An earlier post on the economic seminary of Johns Hopkins University (1903-04) was taken from an official publication of the university. In the meantime I have found the original minutes of the “economic conference”, followed by the “economic seminary” for the period 1892-1951! Up through the 1921-22 academic year, the minutes are handwritten, reasonably legible, but still harder to read than the typed minutes beginning in 1922-23. I’ll start with the easier reading first.
The economic seminary schedule for the following years have also been posted:
1922-1923
1923-1924
1924-1925
1925-1926
1926-1927
__________________
POLITICAL ECONOMY
GRADUATE COURSES
The graduate instruction in Political Economy is designed primarily to meet the needs of advanced students preparing for a professional career in economic science. The courses afford systematic instruction in general economic principles, intimate acquaintance with special fields of economic activity, and, most important of all, knowledge of and ability to employ sound methods of economic research. The work centres in the Economic Seminary, the membership of which is limited to the most advanced students, and the primary design of which is to develop scientific research in economic study and investigation…
…The Economic Seminary
Two hours weekly through the year. Professors Hollander and Barnett, Associate Professor Weyforth, Miss Jacobs, and Dr. Mitchell.
The work of the year will be the study of representative forms of industrial development in the United States, and the analysis of significant activities of American labor organizations.
Source: The Johns Hopkins University Circular, Vol. XLI, 1922, p. 342.
__________________
MEMBERS OF THE ECONOMIC SEMINARY
1922-1923
Students
Black, Stanley Roberts
A.B., Colby College, 1921. 1st year, Political Economy, History, and Political Science.
Chen, Chao Ming
Fuhkien Privincial College. 2nd year undergraduate residence, candidate for A.B., Johns Hopkins University. Professor Latane, adviser.
Culver, Lydia Margaretta (Miss)
A.B. Goucher College, 1921. 1st year, Political Economy
Evans, George Heberton, Jr.
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1920. 2nd year, Political Economy, Political Science, and Psychology
Fedder, Abraham
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1921. 1st year, Political Economy, Political Science, and History
Fossum, Paul Robert
A.B. Park Region Luther College, 1915. 2nd year, Political Economy
Gillies, Robert Carlyle
A.B., Princeton University, 1920. 1st year (part-time), Political Economy
Hankin, Anne E.
Attendant on courses in social economics [1923]
Hartin, William McCants
B.Litt., Furman University, 1897, and A.M., 1899; Th.M., Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1904. Part-time, Political Economy
Howard, Mary Cushing (Miss)
Bryn Mawr School. Attendant on Courses in Economics and Business Economics.
Kahn, Hortense Miller
A.B., Goucher College, 1916. 1st year (part-time), Political Economy.
Levin, Benjamin Szold
Park School. Senior undergraduate, Dr. Weyforth, Adviser
Meeth, Ruth Elizabeth (Miss)
A.B., Goucher College, 1918. 1st year, Political Economy
Nelson, Louise Dallam
Attendant on courses in social economics.
Pasternak, Lillian
A.B., Goucher College, 1920. 1st year, Political Economy
Saiontz, Leon Robert
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1921. 2nd year, Political Economy
Suzuki, Hitoshi
Master of Commerce, Meiji University (Japan), 1920. 1st year, Political Economy
Tingley, Ruth (Miss)
A.B., Goucher College, 1914. 1st year, Political Economy
Whistler, Margaret Kathryn (Miss)
A.B., Goucher College, 1921. 1st year, Political Economy.
Wyckoff, Vertrees Judson
A.B., Princeton University, 1920. 1st year (part-time), Political Economy
Griffiss, Bartow [Added to list of members]
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1920. 2nd year, Political Economy, Political Science, and Psychology
Seibert , Louise Cleret (Mrs.) [Presented, but not on list of members]
A.B. Goucher College, 1920. (probably) 1st year (part-time) Political Economy
Taketomi, Yasuo [Presented, but not on list of members]
A.B., Waseda University. 2nd year, Political Economy
Faculty
Jacob H. Hollander, Professor of Political Economy [at present rank, 1904-; first appointment, 1894]
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1891, Fellow, 1893-94, and Ph.D., 1894; Treasurer of the Island of Porto Rico, 1900-01; Special Commissioner Plenipotentiary to Santo Domingo, 1905-06; Financial Adviser of the Dominican Republic, 1908-10.
George Ernest Barnett, Professor of Statistics [at present rank, 1911-; first appointment, 1901]
A.B., Randolph Macon College, 1891; Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 1899-1900, and Ph.D., 1901.
William Oswald Weyforth, Associate (Associate Professor Elect) in Political Economy [at present rank, 1919-]
A.B., Johns Hopkins University, 1912, and Ph.D., 1915; Instructor, Western Reserve University, 1915-17.
Broadus Mitchell, Instructor (Associate Elect) in Political Economy [at present rank, 1919-]
A.B., University of South Carolina, 1913; Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 1916-17, and Ph.D., 1918.
Miss Theo Jacobs, Associate in Social Economics [1919-]
A.B., Goucher College, 1901; Federated Charities of Baltimore (District Assistant, 1905-07, District Secretary, 1907-10, Assistant General Secretary, 1910-17, Acting General Secretary, 1917-1919.
__________________
Minutes of the Seminary
1923-24
October 11, 1922
The opening meeting of the economic seminary of the session was held in room 315 on Wednesday at 2 o’clock. Mr. [Bartow] Griffiss read a paper on “The Relation Between Fluctuations in the Call Money Rate and in Stocks”.
October 18, 1922
The economic seminary met at 2 o’clock. Professor [George E.] Barnett read a paper on “Index Numbers of the Total Cost of Living as a Measure of Satisfaction”.
October 25, 1922.
Mr. [Robert Carlyle] Gillies read two papers , (1) “Minimum Health and Decency Budgets as Employed in Labor Union Arguments,” and (2) “Relative Cost of Government and Private Borrowing”.
November 1, 1922
Mr. [Vertrees Judson] Wyckoff read a paper on “Illustrations of the Tactics of Two Trade Unions During Period of Commercial Depression”.
November 8, 1922
Mr. Paul Robert Fossum read a paper on “The Agrarian Movement in North Dakota”.
November 15, 1922
Professor [Jacob H.] Hollander read a paper on “The Allied Debt”.
November 22, 1922
Mr. [Stanley Roberts] Black read a paper on “Recent Investment Policies of Mutual Savings Banks”.
November 29, 1922
Mr. [Leon Robert] Saiontz read a paper on “Tax Exempt Securities in the United States”.
December 6, 1922
Mr. [Abraham] Fedder read a paper on “History of the Index Numbers of the Cost of Living in Great Britain”.
December 13, 1922
Mr. [William McCants] Hartin read a paper on “Control of the Boll Weevil in the United States”.
December 20, 1922
Miss [Lillian] Pasternak read a paper on “Interrelated Dependent Families”.
January 3, 1923
Mr. [Bartow] Griffiss read a paper on “Control of the Call Money Rate”.
January 10, 1923
Mr. [Benjamin Szold] Levin read a paper on “The Farm Loan Act”.
January 17, 1923
Mr. [Robert Carlyle] Gillies read a paper on “Performance of the U.S. Railroad Administration”.
January 24, 1923
Mrs. [Louise Cleret] Seibert read a paper on “Unions of Government Employees”.
January 31, 1923
Miss [Mary Cushing] Howard read a paper on “The American Federation of Labor”.
February 7, 1923
Dr. [William O.] Weyforth read a paper on “Exchange Rates and Purchasing Power Parities”.
February 14, 1923
Professor [Jacob H.] Hollander gave a talk and read some Letters of Adam Smith.
February 21, 1923
Dr. [Broadus] Mitchell talked on “The Recent Accession to the Hutzler Collection”.
February 28, 1923
Mr. [Bartow] Griffiss talked on “The Operation of the New York Call Money Market”.
March 7, 1923
Mr. [Vertrees Judson] Wyckoff read a paper on the “Conclusions on the Readjustment of Trade Union Agreements in a Period of Depression”.
March 14, 1923
Mr. [Stanley Roberts] Black read a paper on “Legislative Policies in Respect to Investments of Mutual Savings Banks”.
March 21, 1923
Mr. [Paul Robert] Fossum read a paper on “The Functions of the Bank of North Dakota in the Industrial Program of the Non-Partisan League”.
March 28, 1923
Mr. [Hitoshi] Suzuki read a paper on “Post-War Finance in Japan”.
April 11, 1923
Mr. [Abraham] Fedder read a paper on “Occupational Changes Due to Invention and Improvements”.
April 18, 1923
Mr. [Leon Robert] Saiontz read a paper on “History of Tax Exempt Securities”.
April 25, 1923
Miss [Ruth Elizabeth] Meeth read a paper on “Placing Out Work of the Henry Watson Children’s Aid Society”.
May 2, 1923
Miss [Ruth] Tingley read a paper on “The Unmarried Mother and Her Child”.
May 9, 1923
Miss [Lydia Margaretta] Culver read a paper on the “History of Baltimore Association for the Improvement of the Conditions of the Poor”.
May 15, 1923
Mr. [Yasuo] Taketomi read a paper on “Thomas Hood’s Social Verse”.
May 23, 1923
Miss [Margaret Kathryn] Whistler read a paper on “Probation in Baltimore”.
Seminary ended for the year.
Sources:
Dates, presenters and topics from: Johns Hopkins University. Eisenhower Library, Ferdinand Hamburger, Jr. Archives. Department of Political Economy, Series 1. Minutes of the Economic Seminary, 1892-1951. Folder “1922-1940”.
Information about the members of the seminary from: The Johns Hopkins University Circular, Vol. XLI, 1922 and The Johns Hopkins University Circular, Vol. XLII, 1923.
Image Source:Webpage “Gilman Hall circa 1920” in the Hopkins Perspective, 1876-Today collection.