A graduate student’s application for candidacy for an economics Ph.D. provided information to the Dean of Harvard’s Division of History, Government, and Economics to establish the eligibility for taking the General Examination and it also then provided a check-list for the satisfaction of degree requirements — French and German language competency, acceptance of the Ph.D. thesis, and success in both the General and Special Examinations.
In addition to the application itself, this post includes the file correspondence and the Harvard course transcript for the future president of the American Economic Association (1949) and economics professor at Berkeley, Howard Sylvester Ellis (1898-1992). His most important contribution was perhaps the volume he edited and first published in 1948, A Survey of Contemporary Economics (11th printing in March 1966. The chronology of Ellis’ career has been included as well, following his Harvard graduate school record.
_______________________
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.
Howard Sylvester Ellis. Denver, Colo. July 2, 1898.
II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)
State University of Iowa, 1916-20.
Chicago, Summer 1920.
University of Michigan, 1920-1922. Half-time graduate work & Instructor of Economics.
Harvard University, 1922-3 [Thayer Fellow], Assistant in Economics 1923–.
III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)
B.A. State University of Iowa, 1920 (June).
M.A. University of Michigan 1922 (March).
IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your under-graduate 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: Medieval, 1 yr; Greek & Roman, 1 yr; United States, 1 yr; Modern European, 1 yr.; Social Reform, 1 semester.
Economics: Principles, 1 yr.; Accounting, Banking, Business Administration, Hist. of Theory –summer session. See also under “Remarks”.
Sociology: Principles, 1 yr.; Anthropology, 1 yr.
Latin: 4 yrs. prep., 1 coll.; German: 4 yrs coll.; French: 2 yrs coll; Italian: 1 summer coll.
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.)
- Economic Theory and Its History. Course 11, Prof. Taussig; Seminary in Theory & History, Prof. Taylor at Michigan & his “Course 7”; courses with Prof. Knight at Iowa; Course 14, Prof. Bullock; teaching principles at Michigan & Harvard.
- Industrial History: Courses 2a & b, Professor Usher & supplementary reading. Undergraduate concentration in history’.
- Railroads. Course at Michigan, Prof. Sharfman. & Readings contemplated.
- Public finance. Course 31, Prof. Bullock.
- Political Theory. Course Gov’t 6, Prof. McIlwain.
- Economic Theory & Its History.
(Historical subject now contemplated as subject for thesis and special examination)
VII. Special Subject for the special examination.
Historical subject in economic theory. Money and Banking with special reference to recent theory (note by H.H.B. 2/12/29).
VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)
Recent German Monetary Theory.
IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)
Spring 1924. General Examination
X. Remarks
Preparation in fields indicated beside undergraduate courses.
Economics: Seminary in History of Theory & Theory, 2 yrs;
Advanced Theory, 1 set (F.M. Taylor); 1 yr (F.W. Taussig)
Railroads, 1 semester; Corporations, 1 semester;
Public finance, 1 yr (Bullock); Statistics, 1 yr;
Economic or Industrial History, 1 yr.;
Other courses currently.
Philosophy: History of Philosophy, 1 yr.; Metaphysics, 1 semester; Kant, seminary, 1 semester.
Special [Examination] Professors Taussig, Williams, Mason
Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.
[signed] T. N. Carver
* * * [Last page of application] * * *
[Not to be filled out by the applicant]
Name: Howard Sylvester Ellis
Approved: January 11, 1924
Ability to use French certified by C. J. Bullock, Apr. 11, 1923.
Ability to use German certified by C. J. Bullock, Apr. 11, 1923.
Date of general examination May 26, 1924. Passed. [F.W.T.]
Thesis received April 1, 1929
Read by Professors Hawtrey, Taussig, Williams
Approved May, 1929
Date of special examination June 10, 1929 [F.W.T.]
Recommended for the Doctorate [left blank]
Degree conferred [left blank]
Remarks. [left blank]
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Certification of reading knowledge
of French and German for Ph.D.
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics
Cambridge, Massachusetts
April 11, 1923
Dear Dean Haskins:
This is to certify that I have examined Mr. H. S. Ellis and find that he has such a knowledge of French and German as we require of candidates for the Ph.D. degree.
Very sincerely yours
[signed]
C. J. Bullock
Dean C. H. Haskins
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
General Examination, date and
change of an examiner
[carbon copy]
22 May, 1924
My dear Professor Taussig:
This is to remind you that are chairman of the committee for the general examination of H. S. Ellis for the Ph.D. in Economics, to be held on Monday, 26 May, at 4 p.m., in Widener U. I enclose Mr. Ellis’s papers herewith. Professor Dewing is going to substitute for Professor Cunningham on the committee.
Very truly yours,
[unsigned copy]
Secretary of the Division
Professor F. W. Taussig
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
General Examination, date and
change of an examiner
[carbon copy]
22 May, 1924
My dear Mr. Ellis:
This is to remind you that your general examination for the Ph.D. in Economics is to be held on Monday, 26 May, at 4 p.m., in Widener U. Professor Dewing is going to substitute for Professor Cunningham on the committee.
Very truly yours,
[unsigned copy]
Secretary of the Division
Mr. H. S. Ellis
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Passed General Examination
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics
Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 28, 1924
My dear Haskins:
As chairman of the committee appointed to conduct the general examination of H. S. Ellis for the Ph.D. degree in Economics, I have to report that Mr. Ellis passed the examination to the satisfaction of the committee. While his showing at the examination was not without defects, his record on the whole made the case clear.
Very truly yours,
[signed]
F. W. Taussig
Dean C. H. Haskins
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Scheduling Special Examination,
Changing special field
to Money & Banking
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics
H. H. Burbank
34 Holyoke Street
Cambridge, Massachusetts
February 12, 1929
Dear Miss Campbell:
I am confirming our telephone conversation of a few moments ago. The special field of Howard Ellis will be Money and Banking with special reference to recent theory.
Ellis wishes as late a date as possible and you have suggested as near June 10 as can be arranged. I will write Ellis and ask him to correspond with you.
Very sincerely,
[signed]
H. H. Burbank
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Thesis summary
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ANN ARBOR
Department of Economics
1327 Wilmot St.
April 18, 1929
Miss Glady E. Campbell,
Secretary of the Division of History, Government and Economics,
Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
Dear Miss Campbell:
Kindly find enclose a summary of my dissertation, and accept my thanks for calling the matter to my attention.
Very sincerely yours,
[signed]
Howard S. Ellis
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Passed Special Examination
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics
Cambridge, Massachusetts
June 11, 1929
My dear Carver,
As chairman of the committee appointed to conduct the special examination Mr. Howard S. Ellis in economics I have to report that Mr. Ellis passed the examination.
Very sincerely yours,
[signed]
F. W. Taussig
Professor T. N. Carver
774 Widener Library
Cambridge, Massachusetts
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
(INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE SHEET)
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Record of H. S. Ellis
in the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.
|
|
Grades | |
| 1922-23 | Course |
Half-Course |
|
Economics 2a1 |
|
A |
|
Economics 2b2 |
|
A |
|
Economics 11 |
A |
|
|
Economics 31 |
A minus |
|
|
Economics 41 |
B plus |
|
| 1923-24 (midyear grades) | Course |
Half-Course |
|
Economics 14 |
A minus |
|
|
Government 6 |
A |
|
[Note: a supplementary transcript of the record of H.S. Ellis dated May 18, 1929 reports a grade of “excused” for Economics 14 and Government 6 for the 1923-24 year]
Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government & Economics, Ph.D. Degrees Conferred 1929-30. (UA V 453.270), Box 09.
__________________________
Course Names and Instructors
1922-23
Economics 2a 1hf. European Industry and Commerce in the Nineteenth Century. Assistant Professor Usher.
Economics 2b 2hf. Economic History of the United States. Assistant Professor Usher.
Economics 11. Economic Theory. Professor Taussig.
Economics 31. Public Finance. Professor Bullock.
Economics 41. Statistical Theory and Analysis. Professors Young and Day.
1923-24
Economics 14. History and Literature of Economics to the year 1848. Professor Bullock.
Government 6. History of Political Theory. Professor McIlwain.
Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College for 1922-23, 1923-24.
__________________________
Howard Sylvester Ellis
Timeline of his life and career
1898. Born July 2 in Denver Colorado.
1916-20. State University of Iowa.
1920. A.B. State University of Iowa.
1920. Summer term, University of Chicago.
1920-1922. Half-time graduate work half-time instructor of Economics, University of Michigan.
1922. A.M. University of Michigan.
1922-23. Thayer Fellow, Harvard.
1923. Ricardo Prize awarded for the best essay written in a special examination held in economics. (Harvard Crimson, 9 June 1923)
1924. February. A.M. in economics, Harvard.
1923-24. Teaching section leader in Economics A (Principles of Economics), Harvard.
1924-25. Non-resident, Frederick Sheldon Travelling Fellowship, Harvard. Studied at the University of Heidelberg.
1925-38. Taught at the University of Michigan.
1929. Ph.D. in economics, Harvard. (Report of the President of Harvard College, 1928-29, p. 103)
1930. Awarded the David A. Wells prize in Economics for best Ph.D. thesis in three years. (Harvard Crimson, 2 June 1930)
1938-65. Flood Professor of Economics. University of California, Berkeley.
1943-45. Assistant director of Research and Statistics at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington.
1944-45. Visiting professor at Columbia.
1948. Edited A Survey of Contemporary Economics for the American Economic Association. (12 printings)
1949. President of the American Economic Association.
1951. Visiting professor at the University of Tokyo sponsored by a Rockefeller Foundation grant.
1953-55. President of the International Economic Association.
1955. (with Norman Buchanan). Approaches to Economic Development published.
1958-59. Visiting professor at Bombay.
1969. Visiting professor at Claremont, California
1972. Visiting professor at Wisconsin-Milwaukee
1992. Died April 14 in Capitola, California. (University of California. In Memorium); also the biography at the History of Economic Thought website)
Image Source: Portrait of Howard S. Ellis (ca. 1925) in Marjorie C. Brazer “The Economics Department of the University of Michigan: A Centennial Retrospective” in Economics and the World around It, edited by Saul H. Hymans (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 1980). Colorized at Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.