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Chicago Columbia Economist Market Economists

Chicago. Harry Johnson opposes major appointment to be offered to Gary Becker, 1964

HarryJohnsonGaryBecker

From the perspective of today it is rather difficult to imagine that the idea of bringing favorite son Gary Becker back to the University of Chicago from Columbia could have faced any, much less, serious resistance from within the economics department. But as the following letters from Zvi Griliches’ papers in the Harvard archives show, Harry Johnson’s displeasure with this prospect was a force taken most seriously by several of his colleagues, at least in the Spring of 1964. Perhaps more was at play than Johnson’s principle objection to a Becker hire:

“…his accomplishments consist mainly in doing more competently what various members of the department already do, and have been doing for a long time, and not in doing well what the department does not do and ought to be doing if it expects to attract good students and maintain its leadership among the graduate schools of the continent, I think that it would be a grave error of strategy in the development of the department to go after him.”

Johnson offered another interesting claim with regard to 1964 Chicago faculty expectations for a Ph.D. thesis:

“I have noticed among some of the graduate students the notion that the Ph.D. thesis is to be completed with the minimum of intellectual input and a few single-equation regressions. This is contrary to the intention of the Ph.D. regulations (‘the quality and length of a good journal article’)…”

Perhaps the birth of the concept of a job-market-paper?

_____________________

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
CHICAGO 37 • ILLINOIS
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

May 20, 1964

To: Al Harberger, Zvi Griliches

From: Al Rees

Re: Gary Becker

The question of an appointment for Gary will be discussed at a Department Meeting on June 4. I enclose a copy of a confidential memo from Harry in which he opposes the appointment. Harry will be in Italy on June 4 and cannot present his views in person. I would very much like to have your reaction before the meeting.

You should also know that appointments are being offered this week to Jimmy Savage and to Hans Theil, both at high salaries and both joint with the School of Business. There seems to be a very high probability that both will be accepted.

I am somewhat concerned about the number of tenure posts the Administration will let us have; in particular, I do not want to do anything that might “freeze out” Larry Sjaastad, for whom I have very high hopes.

Another consideration is the effect on Harry of making a senior appointment that he opposes. He seems to feel somehow outnumbered and is still actively considering a move to London.

Gregg has already put to you the case for Gary; in any case you know his stengths too well to need to be reminded of them.

[signed] Al

_____________________

 UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

Date May 19, 1964

CONFIDENTIAL

To: A. Rees
From: H.G. Johnson
In re: [Economics] Department Meeting, June 4th

As I will not be at the departmental meeting on June 4th, I am taking the unusual course of putting on paper my views about certain matters due for discussion, on which I would have spoken.

I. A. (1) The thesis prospectus seminar on Choudhri was dissatisfied with the prospectus; it considered making him prepare a new prospectus, but decided instead to make him get agreement from the three members of his Committee on a new draft. Earl Hamilton was in favor of another prospectus seminar, but was overruled. I have had second thoughts, and believe that the matter should be reconsidered, for the following reasons:

(a) next year’s money workshop will be in different hands than this year’s; I am worried that, in the rush to get students past their prospectus seminar, we will land next year’s workshop with a batch of poorly thought out prospectuses that will have to be patched up with great labor.

(b) Choudhri has an excellent record; he should be able to do much better, and we should make him do better–if we let him get by with low-quality work, we are doing his future career a disservice.

(c) I have noticed among some of the graduate students the notion that the Ph.D. thesis is to be completed with the minimum of intellectual input and a few single-equation regressions. This is contrary to the intention of the Ph.D. regulations (“the quality and length of a good journal article’), bad for student morale, and inimical to good teaching. An example in this case would be salutary, and it would do Choudhri himsèlf little harm and probably some good.

I. A. (1) I would like to recommend strongly that we go after R. A. Mundell for the Ford Fellowship for 1965-66. Mundell is one of the most original and elegant moentary theorists going: he has contributed to the theory of economic policy under fixed and floating exchange rates, and started off the analysis of optimum currency areas, and he has made a number of contributions to the price theory of money and of inflation. He is also a first-class international trade and general value theorist, and a man who is always ready for an intelligent argument. Apart from our mathematical economists, we have no-one here with Mundell’s interest in pure monetary and value theory; and we have no-one with his practical experience at the IMF. I should add that I have suggested Mundell partly because I have talked with him, and he would like to spend 1965-66 in this area.

I. B. (2) Just as strongly, I feel that the department should not pursue the proposal to offer a tenure appointment to Gary Becker. I have a high respect for Becker’s theoretical abilities; but as his accomplishments consist mainly in doing more competently what various members of the department already do, and have been doing for a long time, and not in doing well what the department does not do and ought to be doing if it expects to attract good students and maintain its leadership among the graduate schools of the continent, I think that it would be a grave error of strategy in the development of the department to go after him. 

In addition, I would point out that Becker is probably the most distinguished graduate this department had had in recent years, and that going after him would be a repetition of the cannibalization-of-the-young policy that in my judgment has seriously weakened this department in the past decade or so. Unless we get our good graduates established in good departments in other Universities, we are going to have to live with the present image of the Chicago School in the profession at large, and we are not going to have representatives in other good universities steering good students towards us. If we persistently try to bring our own best back, we will defeat ourselves in the long run in two ways: we will not get the students; and we will not get the top-quality men we should get either, because we are bound to miss out on some of our own, and the fact that a new non-Chicagoan will necessarily be one of a minority outgroup will make the place unattractive to such men.

I am also fairly sure that Becker would not come, because he is intelligent enough to know that he should not come and begause he is well entrenched at Columbia, where a number of senior men are due to be replaced and will be replaced by men of his own

_____________________

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
CHICAGO 37 • ILLINOIS
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

June 15, 1964

Professor Zvi Griliches

The Maurice Falk Institute for
Economic Research in Israel
17, Keren Hayesod Street
Jerusalem, Israel

Dear Zvi:

I have your letter of June 7.

At the Department Meeting a week ago last Friday, we took no action on Richard Moorsteen other than agreeing to invite him to come to Chicago for a visit next fall. We agreed to invite Bob Mundell to join our faculty for the year 1965-66 on the Ford Foundation Professorship.

The Department took no action on my proposal to offer a major appointment to Gary Becker. It is likely that the question will come up again next fall and you will be here then to state your own point of view.

It is quite clear now that Theil is not going to give us his decision until after his return to the Netherlands. At the moment I am fairly optimistic that when he makes his decision, it will be favorable. Theil has been offered a quite good package, I think, and I judge from conversations with him that he feels he also has a good package.

Furthermore, Judy got the impression that Laura Theil would be favorable to coming here.

You ask in the postscript to your letter whether I got a raise. I presume that what was in your mind was the question: Will I get a raise if the chairmanship is offered to me and I accept it?

I can’t answer your  question for sure since the chairmanship has not been offered to me. Indeed, I have taken steps at this end to try to insure that it won’t be offered to me. If it is offered to me, it is very unlikely I will accept it. Indeed, I can’t imagine that the terms on which it would be offered would be sufficiently attractive to induce me to accept.

Sincerely,

[signed] Gregg

H.G. Lewis

HGL/agm

Source: Harvard University Archives, Papers of Zvi Griliches, Box 129, Folder „Correspondence, 1960-1969“.

Image Sources: Harry Johnson (Archives of two giants of economics donated to the U Chicago Library. U Chicago News, October 25, 2018); Gary Becker (University of Chicago Booth School Nobel Laureate Page for Gary Becker).

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Chicago Economics Programs Faculty Regulations

Chicago. Economics A.M. requirements amended to become “Consolation Prize”. Lewis and Schultz, 1950

 

In 1950 the Chicago economics department voted to convert its master’s degree into an award for the successful partial completion of its Ph.D. program. It was to serve as a “consolation prize” for good graduate students but those found not to have the right “Ph.D. stuff” (H. Gregg Lewis’ words in his memo of Sept. 29, 1950 to chairman T. W. Schultz, transcribed below). I have also included the relevant portion of the distributional and examination requirements for the Ph.D. that had already formed part of the so-called “alternate departmental master’s degree”. H. Gregg Lewis’ proposal was largely accepted by the department (minutes from the meeting of November 2, 1950 transcribed below), thereby eliminating distinct tracks for its A.M. and Ph.D. degree programs, respectively.

_______________________

ALTERNATIVE DEPARTMENTAL MASTER’S DEGREE
[1950-51 regulations]

Upon request the Department will consider recommending for the Master’s degree candidates who have satisfied the distribution requirement for the Ph.D. degree and have passed with satisfactory standing the three written field examinations for the Ph.D. degree. One modern foreign language is required. In place of a thesis such candidates may present an acceptable paper or report on a problem approved by the Department.

[…]

Distributional requirement [Ph.D.]. The candidate is expected to have familiarity with the subject matter equivalent to that covered in at least one course (200 or 300 level of reasonable comprehensivenss in each of ten fields (five required and five elected), satisfactory evidence of which can be provided by course credit or by passing a special examination. The required fields are: (a) economic theory, (b) accounting, (c) statistics, (d) economic history, and (e) money, banking, and monetary policy. The fields from which five may be elected are: (f) consumption economics, (g) industrial relations, (h) monopoly and public utilities, (i) agricultural economics, (j) government finance, (k) international economic relations, and (l) substitute fields, but not in excess of two, proposed by the candidate and approved by the Departmental counselor or the Department. One or both of these substitute fields may be outside the Department of Economics, and in general some work outside the Department is recommended with a view to rounding out a program appropriate for the individual student. In case of students transferring from other institutions, adequate training in general history may be substituted for economic history upon the written recommendation of the Departmental counselor.

Preliminary written field examinations [Ph.D.]. In each of three fields of specialization, in addition to presenting course credit or special examinations to show satisfactory preparation, the candidate will be required to pass a written examination.

The candidate is expected to select the three fields of specialization—a primary field and two secondary fields—for intensive graduate work. The primary field is that in which the [Ph.D.] thesis will be written. One of the three fields (primary or secondary) must be that of economic theory, including monetary theory. The fields from which selection is to be made are listed above under the heading “Distributional Requirement,” except that accounting may not be chosen as a field without approval of the Department. One secondary field of specialization may be a field named by the candidate outside the list above, and this may be in a department other than Economics. A secondary field may also be developed under one of the interdepartmental committees of specialization International Relations, Human Development, Planning or Social Thought. The program of work proposed, which ordinarily will include four to five courses, must be approved by the Department. No other secondary field may replace the required field in economic theory.* Students should consult with the Departmental counselor with respect to appropriate programs of work in preparation for the field examinations. The field examinations are given by the Department in the sixth and seventh weeks of the Winter and summer quarters. Application for any field examination should be made not later than the end of the first week of the quarter in which the examination is to be taken.

*Students who take the field examination in money, banking, and monetary policy will not be required to write the monetary theory part of the economic theory examination.

 

Source: University of Chicago, Announcements. The Division of the Social Sciences, Sessions of 1950-1951, Vol. L, Number 9 (July 20, 1950), pp. 25-26.

_______________________

ECONOMIC COURSES LISTED IN THE LEWIS MEMO (29 Sept 1950) AND INCLUDED IN THE DEPARTMENTAL MINUTES (2 Nov 1950)

209. Intermediate Economic Theory. (Procter Thomson/Harold Gregg Lewis) Designed for students majoring in economics. Deals with factors controlling production, value and relative prices, and distribution.

211. Introduction to Statistics. (Harold Gregg Lewis) Elementary principles of statistics. Main topics: frequency distributions, averages, dispersion, index numbers, elements of the theory of statistical inference.

220. Economic History of the United States. (Earl J. Hamilton) Facts and factors in American’s economic growth from the Colonial period to World War II, including the development of agriculture, industry, commerce, finance, and transportation; economic effects of wars; role of the entrepreneur; rise in living standards; unrest and utopias in periods of stagnation; commercial crises and economic basis of cultural progress.

222. The Rise of Industrial Civilization in Europe. (John Ulrich Nef) Economic development in its relation to religious, political, intellectual and artistic history since the seventeenth century.

230. Introduction to Money and Banking. (Milton Friedman/Lloyd Wynn Mints) Factors which determine the value of money in the short and in the long run; and operation of the commercial banking system and in relation to the price level and general business activity.

240. Introduction to Industrial Relations. (Albert E. Rees) The nature of the labor market; government regulation of wages; social security; the history, structure, and functions of American labor unions; and collective bargaining. Special attention is given to current problems of public policy.

255. Introduction to Agricultural Economics. (D. Gale Johnson). Nature of resources used in agriculture. Prices, production, resource allocation, and income distribution. Analysis of government programs, subsidies, storages, crop control, soil conservation, food-stamp plan.

260. Introduction to Government Finance. (Richard B. Goode) Survey of institutions and theories of government finance. Effects of public expenditures; functions of public revenue; forms of taxation; tax criteria; determination of tax policy; public borrowing; debt management; fiscal policy.

270. International Economics. (Bert F. Hoselitz) The nature of international payments and receipts; foreign trade and banking system. The gold standard in the interwar period. The breakdown of the gold standard and the period of fluctuating exchange rates. Exchange controls, clearing agreements and payments agreements. The second world war and the foreign exchange markets. The position of the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the present world economy.

271. Economic Aspects of International Politics. (Bert F. Hoselitz) An introductory survey, with particular reference to the United States, of the economic policies and activities of governments. Topics: international specialization of production and the distribution of world resources, structure of international exchanges and the mechanism of international transfer of goods and services; tariffs and other regulatory measures; trade agreements and the most-favored nation clause; international flow of capital and investment; the position of the ITO, the IMF, the ECA and other official agencies in international trade and exchange.

300A, 300B. Price Theory. (W. Allen Wallis 300A/Lloyd A. Metzler 300B/Milton Friedman 300B) A systematic study of the pricing of final products and factors of production under essentially stationary conditions. Covers both perfect competition and such imperfectly competitive conditions as monopolistic competition, oligopoly, and monopoly. 300A deals primarily with the pricing of final products; 300B, with the pricing of factors of production.

Source: University of Chicago, Announcements. The Division of the Social Sciences, Sessions of 1950-1951, Vol. L, Number 9 (July 20, 1950), pp. 27-28.

_______________________

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO

September 29, 1950

To        T. W. Schultz

From   H.G. Lewis

In Re: Requirements for the Master’s Degree

This is an elaboration of comments made to you this summer concerning the Master’s degree.

I should like to recommend the following changes in our requirements for the A.M. degree:

  1. That the distinction between the “regular” A.M. and the “alternative” A.M. be abolished.
  2. That the departmental requirements for the A.M degree consist of the following alteration of the present alternative A.M. requirements:
    1. A distribution requirement covering five (rather than the present eight) fields of economics of which theory, statistics, and money and banking shall be mandatory. Students who do not hold the traditional A.B. degree must meet the requirement by passing satisfactorily a qualifying examination coving the subject matter of Economics 209, 211 (unless the student has passed the Divisional qualifying examination), 230, and two courses chose from 220, 222, 240, 255, 260, 270, 271.1/ Students holding the traditional A.B. may meet the requirement by showing equivalent course credit.
    2. The passing of two Ph.D. field examinations (with Part I of the Theory exam counting as a full exam) at a satisfactory level (that is, at either the Ph.D. level or at a level somewhat lower but not so low as not to warrant blessing the candidate with a Master’s degree).2/
    3. A showing of competence in economic principles; made either by passing (at the A.M. level or higher) Part I of the Theory examination, by course credits or course examinations in Economics 300A and 300B, or by equivalent course credit.

I would recommend that the changes in requirements become effective as of the beginning of the Summer Quarter, 1951 for students entering the Department in that and later quarters.

1/ This qualifying examination is now offered every quarter. This is an extravagant use of faculty. I should like to see the exam offered only once a year. Furthermore, I should like to permit students to substitute course grades for all or part of the exam provided the course grades are for courses taken here and provided they are not at a level lower than B.

2/ There would be therefore no special examinations for A.M.’s, but the examinations would be graded into three levels: passing for the Ph.D. and A.M. degrees, passing for the A.M. degree but not for the Ph.D., failing for both.

I would urge students to give requirement (b) high priority in preparing their programs of study.

Since the ends sought by these changes can be reached in other ways, I specify below what these ends are.

I view our principal instructional purpose as that of training high-level (Ph.D. and beyond) professional economists. I think we ought to view our training of “junior” economists and the awarding of the A.M. degree only as an incident arising from the fact that at the time a student applies for admission to the department, we cannot predict accurately either his calibre as a student or his academic goals.

It seems to me that the requirements for the Master’s degree should meet these tests:

  1. They should include no requirements which the Department would not make for the Ph.D. degree. Otherwise both student and faculty time will be spent in activities extraneous to the training of high-level economists. The present alternative A.M. meets this test but the regular A.M. does not.
  2. The requirements should be at a level high enough to be respected by the academic world. Both present degrees meet this test, I believe.
  3. But the standards for the degree should not be so high that potentially able Ph.D. candidates will be deterred from entering because of the considerable risk that if they fail to meet Ph.D. standards they will also fail to meet A.M. standards. If we set standards for the A.M. that are almost as likely not to be met as the Ph.D. standards we hold out no “consolation prize” to those good students who are fearful of not being able to meet Ph.D. standards. The present alternative A.M. requirements do not meet this test.

One of the ways by which we can raise the calibre of our Ph.D. candidates without reducing our enrollment is to increase the number of students who are given an opportunity to show at close hand their potentialities to us and to screen out at an earlier date those who are not of Ph.D. stuff. I am confident that quite accurate screening can take place ordinarily by the end of the first year of graduate residence. I contemplate our using the A.M. requirements as a screening device; the present alternative A.M. is not satisfactory from that point of view since it postpones too long the screening decision.

Source: University of Chicago Archives. Department of Economics Records. Box 41, Folder “41.8”.

_______________________

MINUTES
Meeting of the Department

Time and Place: Thursday, November 2, 1950, at 1:00 p.m. in Room 424, Social Science Research Building.

Present: T. W. Schultz (chairman), H. G. Lewis, A. Rees, R. Goode, G. Tolley, D. G. Johnson, F. H. Harbison, J. Marschak, C. Hildreth, F. Knight, L. Metzler.

  1. Handling of Student Business
    It was agreed that all bona fide applications for admission to candidacy filed this quarter would be considered as falling under present degree requirements even though Departmental action does not take place until Winter quarter.
  2. Ford Foundation
    Schultz stated that as a Department we have an obligation to ourselves, to the University, and to the community more largely to think through carefully the problem of making the best use of the Ford Foundation’s present grant of $300,000 to the University as well as possible later grants. There was a brief general discussion of the problem.
  3. Departmental Rules Governing Residence and Availability to Students
    Schultz pointed out that in the current year we have been able for the first time to reduce direct teaching loads for most of our members to four courses per year or less. This reduction, he pointed out, makes it desirable that the Department impose upon itself rules governing residence and availability to students and others in the university community lest they be imposed upon us from outside. The problem of rules for residence involves not only a rule stipulating in some way minimum residence, but also the question of whether “free” quarters out of residence should be considered a matter of a right accruing to an individual from his residence or a privilege dependent upon ad hoc decisions made by the Department chairman and the Dean. Schultz expressed himself as being in favor of a rule somewhat similar to the rules for accumulating sabbatical leave under a 3Q contract. In addition there is the problem of insuring, perhaps by rule, “availability” when in residence. The formulation of appropriate rules is to come before the Department for its consideration in the Winter quarter.
  4. The Department considered Lewis’ recommendations for changes in the A.M. requirements. (See attached memo. [above]) the following amendment of Lewis’ recommendation was passed:
    1. That the distinction between the regular A.M. and the “alternative” A.M. degrees be abolished.
    2. That the Departmental requirements for the A.M. degree consist of the following:
      1. A distribution requirement to be met by passing a “Qualifying” examination covering the subject matter of Economics 209, 211 (unless the student has passed the Divisional qualifying examination) 220 or 222, 230 and two courses chosen from 240, 255, 260, 270, and 271. Students holding the traditional A.B. may satisfy the requirement by equivalent course credit.
      2. The passing of two Ph.D. field examinations (with Part I of the Theory examination counting as an examination) at a satisfactory level of A.M. candidates.
      3. A showing of competence in economic principles; made either by (at the A.M. level or higher) Part I of the Theory examination, by course credits or examinations in Economics 300A and 300B, or by equivalent course credit.
      4. An acceptable paper or report on a problem approved by the Department. The paper will be read by two members of the Department of which the course instructor will be one in the event the student submits a term paper prepared for a course.

The above changes in requirements are to become effective as of the beginning of the Summer quarter, 1951 for students entering the Department in that and later quarters.

It was understood that the above motion in no way changes present preliminary examinations or other requirements for the Ph.D. degree. Professor Knight asked the minutes to show his objection to dropping Economics 210 (Accounting) from the requirements for the A.M. degree.

  1. Student Business
    1. Petitions

Lawrence Bostow’s petition for approval of French and Russian as languages for the Ph.D. was approved.

Mr. H. M. Herlihy’s petition for the field of “Social Organization” (Sociology Department) as his third field for the Ph.D. degree was approved.

Mr. John Holsen’s petition for a third Ph.D. field in Planning (Planning Department) was approved. Mr. Johnson, his counselor, was asked to inform Mr. Holsen, however, that this approval does not entitle Holsen to shorten his total program in Economics for the Ph.D.

Mr. Edward Mishan’s petition for approval of Spanish as a Ph.D. language was denied.

    1. Admission to Candidacy

Mr. Howard Ammerman’s application for admission and for approval of a thesis topic was moved to the bottom of the list of applications.

Mr. Rondo E. Cameron’s application for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree was recommended to the Division for approval, contingent upon his passing the Theory examination (written Summer, 1950) and his proposed thesis topic, “French Foreign Investment, 1815-1870,” was approved. Thesis committee: E. J. Hamilton, chairman, L. Metzler, P. Thomson.

After some discussion, Mr. Clifford Clark’s application was moved down the list. Lewis was instructed to advise Clark to consult with Hamilton concerning the latter’s misgivings about the proposed thesis topic, and in addition to confer with Hayek, Knight, and other members of the Department concerning the thesis topic.

Mr. George P. Coutsoumaris’ application for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree was recommended to the Division for approval, contingent on his passing the Theory examination (written Summer, 1950), and his proposed thesis topic, “Possibilities of Increasing Economic Efficiency in Greek Agriculture,” was given qualified approval, the Department suggesting that he limit the topic somewhat preferably to a topic approximately the same as that covered in the sections (VII and VIII) of his outline dealing with capital in Greek agriculture. Thesis committee: D. G. Johnson, chairman, C. Harris, J. Margolis (planning).

Mr. David Fand’s proposed thesis topic, “Monetary Theory of the Federal Reserve Board,” was discussed. It was agreed to come back to it at the next meeting after several more of the members of the Department had an opportunity to discuss the topic with Fand.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:05 p.m.

Source: University of Chicago Archives. Department of Economics Records. Box 41, Folder “41.8”.

Images:  University of Chicago Photographic Archive, H. Gregg Lewis [apf1-03861] and T. W. Schultz [apf1-07479], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

Categories
Chicago Economic History Suggested Reading Syllabus

Chicago. Reading list for Economic History of Modern Europe to 1800. Hamilton, 1966

 

Some graduate course reading lists are allowed to evolve into full-blown bibliographies that provide historians of economics little idea of what the actual content of the course itself happened to be. Earl J. Hamilton was an economic historian who kept his reading lists short and sweet. I wouldn’t have put it past him or any other professor to have covered other material in his lectures, but I am still willing to bet that he really expected his students to complete this reading list.

________________________

[U.C.]
Economics 346
Economic History of Modern Europe to 1800
Earl J. Hamilton
Spring Quarter, 1966

To be read before May 6, 1966

  1. Sir John Clapham, A Concise Economic History of Britain…to 1750 (Cambridge, 1949), pp. 185-305.
  2. *J. H. Parry, The Age of Reconnaissance, pp. 19-52.
  3. *Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, Book IV, Chapter VIII.
  4. N. Clark, Science and Social Welfare in the Age of Newton (Oxford, 1937), pp. 1-59.
  5. Earl J. Hamilton, “The Decline of Spain,” Economic History Review, Vol. VIII (1938), pp. 168-179.
  6. John U. Nef, Industry and Government in France and England, 1540-1640 (1940), pp. 1-157.
  7. Edwin F. Gay, “Inclosures in England in the Sixteenth Century,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. XVII, (1902—1903), pp. 576-597.
  8. *Earl J. Hamilton, “The Role of Monopoly in the Overseas Expansion and Colonial Trade of Europe before 1800,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, Vol. XXXVIII (1948), pp. 33-53.
  9. *Max Weber, The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism (London, 1930), Chapters I-V.
  10. Eli F. Heckscher, Mercantilism (London, 1935), Vol. I, pp. 19-44; Vol. II pp. 13-30.
  11. *W. Cunningham, The Growth of English Industry and Commerce, Third Edition, Vol. II (1903), Modern Times, pp. 494-540 (Ch. XV. Changes in the Organisation and Distribution of Industry); 540-583 (Ch. XVI. Spirited Proprietors and Substantial Tenants); 609-620 (Bk. VII, Ch. I. The Workshop of the World).
  12. L. Jones, “Agriculture and Economic Growth in England, 1660-1750,” Journal of Economic History, Vol. XXXV, No. 1 (March, 1965), pp. 1-18.
  13. H. John, “Agricultural Productivity and Economic Growth in England, 1700-1760, Journal of Economic History, Vol. XXXV, No. 1 (March, 1965), pp. 19-34.

*Read only for clearly essential facts, interpretation and point of view.

There will be an examination on May 6th.

A term paper on some important factor in the general economic development of some important country or period, some aspect of the rise of modern capitalism, some problem concerning mercantilism and economic development, or the growth of agriculture, industry, corporate organization or commerce in some significant time and place will be due on May 13th.

There will be a final examination from 8:30 to 11:30 A.M., on June 3rd on the lectures, the assigned reading and the field in which each student’s term paper falls.

 

Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Economists’ Papers Archive. Earl J. Hamilton Papers, Box 2, Folder “Correspondence. Academic and Personal”.

Image Source:  University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-02446, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

 

Categories
Economists George Mason Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech. Letter from James Buchanan to Earl Hamilton, 1983

 

Because the papers of the economic historian, Earl Hamilton, are generally an ill-sorted grab bag of documents, I figured the following letter from James Buchanan to Earl Hamilton on the eve of the former’s move to George Mason University had a small probability of being used by future Buchanan scholars if left to lie in a not-elsewhere-classified folder of Hamilton’s papers. 

The meatiest sentence in the letter for historians of economics is probably:

As for economics, I get more and more discouraged at what is being taught for and what passes for our parent discipline. It seems increasingly escapist to me, grown men playing with toys, despite the acknowledged intellectual fascination.

Womp, womp?

______________________

P.O. Drawer G
Blacksburg, VA 24060
20 May 1983

Professor and Mrs. Earl Hamilton
Oak Ridge, TN 37830

Dear Professor Hamilton and Mrs. Hamilton:

We regret very much that we cannot join with you in celebrating the grand occasion of your sixtieth anniversary. It would be very nice to see both of you again after so many years. And Oak Ridge is within reasonable driving distance of Blacksburg. I have on several occasions lectured at the federal executives institute there. If it were not that I had the earlier scheduled commitment at the Pittsburgh conference, we should surely have been in attendance.

Let us wish both of you all that should be wished on such occasions.

I get news from you occasionally when I see George Stigler, who does, apparently, get to his Flossmoor house every now and then. I have been on a Hoover Advisory Committee that George chairs for several years now. And I was at a small meeting with both George and Ronald Coase last fall in Austria.

Our news, which you may have heard, is that our whole Center for Study of Public Choice, is shifting to George Mason University, in Fairfax (the Washington suburbs) after 1 July this year. So we are in the throes of moving. We shall, personally, keep our country place down here in the mountains, but we have already sold off our town property and plan to live in a Fairfax townhouse when up there, at least until retirement when we shall come back to the mountains permanently by current plans.

I find my research and writing interests moving more and more toward political philosophy and ethics (too much Frank Knight I guess), and I have recently been involved in several papers, which will be a book soon, on the basic logic of constitutional constraints. We have a Cambridge Press commitment to publish it under the title, The Reason of Rules.

As for economics, I get more and more discouraged at what is being taught for and what passes for our parent discipline. It seems increasingly escapist to me, grown men playing with toys, despite the acknowledged intellectual fascination.

My gardening suffers terribly in this wettest of all springs, indeed no spring at all. Nothing comes up even when dry enough to plant. Asparagus at least one month late and piddling. Lettuce which should be now ready only commencing to pop out, and too wet to put in any tomatoes as yet. But we hope.

I know that your day will be a grand occasion. Again I sincerely wish that we could join you. It would be very nice to get the opportunity for a visit.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Jim Buchanan

/btr

 

Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Economists’ Papers Archive. Earl J. Hamilton papers, Box 4, Folder “Correspondence 1920’s-1930’s; 1960’s; 1980’s; and n.d.”

Image Source: PBS webpage “American Nobel Economists”, James Buchanan Image 14

 

Categories
Chicago Economic History Economists Harvard Nebraska Northwestern

Chicago. Economics Ph.D. alumnus. Ernest H. Hahne, 1930

I have mentioned this before, the papers of the economic historian Earl Hamilton are a grab-bag of essentially unsorted material. Sometimes you find a rough gem to include in Economics in the Rear-view Mirror. For this post below we have a brief description of Harvard economic history professor Edwin Francis Gay’s seminar. To complete the post I have uncovered a few career facts about the author of the letter to Earl Hamilton that congratulates him for his memorial article about Gay.

______________________

Ernest Herman Hahne
(b. Oct. 20, 1890; d. November 25, 1952)

1911. University of Nebraska, B.A.

1913. University of Nebraska, LL.B.

1914. Harvard University, A.M.

1916. Doctoral Dissertation in preparation. AER 1916, p. 503: The History of the meat packing industry in the United States.

1930. University of Chicago, Economics Ph.D. “Special Assessment Theory and Practise with Special Reference to Chicago.”

Listed among graduate students of political economy in the 25th year report of the University of Chicago department of political economy:

Academic career:

Taught sociology at the University of Chicago.

Taught economics and sociology at Dakota Wesleyan University (Mitchell, South Dakota)

Professor of economics, Northwestern (1919-1946)

Assistant dean of liberal arts college and director of the summer session at Northwestern.

President of Miami University (Oxford, Ohio)  April 1, 1946- November 25, 1952)

Chairman of the board of the Cincinnati branch of the Cleveland Federal Reserve

______________________

Miami University
Oxford, Ohio

Office of the President

December 22, 1947

Professor Earl J. Hamilton
Department of Economics
University of Chicago
Chicago 37, Illinois

Dear Earl:

Thanks for the complimentary copy of the memorial you have written on Edwin Francis Gay in the June issue of the American Economic Review. As I read it, it brought back many a fond memory. I don’t know whether I ever told you that I started writing my doctor’s thesis, the history of the parking industry, and Gay recommended that I go to University of Chicago and carry on additional work and get first-hand information there. Therefore I went to Chicago in 1915, eventually to wind up as an assistant in sociology under E. W. Small and Scott E. W. Bedford. I not only took Gay’s courses in economic history but followed them with his course on French and German economists. Most of us were taking the work not only to brush up on continental theory but also to master the languages preparatory to the general exams. We met in Gay’s home. The course was supposed to last about two hours. I doubt if it ever broke up in less than three and a half to four hours. It was a small group that sat at the feet of Gamaliel but it included Rice of Dartmouth, Stehman of Minnesota, Van Sickle of Wabash, and two graduate students who went into business.

I remember writing a term paper for Gay in French history on the origin of the British labor exchanges. I never worked so hard on a paper in my life, but when it came back with the word “Excellent” sighed E.F.G. I felt well repaid. In fact I still have that paper in my library. I prize it highly. All this is simply to say that your admiration of one of Harvard’s greatest teachers does not exceed mine.

Your memorial is splendidly done.

With the Season’s greetings and best wishes from the Hahnes to the Hamiltons,

Cordially yours,
[signed]
Ernest

Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Economists’ Papers Archives. Earl J. Hamilton Papers, Box 2, Folder “Correspondence — misc. 1919, Aug. 26; 1920s-1970s and n.d.”

Image Source: Yearbook of Miami University, Recensio 1946, p. 13.

Categories
Duke Harvard M.I.T. Nebraska Virginia War and Defense Economics

United States. College and University Courses on War Economics, 1942

 

This post is limited to the economics courses reported in a survey conducted in the days and months after the attack on Pearl Harbor that provides an extensive list of “War Courses” offered at U.S. colleges and universities at the time. The post begins with a short description of the survey itself. Next, two tables provide the names of institutions, courses (with descriptions), and instructors together with enrollment statistics. The post ends with a short bibliography of books listed for some of the courses on war economics.

Most of the courses in the survey (and not included here) concern administrative matters such as the procedures governing military procurement. There is at least one course on the economics of war that had been organized at Harvard by Seymour Harris not included in this survey (68 schools did not respond).

_________________________

Not included in the survey

Harvard University. Economic Aspects of War, organized by Seymour Harris, 1940

Final Exam for Economic Aspects of War, 1940

_________________________

How the Study was was Made
[pp. 11-13]

In April, 1942, a study was issued entitled A Report on War Courses offered by Collegiate Schools of Business and Departments of Economics. In this study were presented the combined information sent in by 58 schools and departments listing 196 separate courses. The Department of Commerce in cooperation with the National Conference of State University Schools of Business had distributed these questionnaires to approximately 175 schools on December 11, 1941. The questionnaires called for information on war courses offered after September, 1939.

In May another questionnaire was sent out to approximately the same number of schools of business administration and departments of economics. This questionnaire asked the school to list those war courses which were not reported for inclusion in the April report. Replies were received from 120 schools, 89 of which reported that they were offering war courses not previously reported, and 31 of which reported that they were offering no war courses. Sixty-eight schools did not reply.

Since the questionnaire asked the schools to “include established courses such as Business Policy and Cost Accounting provided they have been reoriented to meet war needs”, the element of judgment enters in to qualify the results. Some schools reported that they had organized no new courses but had reorganized old ones to meet war needs. They felt, however, that the alteration was not great enough to warrant reporting them as war courses. Other schools reported courses which contained in their description very little of a war nature. Courses which it was felt were not primarily war courses were not included in the report. In addition, courses were excluded which it was felt did not fall clearly into the field of business administration and economics.

Any further information which is desired on any of the courses reported here can be secured by writing to the instructor of the particular course. His name appears along with the description of the course.

_________________________

War Courses Offered in Collegiate Schools of Business and Departments of Economics

Economics of War

SCHOOL

 COURSE TITLE WEEKS
OF COURSE		 HOURS
PER
WEEK		 CREDIT
HOURS		 ON
CAMPUS		 SEC-TIONS STU-
DENTS

PREREQ-UISITES*

U. of Akron, Akron, Ohio.

 Economics of War

16

 2 2 No 1 15

2C
Albright Col., Reading, Pa. Economic Problems

16

 3 3 Yes 1 18

2C

U. of Ariz., School of Bus. & Pub. Admin. Tucson, Ariz.

 Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 1 17 2C
U. of Ariz., School of Bus. & Pub. Admin. Tucson, Ariz. Geography of War Areas 18 3 3 Yes — —

—

Babson Inst., School of Bus. Admin., Wellesley, Mass.

 War Economics 12 3 0 Yes 2 40 C
Brooklyn Col., Brooklyn, N.Y. Econ. of Defense & War 16 3 3 Yes 2 34

2C

Brown U., Dept. of Econ., Providence, R.I.

 Economics of War 30 3 6 Yes 1 45 2C
Bucknell U., Dept. of Commerce & Finance, Lewisburg, Pa. Econ. of Modern War 6 6 ½ 3 Yes 1 20

2C

Carleton Col., Dept. of Econ., Northfield, Minn.

 Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 1 — 2C
City College of N.Y., Commerce Center, New York, N.Y. Price Control Reguls. 6 6 3 Yes 1 39

—

U. of Cincinnati, Col. of Engin. & Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio.

 Economics of War 14 3 3 Yes 2 60 —
U. of Cincinnati, Col. of Engin. & Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio. Probs. of War and Reconstruction 14 3 3 Yes 2 60

—

Claremont Col., Claremont, Cal.

 America at War: Econ. Org. 6 10 5 Yes — — 4
Claremont Col., Claremont, Cal. War and Economics 15 3 5 Yes — —

4

Clark U., Worcester, Mass.

 Economics of War 6 5 2 Yes 1 — 2C
Clemson Col., Clemson, S.C. Economics of War 16 3 3 Yes 1 32

2C

Dartmouth Col., Tech. School of Bus. Admin. Hanover, N.H.

 Econ. Prob. of War 13 3 3 Yes 3 100 3C
U. of Detroit, Col. Of Commerce & Fin., Detroit, Mich. Economics of War 17 3 3 Yes 1 49

2

U. of Detroit, Col. Of Commerce & Fin., Detroit, Mich.

 War Finance 6 7 3 Yes 1 — 2
Duke U., Durham, N.C. Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 2 55

3

Fenn Col., School of Bus. Admin., Cleveland, Ohio.

 Economics of Price Control 10 2 2 Yes 1 — 2C
U. of Fla., Col. of Bus. Admin. Gainesville, Fla. Economics of Total War 3 3 3 — — —

—

Franklin & Marshall Col., Lancaster, Pa.

 Econ. History of U.S. 15 3 3 Yes 5 125 —
Franklin & Marshall Col., Lancaster, Pa. War Economics 15 3 3 Yes 4 110

C

U. of Ga., Athens, Ga.

 Advanced Econ. Theory 8 5 5 Yes 1 8 3C
U. of Ga., Athens, Ga. Economics of War 8 5 5 Yes 2 66

2C

U. of Ga., Col. of Bus. Admin., Athens, Ga.

 Econ. of Consumption 12 5 5 Yes 2 40 3C
Hamline U., St. Paul, Minn. Prins. of Economics 8 3 3 Yes 2 62

1

Harvard Grad. School of Bus. Admin., Boston, Mass.

 Banking Probs. and Federal Fin. 16 3 3 Yes — — C
James Millikin U., Decatur, Ill. Econ. of War and Reconstruction 16 3 3 No 1 24

2C

Loyola U., Dept. of Econ., New Orleans, La.

 Economics of War 16 3 3 Yes 1 25 2
Macalester Col., St. Paul, Minn. Econ Probs. of a War Economy 18 3 3 Yes — —

2C

U. of Md., Col. of Commerce, College Park, Md.

 Econ. Institutions & War 16 3 3 Yes — — 2
Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass. Economics of War 15 2 6 Yes 1 35

—

Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass.

 Postwar Econ. Probs. 15 2 6 Yes — — —
Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass. Postwar Problems 15 3 9 Yes — —

3C

U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn.

 Finance 11 3 3 Yes 1 11 3C
U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn. Our Economic Life 11 3 3 Yes 1 125

—

U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn.

 Public Finance 22 3 6 Yes 1 15 4C
Mont. State U., School of Bus. Admin., Missoula, Mont. War Economics 10 4 4 Yes 1 —

2C

N. Dak. Agri. Col., Dept. of Econ., Fargo, N.D.

 War Economics 16 3 3 Yes 1 25 2C
U. of N. Dak., School of Com., Grand Forks, N.D. Economics of War 8 5 3 Yes 1 21

2C

Okla, A&M, Col., School of Com., Stillwater, Okla.

 War and Post-War Econ. Problems 18 3 3 Yes — — 3C
U. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. War Economics 18 2 2 Yes 2 65

2C

Pomona Col., Claremont, Cal.

 Econ. of War & Defense 6 5 3 Yes 1 19 2C
St. John’s U., Collegeville, Minn. Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 1 20

2C

U. of S. Dak., School of Bus. Admin., Vermillion, S.D.

 Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 1 25 2C
U. of S. Dak., School of Bus. Admin., Vermillion, S.D. Money & Banking & War Finance 18 3 3 Yes — —

2C

Stanford U., Dept. of Econ., Stanford U., Cal.

 American Economy in Wartime 10 5 5 Yes 2 89 2C
Stanford U., Dept. of Econ., Stanford U., Cal. War Effort 10 4 3 Yes — —

—

Stout Inst., Menomonie, Wisc.

 War Economics 6 5 5 Yes 1 — 2C
Susquehanna U., Selinsgrove, Pa. Amer. Probs. in World Relationships 32 2 2 Yes 1 27

1

Temple U., Philadelphia, Pa.

 Economic Planning 15 3 3 Yes 1 25 2C
Temple U., Philadelphia, Pa. Internat. Trade & Commerce 15 3 3 Yes 1 30

2

Transylvania Col., Econ. & Sociology Dept., Lexington, Ky.

 Economics of War 18 3 3 Yes 1 18 3C
Villanova Col., Villanova, Pa. Probs. of Peace After the War 6 5 2 Yes — —

—

U. of Va., Charlottesville, Va.

 Economics of War 36 3 6 Yes 1 — 2C
U. of Va., Charlottesville, Va. Prins. of Economics 12 3 2 Yes 2 180

1

State Col. of Wash., School of Bus. Admin., Pullman, Wash.

 Econ. & Bus. Tendencies 18 3 3 Yes 1 — 3C
U. of Wash., Col. of Econ. & Bus., Seattle, Wash. Econ. of Natl. Defense 12 5 5 Yes 1 94

2

U. of Wash., Col. of Econ. & Bus., Seattle, Wash.

 World at War 12 5 5 Yes 1 — —
Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio. Econ. of Natl. Defense 16 4 3 Yes 1 —

2C

Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio.

 Econ. of War and Reconstruction 15 1 ¾ 2 Yes 1 27

2 or E

*Prerequisites:

Numerals—years of college which must have been completed
C—certain courses in the same or allied subjects
E—experience in the field

_________________________

Instructors and course descriptions

SCHOOL COURSE TITLE INSTRUCTOR AND COURSE DESCRIPTION
U. of Akron, Akron, Ohio. Economics of War Jay L. O’Hara. Economic causes of war; transition from peace to war economy, fiscal and monetary problems of war economy; price control, rationing and priorities.
Albright Col., Reading, Pa. Economic Problems John C. Evans. Text supplemented by lectures, readings in economic theory for purposes of orienting the student, and current reading in the better newspapers and periodicals for correlation of current opinions.
U. of Ariz., School of Bus. & Pub. Admin. Tucson, Ariz. Economics of War E. G. Wood. An analysis of those economic factors which determine modern war; man power and materials, methods for their mobilization.
U. of Ariz., School of Bus. & Pub. Admin. Tucson, Ariz. Geography of War Areas G. Herrech. A course dealing with climatic, topographical and economic factors in war areas. Population characteristics and pertinent matters of history and government will be included, as well as a discussion of the military characteristics of the geographic background. Text material will be newspapers and magazines, and reference work in the library.
Babson Inst., School of Bus. Admin., Wellesley, Mass. War Economics James M. Matthews. Introductory analysis of economic causes of war, the economics of the war process, the post-war economic adjustment, war production, labor, wages, finance, prices, consumer control, railroads, electric power, housing, agriculture.
Brooklyn Col., Brooklyn, N.Y. Econ. of Defense & War Curwen Stoddart – The economic problems of defense in modern times; the expenditures by countries for armament and defense purposes since 1914 and the economic policies pursued in financing these expenditures. The functioning of the economy under war time controls, including the regulation of prices, production, consumption and finance, the repercussions of war upon neutral countries and the consequences of peace; with special attention to the immediate problems resulting from demobilization of war-time resources.
Brown U., Dept. of Econ., Providence, R.I. Economics of War Antonin Basch. Economic mobilization for war. Government controls over production, consumption, foreign trade, prices and wages through monetary policy, fiscal policy, price control, priorities, rationing and foreign exchange control. Economic warfare. Lessons of the first World War. Problems of post-war reconstruction.
Bucknell U., Dept. of Commerce & Finance, Lewisburg, Pa. Econ. of Modern War Rudolph Peterson. Problems created by the war in the field of production, distribution, finance, and prices and methods of meeting them.
Carleton Col., Dept. of Econ., Northfield, Minn. Economics of War D.A Brown [no course description]
U. of Cincinnati, Col. of Engin. & Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio. Economics of War H.B. Whaling. Inflation and price controls. Fiscal and tax problems, function of the banking system in the war economy, rationing, devices for saving, conversion of peacetime to wartime economy, impact of war economic policies on post war economy.
U. of Cincinnati, Col. of Engin. & Commerce, Cincinnati, Ohio. Probs. of War and Reconstruction R.R. McGrane. How the war came to Europe. Problems of financing the war, mobilization of industrial resources, mobilization of public opinion. Problems of peace; what kind of peace does the U.S. want, what will be the position of the U.S. in the new world order?
City Col. of N.Y., Commerce Center, New York, N.Y. Price Control Regulations Henry Bund, Joseph Friedlander, Percy J. Greenberg. This laboratory and clinic course to be given by prominent authorities will provide up-to-the minute information and analysis of rulings and interpretations of orders of the Office of Price Administration. The lecturers will concern themselves with the purpose and provisions of the various regulations; individual groups of manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers will receive instruction in the computation of price ceilings for various commodities and how to obtain relief from present regulations which are oppressive; a series of laboratory exercises will be required.
Claremont Col., Claremont, Cal. America at War: Econ. Org. Arthur G. Coons [no course description]
Claremont Col., Claremont, Cal. War and Economics Walter E. Sulzbach. Emphasis on international aspects of war and economic organization.
Clark U., Worcester, Mass. Economics of War S. J. Brandenburg. A descriptive study of public economic policy in relation to war: what economic mobilization for modern war means in terms of labor, resources, civilian and military economic preparation, finance, and private and government enterprise. A study of economic problems to be faced in post war reconstruction will form a final unit of the course.
Clemson Col., Clemson, S.C. Economics of War James E. Ward. We deal with the problems of financing a war, production problems, maladjustments caused by war, post-war aspects, etc.
Dartmouth Col., Tuck School of Bus. Admin. Hanover, N.H. Econ. Prob. of War George Walter Woodworth. The chief aim of this course is to develop an understanding of how the economic resources of a nation can be most effectively marshalled for total war. First requirements are seen, then the problems of mobilization and conversion of resources. Final section is devoted to post-war problems.
U. of Detroit, Col. Of Commerce & Fin., Detroit, Mich. Economics of War Bernard F. Landuyt. An analytical survey of the economic aspects of the preparation for and conduct of war, with particular reference to the participation of the United States in World War II. Attention given to both the armed conflict and the civilian scene.
U. of Detroit, Col. Of Commerce & Fin., Detroit, Mich. War Finance Bernard F. Landuyt. A survey of the major aspects of the problem of war finance, with especial reference to the current American problem. Emphasis will be placed on the nature and significance of the problem, the principles basic to its solution, and the effectuation of these principles.
Duke U., Durham, N.C. Economics of War Earl J. Hamilton and H. E. von Beckerath [no course description]
Fenn Col., School of Bus. Admin., Cleveland, Ohio. Economics of Price Control A. O. Berger. A study of price control in normal times by (a) competition and (b) regulation under monopoly conditions, such as utilities. Price control under conditions of war: the reasons for it, the determination of ceilings, the economic implications.
U. of Fla., Col. of Bus. Admin. Gainesville, Fla. Economics of Total War Walter J. Matherly [no course description]
Franklin & Marshall Col., Lancaster, Pa. Econ. History of U.S. Harold Fischer and Noel P. Laird. A study of the factors in the economic development of the United States, with special attention to these factors as they influenced America’s rise to the rank of a world power. A history of the evolution of the economic life of the American people. Emphasis on problems involved in our adjustments to a war economy.
Franklin & Marshall Col., Lancaster, Pa. War Economics Noel P. Laird. A careful analysis of such economic problems as agriculture, consumers’ needs, price, banking, public finance, labor, transportation, and unemployment. Special attention will be given to war economy with emphasis on priorities, rationing, and government control over production, distribution, consumption, finance and other economic activities. A survey of the economic problems created by the war.
U. of Ga., Athens, Ga. Advanced Econ. Theory E. C. Griffith. The course deals with monopolistic competition and the problems of government regulation of prices; special emphasis is given to specific industries such as the iron and steel industry. Special attention will be given in 1942 to government control of inflation, rationing, and antitrust policy in a period of war.
U. of Ga., Athens, Ga. Economics of War Robert T. Segrest. Economic problems and policies of nations in wartime. Post-war problems with special emphasis on the United States.
U. of Ga., Col. of Bus. Admin., Athens, Ga. Econ. of Consumption John W. Jenkins. National economy from the interests of the consumer, before the war, now and in the post-war world.
Hamline U., St. Paul, Minn. Prins. of Economics C. B. Kuhlmann. War economics is given as the last 8 weeks of the course in principles of economics.
Harvard Grad. School of Bus. Admin., Boston, Mass. Banking Problems and Federal Finance Ebersole and D.T. Smith. Financing of the Federal Treasury during the present war is the over-shadowing concern of business, finance, and banking. Current activities of the Treasury are studied in relation to fiscal policy, and bank operations. Indispensable background is covered in two parts: bank portfolios and bank relations, with emphasis upon government relations arising out of government lending corporations, financing Federal deficits by bond issues sold to banks or to the public, and central bank and money management policies of the Treasury and Federal Reserve system.
James Millikin U., Decatur, Ill. Econ. of War and Reconstruction M. E. Robinson. An analysis of the fundamental framework of the war economy. Problems of finance, population, prices, civilian production, and procurement as affected by war. Study of our efforts to convert and produce for war in contrast to those of other nations. Brief study of the economic structure and problems of a post-war economy. Much of the course will be devoted to a study of sources, propaganda, and war annals.
Loyola U., Dept. of Econ., New Orleans, La. Economics of War John Connor. Economic factors in war: strategic materials; man power; production and consumption controls; price regulations; financing; post-war problems, etc.
Macalester Col., St. Paul, Minn. Econ Probs. of a War Economy Forrest A. Young. Modern warfare and the economic system; economic warfare; critical and strategic raw materials; maximizing production; foreign trade and shipping; labor and wage policies; housing difficulties; priorities, allocations, rationing and demand controls; direct and indirect price control and bases of price fixing; fiscal policy and war financing; problems of postwar readjustment.
U. of Md., Col. of Commerce, College Park, Md. Econ. Institutions & War G. A. Costanzo. An analysis of the Economic causes and problems of war. Industrial mobilization; theory and techniques of price control; banking and credit control; war finance; international trade and foreign exchange controls; economic sanctions and autarchy; and the problems of readjustment in a post-war economy.
Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass. Economics of War Ralph E. Freeman. A study of the economic changes resulting from the adjustment of industry to the demands of War, and the impact of these changes on business stability, standards of living and methods of social control.
Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass. Postwar Econ. Probs. Richard M. Bissell. A study of the economic difficulties that are likely to arise after the war, and of policies that may be adopted to cope with them.
Mass. Inst. of Technology, Dept. of Econ. & Soc. Sci., Cambridge, Mass. Postwar Problems Richard M. Bissell. A study of the economic problems involved in maintaining national income and employment under the conditions that are likely to prevail after the war.
U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn. Finance J. Warren Stehman. Reconstruction Finance Corporation, Commodity Credit Corporation, Federal Housing Administration Title VI, governmental financial policies to control prices, war finance and its effects upon business policy and upon investments. Probably fifty percent of the course dealt with financial material related directly to the war effort and fifty percent not so related.
U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn. Our Economic Life Helen G. Canoyer. Although the title of the course was not changed, due to an action of the advisory committee of General College, the committee did agree to a change in the emphasis of the course to war economics.
U. of Minn., School of Bus. Admin., Minneapolis, Minn. Public Finance Roy G. Blakey.  Each meeting was a discussion led by one of the members of the seminar. All were assigned certain basic readings and each was required to write a term paper or thesis on a phase of the subject selected by him in consultation with the instructor.
Mont. State U., School of Bus. Admin., Missoula, Mont. War Economics Roy J. W. Ely. The course is a study of the various factors that appear to lead to war; pre-war preparations; an analysis of war economy; and post-war adjustments.
N. Dak. Agri. Col., Dept. of Econ., Fargo, N.D. War Economics Paul E. Zerby.  Causes of war; economic means of warfare; economic problems and adjustments of post-war period; money and banking, public finance, labor, international economic policies, government and business.
U. of N. Dak., School of Com., Grand Forks, N.D. Economics of War S. Hagen. The course covers the steps by which a peace economy is transferred into a war economy. The controls instituted by the government to direct economic activity during the war period are studied and compared with peace time controls. Special attention is given to such topics as priorities, price-ceilings, war finance, labor management, lend-lease, and post-war problems.
Okla, A&M, Col., School of Com., Stillwater, Okla. War and Post-War Econ. Problems R. H. Baugh. An analysis of the impact of war on economic arrangements and processes; deals with such problems as the conversion of industry to war production, war-time labor issues, inflation, financing the war, rationing, conversion of war production to peace-time production, post-war employment, and international trade from the war.
U. of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pa. War Economics M. K. McKay. Emphasis is given to the problems emerging in the transition from peace to war. Special consideration is directed to war production, the role of the consumer and the various regulatory measures introduced by the government. Finally, post-war problems were viewed.
Pomona Col., Claremont, Cal. Econ. of War & Defense Kenneth Duncan. The economic problems and policies of a nation at war. Attention, is given to the economic forces contributing to war and to the strategy of international markets, materials, and shipping. The shift to a war economy and the war-time control over production, labor, prices, and consumer demand. War finance and inflation. Problems of demobilization and post-war economic planning.
St. John’s U., Collegeville, Minn. Economics of War Linus Schieffer. This course is designed to examine the repercussions upon the economy of the nation of a total war effort such as modern war entails. It investigates the problem of conversion of plant and resources, the dangers of inflation, the influence of strategic materials. It likewise spends some time discussing the postwar consequences of such a wholesale conversion of the national economy.
U. of S. Dak., School of Bus. Admin., Vermillion, S.D. Economics of War Claude J. Whitlow. Economic causes of war; nature of total war; man-power regulation and total war; war effort in real terms; price system under impact of war; labor problems in war time; war-time control of production and consumption; public finance and war; international relations during and after a period of war; post-war economic problems.
U. of S. Dak., School of Bus. Admin., Vermillion, S.D. Money & Banking & War Finance E. S. Sparks [no course description]
Stanford U., Dept. of Econ., Stanford U., Cal. American Economy in Wartime B. F. Haley, K. Brandt, W. S. Hopkins. War economics of raw materials, labor resources and policy in the war economy; transportation in World Wars I and II; business organization and policy; controls in the war economy, international aspects of the war effort; consumption and living standards in the war economy.
Stanford U., Dept. of Econ., Stanford U., Cal War Effort Staff. Lectures in all phases of the national war effort.
Stout Inst., Menomonie, Wisc. War Economics A. Stephen Stephan. The change from peace-time to war-time economy and the problems involved. The war and its effect on industry and consumers. Problems of war production, financing the war, price control, economic regulations and civilian morale.
Susquehanna U., Selinsgrove, Pa. Amer. Probs. in World Relationships W. A. Russ, H. A. Heath. A survey of the problems confronting the United States in her present day relationships with Europe, the Far East, and Latin America. These problems will be discussed, from the standpoint of relationships in economics, science, history and government. The second semester surveyed the economic relationships of war.
Temple U., Philadelphia, Pa. Economic Planning Russell H. Mack. Examination of the chief problems of production, pricing, and distribution arising under capitalism and planned economy. Special emphasis on the problems and techniques of war-time price control and rationing.
Temple U., Philadelphia, Pa. Internat. Trade & Commerce Grover A. J. Noetzel. The fundamental principles of international commerce. Special emphasis throughout upon the disorganizing effects of the present war upon world commerce. Proposed plans of reconstruction of post-war trade.
Transylvania Col., Econ. & Sociology Dept., Lexington, Ky. Economics of War W. Scott Hall. Background of nature and causes of war, economic factors in the causation, preparation for, and waging of war, economic effects of war. Emphasis on term paper.
Villanova Col., Villanova, Pa. Probs. of Peace After the War Edward J. McCarthy. An historical survey of the various efforts to organize states for economic and political purposes. Religious, social, economic and political problems facing nations at war are considered together with the several plans for post-war organization now being offered.
U. of Va., Charlottesville, Va. Economics of War David McC. Wright. Production for war, labor supply, price control, war finance, changes in the structure of the economy, post-war reconstruction, etc.
U. of Va., Charlottesville, Va. Prins. of Economics Tipton R. Snavely, D. Clark Hyde [no course description]
State Col. of Wash., School of Bus. Admin., Pullman, Wash. Econ. & Bus. Tendencies [No instructor named] Basic tendencies, in economic and business ideas and institutions. The effect of the war on economic change and the environment of business enterprise. The objectives and policies of government. Problems of post-war institutional adjustments.
U. of Wash., Col. of Econ. & Bus., Seattle, Wash. Econ. of Natl. Defense Harold G. Moulton and Howard H. Preston. Analysis of the problems arising from our national defense program, including organization of production, procurement of materials, financing industrial expansion, monetary issues, price control methods, labor relations, international exchange, fiscal policy of the government.
U. of Wash., Col. of Econ. & Bus., Seattle, Wash. World at War Staff. Factual information on the background of the present war, the ideological conflict; the fundamentals of military and naval strategy, economics and war, and the essentials of planning for peace.
Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio. Econ. of Natl. Defense Russell Weisman. The problems of industrial mobilization. Priorities, allocations, and price control. Methods of financing – taxation, public borrowing, fiat money and credit. Economic policies of the leading nations in World War I and II.
Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, Ohio. Econ. of War and Reconstruction Warren A. Roberts. An analysis of the steps involved in the conversion to war effort, and the effects upon business. An examination of the economic program of Germany and England and a comparison of policies of labor representation, of personnel conversion from normal occupations, of stages of development of war finance, and of uses of compulsory loans. A brief consideration of post-war problems.

 

_________________________

Bibliography
Texts used in War Courses Offered by Collegiate Schools of Business and Departments of Economics

ECONOMICS OF WAR

Atkins, W. E. (Editor). Economic Behavior. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1931, 1079 p., $8.50.

Backman, Jules. Wartime Price Control and the Retail Trade. National Retail Dry Goods Association, New York, 1910, 48 p., $.10.

Baruch, Bernard M. American Industry in the War. Prentice-Hall, Inc. New York, 1941498 p., $3.75.

Boulding, Kenneth Ewart. Economic Analysis. Harper and Bros., New York, 1941, 809 p., $4.25.

Brown University Economists, A. C. Neal (Editor). Introduction to War Economics. Richard D. Irwin, Inc., Chicago, 1942, $1.25.

Burnham, James. Managerial Revolution. John Day Company, Inc., New York, 1941, 285 p., $2.50.

Chamberlin, Edward. Theory of Monopolistic Competition. Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1938, 241 p., $2.50.

Condliffe, John Bell. The Reconstruction of World Trade; A Survey of Industrial Economic Relations. W. W. Norton, Inc., New York, 1940, 427 p., $3.75.

Fairchild, F. R.; Furniss, E. S. and Buck, N. S. Economics. Macmillan Co., New York, 1940, 828 p., $3.00.

Faulkner, Harold Underwood. Economic History of the United States. Macmillan Co., New York, 1937, 319 p., $.80.

Fraser, Cecil E. and Teele, Stanley F. Industry Goes to War; Readings on American Industrial Rearmament. McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1941, 123 p., $1.50.

Hardy, C. O. Wartime Control of Prices. Brookings Institution, Washington, D. C., 1940, 216 p., $1.00.

Harris, Seymour E. Economics of American Defense. W. W. Norton and Company, Inc., New York, 1941, 350 p., $3.50.

Lorwin, Louis L. Economic Consequences of Second World War. Random House, New York, 1941, 510 p., $3.00.

Meade, J. E.; and Hitch, C. J. Introduction to Economic Analysis and Policy. Oxford University Press, New York, 1938, 428 p., $2.50. Mendershausen, Horst. Economics of War. Prentice-Hall, Inc., New York, 1940, 314 p., $2.75.

Nelson, Saul and Keim, Walter G. Price Behavior and Business Policy (T.N.E.C. Monograph No. 1) U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., 1940, 419 p., $.45.

Pigou, A. C. The Political Economy of War. MacMillan and Company, London, 1921, 251 p., $3.25.

Robbins, Lionel Charles. Economic Causes of War. Macmillan Co., New York, 1939, 124 p., $1.35.

Robinson, Joan. The Economics of Imperfect Competition. Macmillan and Co., London, 1934, 352 p., $4.50.

Spiegel, Henry William. Economics of Total War. D. Appleton-Century Co., New York, 1942, 410 p., $3.00.

Stein, Emanuel and Backman, Jules. War Economics. Farrar and Rinehart, Inc., New York, 1942, 501 p., $3.00.

Steiner, George A. and Associates. Economic Problems of War. John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1942, 676 p., $3.50.

Steiner, W. H. Economics of War. Farrar and Rinehart, Inc., New York, 1942, 250 p., $3.00.

Vaile, Roland Snow; and Canoyer, Helen G. Income and Consumption. H. Holt and Co., New York, 1938, 394 p., $2.25.

Waller, Willard Walter (Editor). War in the Twentieth Century. Random House, Inc., New York, 1940, 572 p., $3.00.

Zimmermann, Erich W. World Resources and Industries; A Functional Appraisal of the Availability of Agricultural and Industrial Resources. Harper and Bros., New York, 1934, 842 p., $4.00.

 

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce. Supplementary Report on War Courses offered by Collegiate Schools of Business and Departments of Economics. Washington, D.C.: August 1942. Pages 11-13, 20-25, 45-89, 94-96.

Image Source: U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. “Buy War Bonds” (Uncle Sam). Wikimedia.

Categories
Chicago Economics Programs Economists Fields

Chicago. Schedule of the preliminary economics exams for the Ph.D. and A.M., Summer 1951

 

The following schedule for preliminary examinations in economics at the University of Chicago from the summer quarter of 1951 comes from Milton Friedman’s papers at the Hoover Institution Archives. We see that he was on the two economic theory examination committees along with Lloyd Metzler and Frank Knight. Besides providing the names of the faculty members serving on the nine committees, the schedule also provides the names of the sixty students registered for the examinations during that quarter.

____________________

DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

SCHEDULE FOR PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS
FOR THE PH.D. AND FOR THE A.M.

Summer Quarter, 1951

The schedule below shows the examinations requested for the current quarter. Will the chairman of each committee please be responsible for turning in the complete examination at least one week before the date on which it is to be given?

 

Date

 Examination Committee

Students Registered

Thurs., Aug. 2
8:30
Law Court

Agricultural Economics

 D.G. Johnson, chr.
C. Hildreth
T.W. Schultz		 Dunsing, Marilyn (A.M.)
Fox, Kirk (Ph.D)
Hughes, Rufus (Ph.D.)
Taylor, Maurice (Ph.D.)

Tues., July 31
8:30
Law Court

Economic Theory I

 L. Metzler, chr.
M. Friedman
F. Knight		 Baskind, Irwin (Ph.D.) in abs.
Bassett, Marjorie (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Blumberg, Lionel (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Chen, Ho-Mei (Ph.D.)
Chen, Sze-te (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Chien, Chih Chien (Ph.D.)
Cleaver, George (Ph.D.)
Dunsing, Marilyn (A.M.)
Emmer, Robert (Ph.D.)
Fox, Kirk (Ph.D.)
Frank, Andrew (Ph.D.-A.M.) in abs
Gustus, Warren (Ph.D.)
Heizer, Raymond (Ph.D.)
Herlihy, Murray (Ph.D.)
Hoch, Irving (Ph.D.)
Hughes, Rufus (Ph.D.)
Krawczyk, Richard (Ph.D.-A.M.) in abs
Lerner, Eugene (Ph.D.)
Liang, Wei K. Liang (Ph.D.)
Lininger, Charles (Ph.D.)
Lurie, Melvin (Ph.D.)
McGuire, Charles (Ph.D.)
Malhotra, Man Mohan (Ph.D.)
Malone, John (Ph.D.)
Mitcham, Clinton (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Morrison, George (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Sonley, Lorne (Ph.D.)
Taylor, Maurice (Ph.D.)
Terrell, James (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Toscano, Peter (Ph.D.)
Traeger, Gordon (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Viscasillas, Felipe (Ph.D.)
Waldorf, William (Ph.D.)
Weir, Thomas (Ph.D.)
Weiss, Roger (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Zelder, Raymond (Ph.D.)

Tues., Aug. 7
8:30
Law Court

Economic Theory II

 L. Metzler, chr.
M. Friedman
F. Knight		 Chen, Ho-Mei (Ph.D.)
Herlihy, Murray (Ph.D.)
Hoch, Irving (Ph.D.)
Toscano, Peter (Ph.D.)
Weir, Thomas (Ph.D.)

Thurs., Aug. 9
8:30
Law Court

Government Finance

 P. Thomson, chr.
J. Marschak
D.G. Johnson		 Frank, Andrew (Ph.D.-A.M.) in abs
Haskell, Max (Ph.D.) in abs
Henry, Edward L. (Ph.D.)
Horwitz, Bertrand (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Lininger, Charles (Ph.D.)
Selden, Richard (Ph.D.)

Thurs., Aug. 9
8:30
Law Court

Industrial Relations

 F. Harbison, chr.
E. Hamilton
H.G. Lewis		 Barghout, Saad (Ph.D.)
Bechtolt, Richard (Ph.D.)
Hoch, Irving (Ph.D.)
Liang, Wei K. (Ph.D.)
Mullady, Philomena (Ph.D.)
Ness, David (Ph.D.)

Thurs., Aug. 2
8:30
Law Court

International Economics

 L. Metzler, chr.
B. Hoselitz
A. Rees		 Alberts, William (Ph.D.)
Anderson, Edwin (Ph.D.) in abs
Chen, Sze-te (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Chien, Chih Chien (Ph.D.)
Cleaver, George (Ph.D.)
Frank, Andrew (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Glick, Milton (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Gustus, Warren (Ph.D.)
Lukomski, Jesse (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Mitcham, Clinton (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Morey, Donald J. (Ph.D.-A.M.)

Tues., Aug. 7
8:30
Law Court

Money, Banking, and Monetary Policy

 L. Mints, chr.
E. Hamilton
J. Marschak		 Alberts, William (Ph.D.)
Bauer, Milton (Ph.D.)
Blumberg, Lionel (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Chen, Sze-te (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Chien, Chih Chien (Ph.D.)
Cleaver, George (Ph.D.)
Conomikes, George (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Davis, George (Ph.D.) in abs
Emmer, Robert (Ph.D.)
Heizer, Raymond (Ph.D.)
Horwitz, Bertrand (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Hughes, Rufus (Ph.D.)
Krawczyk, Richard (Ph.D.-A.M.) in abs
Lerner, Eugene (Ph.D.)
Liang, Wei K. (Ph.D.)
Lukomski, Jesse (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Meckling, William (Ph.D.)
Mitcham, Clinton (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Morey, Donald (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Ogawa, George (Ph.D.)
Smulekoff, Suzanne (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Sonley, Lorne (Ph.D.)
Taylor, Maurice (Ph.D.)
Terrell, James (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Traeger, Gordon (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Zelder, Raymond (Ph.D.)
Zingarelli, Carla (Ph.D.-A.M.)
Rayack, Elton  (Ph.D.) in abs

Thurs., Aug. 2
8:30
Law Court

Statistics

 T. Koopmans, chr.
C. Hildreth
H.G. Lewis		 Cagan, Phillip (Ph.D.)
Hogan, Lloyd (Ph.D.)
Katzman, Irwin (Ph.D.)
Malhotra, Man Hohan (Ph.D.)
Waldorf, William (Ph.D.)

Thurs., Aug. 2
8:30
Law Court

Economic History

 E. Hamilton Mullady, Philomena (Ph.D.)
Toscano, Peter (Ph.D.)

Source: Hoover Institution Archives. Papers of Milton Friedman. Box 76, Folder “University of Chicago ‘Economic Theory’”.

Categories
Duke Economics Programs

Duke. A history of economics instruction in Durham, 1996.

The following short history of economics instruction at Trinity College and Duke University in Durham, NC was written by the once chairperson of the Duke department (1957-74), Professor Frank T. de Vyver. [correction: This narrative was begun by Robert Smith (who died in 1969), expanded by Frank de Vyer in 1979, and updated by Forrest Smith in 1992.] From my trawling the internet archive The Wayback Machine, I was also able to preserve the iconic 1990s color bar separator found on the original webpage.

An earlier Duke-related artifact  from the pre-internet age transcribed for Economics in the Rear-view Mirror:

Career information for a quarter-century of Duke Economic PhDs, 1957.

After I completed this post I found the following expanded version of the material posted here (with a picture).

 

______________________

  History

In 1899-1900 Jerome Dowd, Professor of Political Economy and Sociology, taught a two-semester course in “Economics” for juniors. Two years later Trinity College had a Department of History and Economics, and Professor John Spencer Basset gave three courses: “Principles of Political Economy,” “Principles of Finance,” and “Industrial Development of England and America.” Bassett, as everyone who ever attended Trinity knew, was the historian who aroused the wrath of many Southerners by comparing Booker T. Washington with Robert E. Lee.

William Henry Glasson, holding a Ph.D. from Columbia University, came to Durham in 1902 as Professor of Political Economy and Social Science and Head of the Department of Economics and Social Science. For many years Glasson was the Department. The number of economics courses listed in the catalogue soon jumped to ten, although it seems unlikely that all were offered every year. Juniors could take “Principles of Political Economy” and “Economic and Social History of England and the United States.” Seniors were offered “Social Science” and “Economics and Social Problems,” while “Money and Banking” and “Public Finance” were senior-graduate courses. Four courses were reserved for graduate students: “History of Political Economy,” “Development of Economic Theories,” “The State in Its Relations to Industry,” and “Socialism and Other Plans for Social Reconstruction.” In the 1903-04 curriculum the latter two courses were dropped in favor of “Modern Industrial Organization” and “Railway Transportation.”

In 1908 Glasson became head of the Department of Economics and Political Science, and “Principles of Political Science” and “Municipal Government” were added to the undergraduate curriculum. Apparently, no new staff appointment was made until Bascom W. Barnard came to Trinity in 1919 as assistant professor of economics. Four years later, when the number of courses in economics and government had increased to seventeen, the teaching staff included Professors William J. H. Cotton and Alpheus T. Mason, and Jesse T. Carpenter, a part-time instructor. In 1924 thirteen courses in the Department were listed under “Economics and Business Administration” and seven under “Political Science.”

In December, 1924, Trinity College became an undergraduate college of Duke University, and in the fall of 1926 the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences was inaugurated with Professor Glasson as Dean. A year earlier (1925) Calvin B. Hoover came to Duke as assistant professor of economics and Robert R. Wilson was appointed assistant professor of political science. In 1926 Charles E. Landon joined the Department as assistant professor of economics and John H. Shields became an instructor in accounting; in 1927 Earl J. Hamilton accepted the position of assistant professor of economics and Robert S. Ranking, assistant professor of political science. Professor Joseph J. Spengler joined the faculty in 1932. He was a central figure in developing the graduate program. Currently the Department’s graduate student association, the “Spengler Club,” honors his name.

Glasson served as Dean of the Graduate School until 1938 and as Chairman until 1939. Professor Hoover, who succeeded him in both positions, held the deanship until 1947 and the chair until 1957.

Professor Frank T. de Vyver, who came to Duke in 1935, served as chairman from 1957 to 1974. His successor, Professor Robert S. Smith, was chairman of the Department of Economics and Business Administration in 1964-67. In 1967, the University divided the Department of Economics and Business Administration into two departments, and Smith continued as chairman of the Economics Department until 1968.

Professor John O. Blackburn, following service to Duke University as its chancellor, assumed the chair of the Economics Department in 1968, serving until 1970. He was followed by Professor David G. Davies, 1970-73, Professor Allen Kelley, 1973-1980, and Professor T. Dudley Wallace, 1980-83. Following Professor Wallace as department chairperson were Professor E. Roy Weintraub, 1983-87, Professor John M. Vernon, 1987-89, and Professor Henry G. Grabowski, 1989-92. Professor Neil B. de Marchi was appointed chairperson of the Department of Economics in 1992. Professor Marjorie B. McElroy was Acting Chair from May 1995 through August 1996, while Professor de Marchi is on sabbatical; she has been appointed Chair through August 1999.

 

Graduate Studies in Economics

The history of graduate studies in Economics goes back to the turn of the century. The Trinity College Catalogue for 1899-1900 lists S. W. Sparger as a graduate student in Political Economy and English; and in 1900-01 Joseph P. Breedlove, for many years University Librarian, was also a graduate student in Political Economy and English. The following year Breedlove was a graduate student in Political Economy only and in 1902 was awarded the M.A. degree. Henry R. Dwire, who received his M.A. in 1903, was a graduate student in Social Science, Economics, English, and History; and A. B. Bradsher, an M.A. in 1905, was a graduate student in Political Economy, Chemistry, English, and Law. In 1911-1915 there were graduate students who combined Political Economy and Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, or (in one case) Greek, Latin, and Education.

Although Marion S. Lewis, who received his M.A. in 1921, was a graduate student in Economics, even after the opening of the Graduate School few students were enrolled in just one discipline. Jesse T. Carpenter was a graduate student in Economics, Philosophy, and English (1923-24), and Julian P. Boyd was a graduate student in Economics and Political Science (1925- 26). In 1926-27 Richard A. Harvill and Benjamin U. Ratchford were graduate students in Economics and History. Both received the M.A. degree in 1927. Harvill continued graduate work at Northwestern University, from which he received his Ph.D. in 1932. Ratchford, who retired in 1967 as Vice-President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, received his Ph.D. from Duke in 1932.

The emphasis on the level of post-graduate achievement in the department has vacillated. In the 1970s, virtually every student who matriculated did so with the intent of earning a Ph.D. Resultant class sizes then were predictably small: the entering class of 1978 consisted of only seven students. There are currently 87 students in the Ph.D. program, and 20 students working toward an M.A. Currently the graduate program offers specialized training in over a dozen fields and programs.

Since 1932, the Department has awarded over 407 doctoral and 255 Master of Arts degrees in Economics.

Frank T. de Vyver

Source: Duke University. Department of Economics History webpage (last revised, August 29, 1996). Archived at the Wayback Machine internet archive.

Image Source:  Duke University, 1938. Photographed by Frances Benjamin Johnston. From the Carnegie Survey of the Architecture of the South, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Categories
Chicago Economic History Suggested Reading Syllabus

Chicago. Reading Assignments for Development of Monetary and Financial Institutions. Hamilton, 1952

 

The 1960 reading assignments for Earl J. Hamilton’s course on the historical development of monetary and financial institutions at the University of Chicago were transcribed and posted earlier. It turns out that a copy of the 1952 reading assignments for the course can be found filed in a folder in the Milton Friedman Papers at the Hoover Institution. Since there was no name on the 1952 reading list, an archivist is likely to have erroneously assumed that the course had been taught by Friedman and so filed it with other materials from those courses taught by Milton Friedman. A casual comparison of the two sets of reading assignments is enough to verify that bibliographic formatting (e.g., Library of Congress call numbers are included for all items) and the overwhelming majority of items are common to the two lists (with some shuffling in the order of the readings). 

____________________________

Course Description (1951)

[Economics] 334. The Development of Monetary and Financial Institutions. The evolution of monetary and banking systems in leading nations, the rise of organized dealings in foreign exchange, the emergence of great money markets, the origin and growth of national debt and the economic consequences of inflation and deflation. Theories underlying and reflecting monetary and financial changes. Prereq: Econ 222 or 230. Spr: MTuWF 9:30; Hamilton

Source: University of Chicago. Announcements, Vol. 50, No. 9 (July 20, 1950). The Division of the Social Sciences, Sessions of 1950-1951, p. 30.

____________________________

Course Reading Assignments

Economics 334

Assignments to be read before July 16, 1952

  1. Luigi Einaudi, “The Medieval Practice of Managed Currency,” in A.D. Gayer (Editor), The Lessons of Monetary Experience, pp. 259-268. HG 255.L63
  2. W. C. Mitchell, “The Role of Money in Economic Theory,” in The Backward Art of Spending Money, Pp. 149-176. HB 33.M68.
  3. Official Papers by Alfred Marshall, pp. 3-16. HG171.M318.
  4. R. G. Hawtrey, Currency and Credit, Chapter on “The Bank Restriction of 1797.” HG221.H4
  5. J. M. Keynes, A Tract on Monetary Reform, Chapters I-II, IV. HG221.K4
  6. J. M. Keynes, A Treatise on Money, Vol. II, Chapter 30. HG221.K422
  7. Alfred Marshall, Money, Credit, and Commerce, Book IV, and Appendix A. HG221.M35
  8. Charles F. Dunbar (Revised and edited by O. M. W. Sprague), The Theory and History of Banking, Chapters VIII (“The English Banking System”), IX (“The French Banking System”), X (“The German Banking System”), XI (“The National Banks of the United States”). HG1586.D9
  9. Earl J. Hamilton, American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, Chapter XIII. H31.H33, v. 43.
  10. *Earl J. Hamilton, “The Foundation of the Bank of Spain,” Journal of Political Economy, Vol. LIII (1945), pp. 97-114. HB1.J7.
  11. Earl J. Hamilton, “Prices and Wages at Paris under John Law’s System,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. LI, (1936-1937), pp. 42-70. HB1.Q3
  12. Walter Bagehot, Lombard Street. HG3000.L82B3
  13. R. S. Sayers, “The Question of the Standard in the Eighteen-Fifties,” Economic History (a supplement to the Economic Journal), Vol. II, pp. 575-601. HB1.E31
  14. Rufus S. Tucker, “The Myth of 1849,” in C.O Hardy, Is There Enough Gold? Appendix A, pp. 177-199. HG289.H28
  15. Davis R. Dewey, Financial History of the United States, 12th Ed. Pp. 320-328 (“Arguments in Favor of a National Banking System” and “National Banking Act of 1863.”) HJ241.D576
  16. *R. G. Hawtrey, A Century of Bank Rate, Chapters I-IV. HG1623.G7H4

*Read for interpretation and point of view. Do not try to remember facts.

There will be an examination on July 16 on these assignments and the lectures.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Economics 334

Assignments to be read by not later than August 13, 1952

  1. J. Silberling, “Financial and Monetary Policy of Great Britain during the Napoleonic Wars,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. XXXVIII (1923-24), pp. 214-33, 397-439. HB1.Q3, v.38
  2. H. Clapham, The Bank of England, Vol. II, Chapters VI-VIII and Epilogue. HG2996.C6
  3. M. Keynes, Essays in Persuasion, Part II, Chaps. 1 and 3; Part III, Chapter 5; Part V, Chapter 2. In the London, 1933 edition these chapters cover pages 77-79, 105-17, 244-70, 358-73. HC57.K471
  4. H. Robertson, Essays in Monetary Theory, Chaps. I and XII. HB171.R544
  5. Fred H. Klopstock, “Monetary Reform in Western Germany,” Journal of Political Economy, August, 1949. HB1.J7, v. 57
  6. Alfred Marshall, Money, Credit, and Commerce, Book II. HG221.M35
  7. Henri Hauser, Les origins historiques des problèmes économiques actuels, Paris, 1930, pp. 70-90.
  8. M. W. Sprague, Crises under the National Banking System, Washington, 1910, pp. 1-107. HB3743.S7
  9. M. Keynes, A Treatise on Money, Vol. II, Chaps. 35 and 37. HG221.K422
  10. M. Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, Chapter 23. HB171.K46
  11. W. Kemmerer, The ABC of the Federal Reserve System, Princeton University Press, 1936, Chapters I-V. HG2563.K31
  12. Jacob Viner, Studies in the Theory of International Trade, Chapters III-V. HF1007.V75
  13. Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, “Digression concerning Banks of Deposit, particularly concerning that of Amsterdam,” in Book IV, Chapter III, Part I. HB161.S65.
  14. Knut Wicksell, “The Influence of the Rate of Interest on Prices,” Economic Journal, Vol. XVII (1907), pp. 213-220. YW16 (reprint)

There will be an hour examination on August 13th.

Source: Hoover Institution Archives. Papers of Milton Friedman. Box 78, Folder 1 “University of Chicago Econ 334”.

Image Source:  University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-02446, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.

 

Categories
Chicago Economic History Suggested Reading Syllabus

Chicago. Reading list for Development of Monetary and Financial Institutions. Hamilton, 1960

 

 

The papers of the economic historian Earl J. Hamilton are a grab-bag of archival treasure, poorly sorted and demanding from the historian an unlimited faith in the goodness of the gods of serendipity. This post is a course reading list that would have rested safe in the obscurity of Hamilton’s papers, but for a chance encounter. I have taken the liberty of assuming the course title for Economics 334 at the University of Chicago in 1959-60 would match that of 1956-57. The course reading list is a nice example of the intersection of economic history and the history of economics.  

_____________________

Economics 334: Mr. Hamilton

Assignments to be read before May 20, 1960

  1. Luigi Einaudi, “The Medieval Practice of Managed Currency,” in A.D. Gayer (Ed.), The Lessons of Monetary Experience, pp. 259-268. HG 255.L63
  2. W. C. Mitchell, “The Role of Money in Economic Theory,” in The Backward Art of Spending Money, pp. 149-176. HB 33.M 68.
  3. Adam Smith, Wealth of Nations, “Digression concerning Banks of Deposit, particularly concerning that of Amsterdam,” in Book IV, Chapter III, Part I. HB 161. S 65.
  4. Earl J. Hamilton, American Treasure and the Price Revolution in Spain, Chapter XIII. H31.H33, v. 43
  5. Earl J. Hamilton, “Prices and Wages at Paris under John Law’s System,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. LI, (1936-1937), pp. 42-70. HB1.Q3
  6. Jacob Viner, Studies in the Theory of International Trade, Chapters III-V HF1007.V75
  7. N. J. Silberling, “Financial and Monetary Policy of Great Britain during the Napoleonic Wars,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, Vol. XXXVIII (1923-24), pp. 214-33, 397-439. HB1.Q3, v.38
  8. Lloyd W. Mints, History of Banking Theory, Chapter IV. HG1586.M6
  9. Walter Bagehot, Lombard Street. HG3000.L82B3
  10. R. S. Sayers, “The Question of the Standard in the Eighteen-Fifties,” Economic History (a supplement to the Economic Journal), Vol. II, pp. 575-601. HB1.E31
  11. Rufus S. Tucker, “The Myth of 1849,” in C.O Hardy, Is There Enough Gold? Appendix A, pp. 177-199. HG289.H28.
  12. J. H. Clapham, The Bank of England, Vol. II, Chapters VI-VIII and Epilogue. HG2996.C6
  13. Knut Wicksell, “The Influence of the Rate of Interest on Prices,” Economic Journal, Vol. XVII (1907), pp. 213-220. YW16 (reprint)
  14. O. M. W. Sprague, Crises under the National Banking System, Washington, 1910, pp. 1-107. HB3743.S7
  15. John Stuart Mill, Principles of Political Economy, Book III, Chapter XII. HB171.M635, M636, M644, M653.
  16. Charles F. Dunbar (Revised and edited by O. M. W. Sprague), The Theory and History of Banking, Chapters VIII (“The English Banking System”), IX (“The French Banking System”), X (“The German Banking System”), XI (“The National Banks of the United States”). HG1586.D9
  17. J. M. Keynes, A Tract on Monetary Reform, Chapters I-II, IV-V. HG221.K4
  18. J. M. Keynes, A Treatise on Money, Vol. II, Chapter 30. HG221.K422.

There will be an hour examination on April 29, 1960 covering 1-18 and the lectures.

  1. Alfred Marshall, Money, Credit, and Commerce, Books II, IV, and Appendix A. HG221.M35
  2. J. M. Keynes, Essays in Persuasion, Part II, Chaps. 1 and 3; Part III, Chapter 5; Part V, Chapter 2. In the London, 1933 edition these chapters cover pages 77-79, 105-17, 244-70, 358-73. HC57.K471.
  3. D. H. Robertson, Essays in Monetary Theory, Chaps. I and XII. HB 171.R544.
  4. Fred H. Klopstock, “Monetary Reform in Western Germany,” Journal of Political Economy, August, 1949. HB1.J7, v. 57.
  5. J. M. Keynes, A Treatise on Money, Vol. II, Chaps. 35 and 37. HG221.K422
  6. Earl J. Hamilton, “Prices and Progress,” Journal of Economic History, XII (1952), pp. 325-49.
  7. J. M. Keynes, The General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, Chapter 23. HB171.K46
  8. Official Papers by Alfred Marshall, pp. 3-16. HG171.M318.
  9. The Federal Reserve System: Purposes and Functions
  10. Rondo E. Cameron, “The Credit Mobilier and the Economic Development of Europe,” Journal of Political Economy, LXI (1953), pp. 461-88.

There will be a three-hour final examination (9:00-12:00) on May 27, 1960 covering all assignments and lectures.

Source: Duke University. David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Earl J. Hamilton Papers. Box 2. Folder “Academic and Personal Correspondence 1950s-1970s; 1990; and n.d.”

Image Source:  University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-02446, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library.