Oscar Lange’s first appointment at the University of Chicago began July 1, 1938 at the rank of assistant professor for a term of three years. This post provides a transcription of the official form submitted to the University of Chicago administration by the economics department. The brevity of the form is rather striking to those of us 21st century academics for whom a paper trail is more like an infrastructure investment.
I have also appended some information from Lange’s declaration of intention and his petition for naturalization that he filed while on the Chicago faculty. The limp indicated for his right leg is no doubt related to the differing lengths of his two legs that was noted in his selective service registration (Feb. 16, 1942), “right leg is shorter than other one.”
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The University of Chicago
(FOR POSITIONS ABOVE THAT OF ASSISTANT)
TO BE TRANSMITTED TO THE DEAN OF FACULTIES
Date: January 31, 1938
To the Dean of Faculties:
Division of the Social Sciences. Department Economics.
The promotion/appointment of Oskar Lange to the position of
Assistant Professor is recommended, at a salary of
Four Thousand dollars ($4,000.00) beginning
July 1, 1938 for a period of Three years.
Mr. Lange has the following academic record:
A.B. (or B.S. or Ph.B.) (college) [left blank]; (year) [left blank]
Ph.D. or other higher degree (institution) LL.D., Cracow; (year) [left blank]
Previous experience in teaching:
Lecturer and Privatdozent at Cracow and Polish Free University;
one semester at Michigan; one year at California
Publications:
Partial list attached
Qualities as investigator:
Excellent
Qualities as a teacher:
Excellent. At California and Michigan said to be very successful.
Qualities as an administrator:
No knowledge.
Personality:
Good
Provision for salary:
General budget.
[signed] H. A. Millis, Chairman or head of department
The above recommendation has also been considered by Dean [signed] Robert Redfield
Further comments by Dean of Faculties: [left blank]
[signed] Emery T. Filbey, Dean of Faculties
PARTIAL LIST OF LANGE’S PUBLICATIONS
“Die Preisdispersion als Mittel zur statistischen Messung wirtschaftlicher Gleichgewichtsstörungen,” Veröffentlichungen der Frankfurter Gesellschaft für Konjunkturforschung (Herausgegeben von Dr. Eugen Altschul, 1932, Neue Folge Heft 4), pp. 7-56.
“Die allgemeine Interdependenz der Wirtschaftsgrössen und die Isolierungsmethode,” Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie, Band IV, Heft 1, 1932, pp. 52-78.
“The Determinateness of the Utility Function,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. 1 (1933-1934), pp. 218-225.
“A Note on the Determinateness of the Utility Function,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. II (1934-1935), pp. 75-78.
“Formen der Angebotsanpassung und wirtschaftliches Gleichgewicht,” Zeitschrift für Nationalökonomie, Band VI, Heft 3, 1935, pp. 358-65.
“Marxian Economics and Modern Economic Theory,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. II, No. 3, June, 1935, pp. 189-201.
“The Place of Interest in the Theory of Production,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. III, June, 1936, No. 3, pp. 159-192.
“On the Economic Theory of Socialism, Part I,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. IV, No. 1, October, 1936, pp. 53-71.
“On the Economic Theory of Socialism, Part II,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. IV, No. 2, February, 1937, pp. 123-42.
“Mr. Lerner’s Note on Socialist Economics,” Review of Economic Studies, Vol. IV, No. 2, February, 1937, pp. 143-44.
“Professor Knight’s Note on Interest Theory,” The Review of Economic Studies, Vol. IV, No. 3, June, 1937, pp. 231-35.
Source: University of Chicago Library. Office of the President. Hutchins Administration. Records. Box 283. Folder 10 “Economics”.
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From Oscar Lange’s Declaration of Intention
I, OSCAR RICHARD LANGE, now residing at 5617 Dorchester Ave. [Chicago, Illinois], occupation University Professor, aged 35 years, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Sex Male, color White, complexion Fair, color of eyes Blue, color of hair Blond, height 5 feet 6 inches; weight 176 pounds; visible distinctive marks none, race Polish; nationality Polish.
I was born in Tomaszow-Mazowiecki, Poland, on July 27, 1904. I am married. The name of my wife is Irena, we were married on January 3, 1932, at Cracow, Poland; she was born at Czestochowa, Poland, on October 1, 1906, entered the United States at New York, N.Y., on Aug. 20, 1937, for permanent residence therein, and now resides with me. I have no children…
I have not heretofore made a declaration of intention….
my last foreign residence was Czestochowa, Poland.
I emigrated to the United States of America from Havre, France,
my lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at New York, N.Y.
under the name of Oskar-Ryszard Lange, on August 20, 1937
on the vessel [SS] Paris…
[Signed]
Oscar Richard Lange
…at Chicago, Illinois this 18th day of November, anno Domini, 1939.
From Petition for Naturalization
September 17, 1942
The address for the Lange family changed to 6044 Stony Island Ave., Chicago, Illinois.
Added to “Visible distinctive marks limp on rt. leg”
New member of the Lange family noted: son, Christopher, born Feb. 11, 1940, Chicago, Illinois.
The affidavit of witnesses was signed by
Professor Chester W. Wright (5747 Blackstone Ave., Chicago) and
Professor Jacob Viner (5554 Kenwood Ave., Chicago).
Source: National Archives and Record Administration. U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Oscar Richard Lange’s Declaration of Intention, November 18, 1939 and Petition for Naturalization, September 17, 1942.
Image Source: National Archives and Record Administration. U.S. Department of Labor, Immigration and Naturalization Service. Oscar Richard Lange’s Declaration of Intention, November 18, 1939.