This post began innocently enough as simple transcriptions of the single A.M. and the two Ph.D. examinations in political economy for 1933 from the Johns Hopkins Archives. Because the names of the examinees are included on the typed carbon copies of the examination questions, I dug a little bit deeper to find out more about these degree candidates. From the official commencement programs, we are able to determine that these written examinations were in almost all cases administered as “exit examinations” a month before the degrees were actually awarded, so the exams were not “prelim” exams to establish degree candidacy and also not part of a dissertation defense. This seems late in the game for a final hurdle of this nature.
The commencement programs provide the titles of the theses/dissertations submitted for the degrees. Digging further, I was even able to find pictures of all the examinees.
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The Graduate Degree Examinees
Johns Hopkins University, May 1933
Lawrence Nelson Bloomberg, of Virginia, A.B. University of Richmond 1930. Political Economy.
A.M. Johns Hopkins University, Thesis.“Goodwill: Its Nature and Valuation.” [p. 8 of 1933 Commencement program]
PhD Dissertation. “The Investment Value of Goodwill.” [p. 11 of 1934 Commencement program]
Born September 27, 1909 in Richmond, Virginia; died August 13, 1989.
1940 worked in Washington, DC at the American Bankers Association.
Image Source: Senior year photo of Lawrence Nelson Bloomberg in the University of Richmond yearbook, The Web–1930.
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Roy Johnson Bullock, of Maryland, A.B. Doane College 1925; M.B.A. Harvard University 1927. Political Economy. Ph.D. dissertation “A History of the Chain Grocery Store in the United States.” [p. 11 of 1933 Commencement program]
Born October 5, 1903 in Crete, Nebraska; died in Marco Island, Collier County, Florida Feb. 14, 1980.
1940 Census: teacher at Johns Hopkins University.
1942: worked in the Office of Price Administration, Washington, DC.
1961: senior staff consultant to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs. Also, the commencement speaker at Doane College’s 1961 commencement. Awarded honorary doctor of laws degree.
Image Source: Portrait of Roy Johnson Bullock (approximately 30 years old). Johns Hopkins University. Sheridan Libraries. Special Collections. Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection.
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Abner Komaroff, of Palestine, B.V.A. American University of Beirut 1930.
Ph.D. Dissertation, “The Foreign Trade of the United States in Citrus Fruits.” [p. 12 of Commencement program 1933]
Image Source: Portrait of Abner Komaroff (approximately 20 years old). Johns Hopkins University. Sheridan Libraries. Special Collections. Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection.
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Harold Edwin Peters, of Maryland, A.B. Johns Hopkins University 1930.
Ph.D. Dissertation, “The Foreign Debt of the Argentine Republic”. [p. 13 of Commencement program 1934]
Born October 15, 1908 in Baltimore, died February 22, 1978 in Baltimore.
Apartment developer since the mid-1930’s, after teaching economics for a year at the College of Charleston. (Graduate of Calvert Hall College, then Johns Hopkins where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa in 1930).
Image Source: Portrait of Harold Edwin Peters (approximately 25 years old). Johns Hopkins University. Sheridan Libraries. Special Collections. Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection.
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Evelyn Ellen Singleton, of Maryland, A.B. Goucher College 1930. Political Economy.
PhD dissertation, “Workmen’s Compensation in Maryland”. [p. 13 of Commencement program 1933]
Born October 9, 1909 in Lancaster, PA; died May 29, 2002.
Married Robert William Thon, Jr. (see next graduate) April 1, 1936 in Elkton, MD.
Image Source: Portrait of Evelyn Ellen Singleton (approximately 20 years old). Johns Hopkins University. Sheridan Libraries. Special Collections. Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection.
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Robert William Thon, Jr., of Maryland. Political Economy. PhD Dissertation “Mutual Savings Banks in Baltimore.” [p. 14 of 1933 Commencement program]
Born Dec. 23, 1908 in Richmond, VA; died September 1983 in Baltimore MD.
Occupation: banker
Image Source: Portrait of Robert William Thon, Jr. (approximately 50 years old). Johns Hopkins University. Sheridan Libraries. Special Collections. Johns Hopkins University graphic and pictorial collection.
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EXAMINATION IN POLITICAL ECONOMY
for Master of Arts Degree
May 18, 1933
Mr. Bloomberg
- Discuss Adam Smith’s canons of taxation.
- Describe Malthus’ principle of population and the changes which it underwent.
- What arguments are used to justify the sale of a manufactured article at a lower price abroad than at home?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of the general Property Tax?
- Explain and criticize the quantity theory of money.
- How are freight rates determined?
EXAMINATION IN POLITICAL ECONOMY
(Economic Theory)
May 18, 1933
Miss Singleton
Messrs. Thon, Bullock, Peters, Komaroff
- What is the relation of Political Economy to economic history in scope and in method of investigation?
- What important economic doctrines had been clearly formulated prior to the year 1800?
- Discuss the personal contacts and doctrinal contrasts of Quesnay and Adam Smith.
- Contrast the theories of distribution formulated by (a) Adam Smith, (b) David Ricardo, (c) Alfred Marshall.
- What has been the development of the principle of population since the time of Malthus?
- Discuss the origin and development of the wage fund theory.
- What have been the most important contributions of the Austrian economists?
- Discuss the law of increasing returns and its application to modern business.
- Criticize the various theories of entrepreneur profits that have been proposed.
- What are the present conspicuous gaps in economic theory and by what means are they to be repaired?
EXAMINATION IN POLITICAL ECONOMY
(Applied Economics)
May 19, 1933
Miss Singleton
Messrs. Thon, Komaroff , Bullock, Peters
- Discuss the history, theory, incidence and the defects of the General Property Tax.
- Discuss modern industrial combinations in the light of: (1) An assignable limit to the growth in the size of the modern industrial unit; and (2) the imminence of Socialism.
- Discuss the policy of selling protected manufactures in foreign markets at less than domestic prices.
- Is a compulsory Board of Arbitration practicable, and what principles should govern its decisions?
- Criticize the principle of fixing railway rates according to “What the traffic will bear”, in the light of the recent tendency towards cost of service rate.
- Outline the history of (a) metallic and (b) paper money in the United States since the adoption of the Federal constitution.
- Discuss the use of the chief forms of averages; for example, the mean, the median and the simple average.
- Outline the history of English legislation relating to joint stock companies.
- State the chief points in controversy between the Banking School and the Currency School.
- Discuss the economic justification for the chief forms of labor legislation.
Source: Johns Hopkins University. Eisenhower Library. Ferdinand Hamburger, Jr. Archives. Department of Political Economy. Series 6/Series /, Subseries 1, Box 3/1, Folder “Department of Political Economy, Graduate Exams 1933-1965”.
Image Source: Johns Hopkins University yearbook, Hullabaloo 1951.