaire de science des finances et de législation financière française. Paris, 1932.
__________. Cours de science de finances et de législation financière française. Technique du Crédit Public. Paris, 1923.
__________. «Le rôle du ministre des finances dans une démocratie, » Revue de Science et de Législation Financières, Vol. XXVII (1929), pp. 7-24.
__________. Le remboursement des emprunts publics d’état. Paris, 1927.
Jèze-Boucard, M. Éléments de la science des finances et de la législation financière française, 2 vols. 1902.
Leroy-Beaulieu, Paul. Traité de la science des finances. 2 vols. 1899.
Marion, Marcel. Histoire financière de la France, depuis 1715, 6 vols. Paris, 1914/1931.
Marquis de Mirabeau. Théorie de l’impôt. 1760.
Say, Jean Baptiste. Cours complet d’économie politique pratique. 1828-9.
Say, Léon. Les finances. Paris, 1892.
__________. Dictionnaire des finances, 2 vols. Paris : Nancy, 1891/1894.
__________. Les Solutions démocratiques de l’impôt. 1886.
Stourm, R. Cours des finances. 1906.
__________. Le budget. Tr. in English—The Budget. 1917.
Trotabas, L. Précis de science et législation financières. Paris, 1936.
Vauban. Dixme royale. 1707.
Walras, L. Théorie critique de l’impôt. Paris, 1861.
Authors of the German language group
Büsch, Johann Georg. Abhandlung vom dem Geldumlauf in anhaltender Rücksicht auf die Staatswirtschaft und Handlung. Hamburg, 1780. [2nd edition, 1800]
Cohn, Gustav. Finanzwissenschaft, 1889. The Science of Finance (tr. by T. B. Veblen). Chicago, 1895.
__________. System der Finanzwissenschaft. 1889.
Colm, G. Volkswirtschaftliche Theorie der Staatsausgaben. Tuebingen, 1927.
Eheberg, Karl. Finanzwissenschaft, 18th ed. Berlin, 1930.
Földes, B. Finanzwissenschaft. 1920.
Gerloff, W. Steuerwirtschaft und Sozialismus. Leipzig, 1922.
Gerloff, W., and Meisel, F. Handbuch der Finanzwissenschaft. Tübingen, 1926.
Goldscheid, Rudolf. Handbuch der Finanzwissenschaft. Tübingen, 1926.
Hock, Karl V. Öffentliche Abgaben und Schulden. 1862.
Jecht, Horst. Wesen und Formen der Finanzwissenschaft. Jena, 1928.
Jèze-Neumark, F. Allgemeine Theorie des Budgets. 1927.
Lindahl, E. R. Die Gerechtigkeit der Besteuerung. Lund, 1919.
Lotz, W. Finanzwissenschaft. 1917.
Mann, Fritz Karl. « Steuerpolitische ideale, » Finanzwissenschaftliche Forschungen. Jena, 1937.
__________. Deutsche Finanzwirtschaft. Jena, 1929.
Moll, Bruno. Lehrbuch der Finanzwissenschaft. Berlin, 1930.
Nebenius, Karl Friedrich. Der öffentliche Kredit. 1820.
Neumark, Fritz. Reichshaushaltplan. 1929.
Rau, Karl. Lehrbuch der politischen Oekonomie. 1826-37.
Ritschl, Hans. Theorie der Staatswirthschaft und Besteuerung. Bonn, 1925.
Sax, Emil. Grundlegung der theoretischen Staatswirtschaft. Vienna, 1887.
Schaeffle, Albert, E.F. Die Steuern. Leipzig, 1895.
Roscher, Wilhelm. System der Finanzwissenschaft. 1886.
Schanz, G. V. Der Einkommensbegriff und die Einkommensteuergesetze, Finanzarchiv. 1896.
Stein, L. V. Lehrbuch der Finanzwissenschaft, 4 vols. 5th ed. 1885/1886.
Sultan, H. Die Staatseinnahmen: Versuch einer soziologischen Finanztheorie als Teil einer Theorie der politischen Oekonomie. 1932.
Tehralle, Fritz. Finanzwissenschaft. Jena, 1930.
Teschemacher, Hans. Handbuch der Finanzwissenschaft. Tübingen, 1927.
Wagner, A. Finanzwissenschaft. 1889.
Wicksell, K. Finanztheoretische Untersuchungen. Jena, 1896.
Authors of Italian language group
Barone, Enrico. Principii di economia finanziaria. Rome, 1920.
Conigliani, Carlo. De diritto pubblico nei sistemi finanziari; Studi di teoria finanziaria; e’indrezzo teorico nella Scienza finanziaria. Turin, 1903.
__________. Le leggi scientiche della finanza. 1903.
Cossa, L. “Scienze delle finanze”—Translated excerpts, by H. White. Taxation: Its principles and methods. New York and London, 1893.
Del Vecchio, Gusatavo. Lezioni di scienze delle finanze, 2d ed. Padua, 1923.
De Viti de Marco. Il carattero teorico della economia finanziaria. 1890.
De Viti de Marco, Antonio. Principii di economia finanziaria. Turin, 1934. Translation: First Principles of Public Finance, by Edith Pavlo Marget. New York, 1936.
Einaudi, L. Corso di scienza della finanza, 3rd ed. Turin, 1914.
__________. Principii di scienza della finanza. Turin, 1932.
Fasolis, G. Scienza delle finanze e diritto finanziario. 1933.
Flora, F. Manuale della scienze delle finanze, 6th ed. 1921.
Graziani, A. Istituzioni di scienza delle finanze. Torino, 1897.
Griziotti, B. Considerazioni sui metodi; limiti e problemi della Scienze pure delle Finanze. 1912. Pp. 39.
__________. Principii di politica, diritto e scienza delle tinanze. 1929.
__________. Studi di diritto tributario. 1931.
Loria, Achille. The Economic Synthesis: A study of the laws of income. Tr. by Eden Paul. London, 1914.
Mazzola. Dati scientifica della finanza pubblica. 1890.
Murray, Roberto. Principi fondamentali di scienza pura delle finanze. 1914.
Nitti, F. S. Principi di scienze delle finanze, 5th ed. Rome, 1922.
Pantaleoni, Moffea. Teoria della pressione tributaria. 1887.
Pareto, Vilfredo. “I debiti pubblici dopo la guerra,” (Rivista di Scienze Bancaria—February-March, 1916), Fatti e Teorie, p. 57-62. Firenze, 1920.
Pugliese, Mario. L’imposizione delle imprese di carattere internazionale. 1930.
Ricca-Salerno, G. Scienza della finanze. 1888.
__________. Storia delle Dottrine Finanziane in Italia. Translated. Rome, 1881.
__________.History of Fiscal Doctrines in Italy. Translated. 1890.
Rignano, Eugenio. Social Significance of the Inheritance Tax. Translated by Wm. J. Shultz. New York, 1924.
Rignano, Eucenid. Una Riforma socialista del diritto successorio. Bologna. 1920.
Roncali, A. Corso elementari di scienza finanziaria. Parma, 1887.
Tangorra, V. Trattato di Scienza delle Finanza.
Vanoni, Ezio. Natura ed interpretazione delle leggi tributarie. 1932.
Source: Columbia University Archive. Robert M. Haig Papers. Box 16, Folder “Bibliography”.
Image Source: Social Science Research Building. University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf2-07466, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.