Tag: Hansen

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Economists Harvard

Harvard. Some biographical backstory for Evsey Domar up through 1943

This post started small as simply the archival documentation of the teaching fellow positions at Harvard held by my dear dissertation advisor, Evsey Domar, before he left to work at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in 1943. But a detail led me to dive into immigration and citizenship records accessible through the genealogy website ancestry.com and I surfaced with Evsey David Domar’s, then (Evsey [Joshua] Domashevitsky’s) declaration of intention (1936) and petition for naturalization (1942). These two artifacts have been included in the post.

In an earlier post I provided Evsey Domar’s account of the final stage of his Ph.D. thesis review.

Harlan Monell Smith (b. 1914, d. 2013!), together with Alvin Hansen, signed an affidavit regarding Evsey Domar’s moral and civic worthiness for U.S. citizenship. Smith himself was educated at Harvard, Brown and the University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1949). He went on to become an economics professor at the University of Minnesota. (His obituary can be found at the Minneapolis “Star Tribune”, April 20, 2013, p. B4).

_________________

Evsey Domar
Timeline

1914. Born in Lodz, Poland.
1916. Family moved to Harbin, Manchuria.
1930. Graduated from a Russian high school.
1930-1932 (ca.) Study of economics at the State Faculty of Law in Harbin.
1934. Moved to Dairen, Manchuria.
1936. Emigrated to the United States.
1939. B.A. in Economics  UCLA
1940. Student at University of Chicago
1941. M.A.  (Mathematical Statistics) University of Michigan.
1943. A.M. Harvard University.
1947. Ph.D. Harvard University.
1943-46. Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System.
1946-47. Assistant Professor, Carnegie Institute of Technology.
1947-48. Research associate. Cowles Commission, University of Chicago.
1948-55. Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins University.
1955-58. Professor, Johns Hopkins University.
1958-1984. Professor, M.I.T.
1984-1997. Professor Emeritus, M.I.T. [taught some courses at Brandeis and Wellesley during this time]
1997. Died in Concord, Massachusetts.

_________________

From a note written for a relative

EVSEY D. DOMAR

            I grew up in Harbin, Manchuria, where my family arrived in 1916. Harbin was the hub of the Chinese Eastern Railroad built by the Russians across Manchuria at the end of the last century. It was practically a Russian city, with Russian newspapers, theaters, and even Russian weights and measures. Originally, it had a Russian administration and Russian laws. I graduated from a Russian high school in 1930 and then studied for a year or so at the Economics Department of the State Faculty of Law. In 1934 I moved to Dairen, a Japanese colony at the very southern tip of Manchuria, a delightful city on the sea with an excellent climate but without the active cultural life of Harbin….

Source: Duke University, David Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscripts Library. Economists’ Papers Archives. Evsey Domar Papers, Box 3, Folder “Correspondence D-General.”

_________________

U.S. Department of Labor
Immigration and Naturalization Service
No. 23 51762

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the immigration records show that the alien named below arrived at the port, on the date, and in the manner shown, and was lawfully admitted to the United States of America for permanent residence.

Name: Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky
Port of entry: San Pedro, California
Date: August 16, 1936.
Manner of arrival: SS Taiyo Maru

I FURTHER CERTIFY that this certificate of arrival is issued under authority of, and in conformity with, the provisions of the Act of June 29, 1906, as amended, solely for the use of the alien herein named and only for naturalization purposes.

In Witness Whereof, this Certificate of Arrival is issued.
[Stamped: “Oct 9—1936”]
[Signed]
D. W. MacCormack, Commissioner

_________________

No. 78493

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

(Invalid for all purposes seven years after the date hereof)

United States of America
Southern District of California
County of Los Angeles

ss: In the District Court of the United States
at Los Angeles

I, Evsey (Joshua) Domaschevitsky now residing at1154 W. 37th Dr., Los Angeles, Los Angeles, Calif. Occupation Student, aged 22 years, do declare on oath that my personal description is: Sex Male, color white, complexion medium, color of eyes dk.brown, color of hair dk.brown, height 5 feet 4 ½ inches; weight 143 pounds; visible distinctive marks mole on left ear and on right cheek, race Hebrew; nationality Russian. I was born in Lodz, Poland, on April 16, 1914. I am not married. The name of my wife or husband is [left blank], we were married on [left blank], at [left blank]; she or he was born at [left blank], on [left blank], entered the United States at [left blank], on [left blank], for permanent residence therein, and now resides at [left blank]. I have no children, and the name, date and place of birth, [left blank].

I have not heretofore made a declaration of intention:
Number [left blank], on [left blank], at [left blank], my last foreign residence was Dairen, Manchiria [sic]. I emigrated to the United States of America from Kobe, Japan, my lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at San Pedro, Calif. under the name of Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky, on Aug. 16, 1936 on the vessel SS Taiyo Maru. I will, before being admitted to citizenship, renounce forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of which I may be at the time of admission a citizen or subject; I am not an anarchist; I am not a polygamist nor a believer in the practice of polygamy; and it is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States of America and to reside permanently therein. I certify that the photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of me: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed]
Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky

Subscribed and sworn to me in the office of the Clerk of said Court, at Los Angeles, Cal. This 24 day of Oct.anno Domini 1936. Certification No. 23-51762 from the Commissioner of Immigration and Naturalization showing the lawful entry of the declarant for permanent residence on the date state above, has been received by me. The photograph affixed to the duplicate and triplicate hereof is a likeness of the declarant.

[signed]
R. B. Zimmerman,
Clerk U.S. District Court, Southern District of California.

Form 2202-L-A
U.S. Department of Labor
Immigration and Naturalization Service

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

OFFICE OF THE DEAN

June 14, 1941

Dear Mr. Conant:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that the following appointments be made for one year from September 1, 1941, at the salaries indicated:

[…]

Teaching Fellows in Economics

Joshua Domashevitsky (B.A., Univ. of California at Los Angeles, 1939; M.A., Michigan, 1941, 640 Oxford Road, Ann Arbor, Michigan (After June: 51 West Second Street, Winona, Minnesota [Note: Domar’s recently immigrated (Dec. 13, 1940) mother Sarah Naumovna Domashevitsky was living in Winona, Minnesota in 1941]); at a salary of $1000. Mr. Domashevitsky is a Polish subject and has taken out first papers in the United States. (1st appointment).

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 178, Folder “Economics, 1940-1941”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

WILLIAM SCOTT FERGUSON, DEAN
PAUL HERMAN BUCK, ASST. DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASST. DEAN

October 27, 1941

Dear Mr. Greene:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin, I recommend that the following increases in salary be made for 1941-42 for members of the Economics Department:

[…]

Joshua Domashevitsky, an increase of $333.33, making a total of $1333.33, all Department.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASST. DEAN

June 5, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that the following appointments be made for one year from July 1, 1942, at the salaries indicated to cover a period of ten months beginning September 1, 1942:

[…]

Teaching Fellow in Economics

Josua Domashevitsky (B.A., University of California at Los Angeles, 1939; M.A., Michigan, 1941), 7 Story Street, Cambridge; at a salary of $1033.33. 2d appointment. Since Mr. Domashevitsky is a Polish citizen and has taken out first papers for citizenship in the United States, a statement concerning his loyalty is attached.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 204, Folder “Economics, 1941-1942”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

E. H. CHAMBERLIN, CHAIRMAN

M-8 LITTAUER CENTER

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

June 6, 1942

Dear Dean Buck:

Mr. Joshua Domashevitsky, who is being recommended by the Department of Economics for reappointment as Teaching Fellow, has been in the United States for a number of years and has taken out his first papers for American citizenship. I am confident there should be no question whatever as to his loyalty to this country.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
E. H. Chamberlin

Dean Paul H. Buck

[Stamped date: “June 8, 1942”]

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 204, Folder “Economics, 1941-1942”.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
HENRY CHAUNCEY, ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASSISTANT DEAN

October 2, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

            At the request of Professor Chamberlin I recommend that […] the following changes in salary be made for the present academic year:

[…]

            Joshua Domashevitsky, Teaching Fellow in Economics, an increase of $200, making a total of $1233.33.

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 226, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943”.

_________________

No. 243932

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION

[Under General Provisions of the Nationality Act of 1940 (Public, No. 853, 76th Cong.)]

To the Honorable the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts at Boston.
This petition for naturalization, hereby made and filed, respectively shows:

(1) My full, true, and correct name is  Evsey David Domaschevitsky a.k.a. Evsey David Domar. (2) My present place of residence is 14 Chauncy Street, Cambridge, Middlesex, Mass. (3) Occupation Student. (4) I am aged 28 years old. (5)  I was born on April 16, 1914 in Lodz Pietrokow Poland. (6) My personal description is: Sex male, color white, complexion medium, color of eyes dkbrown, color of hair brown, height 5 feet 4 ½ inches, weight 134 pounds, visible distinctive marks none, race white; present nationality Polish. (7) I am not married; the name of my wife or husband is [left blank], we were married on [left blank], at [left blank]; she or he was born at [left blank], on [left blank], and entered the United States at [left blank], on [left blank], for permanent residence therein, and now resides at [left blank] and was naturalized on [left blank] at [left blank] certificate No. [left blank]; or became a citizen by [left blank]. (8) I have no children, and the name, sex, date, and place of birth, and present place of residence of each of said children who is living, are as follows: [left blank]. (9) My last foreign residence was Dairen, Manchuria. (10) I emigrated to the United States of America from Kobe, Japan. (11) My lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States was at San Pedro, Calif. under the name of Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky, on Aug. 16, 1936 on the SS Taiyo Maru as shown by the certificate of my arrival attached to this petition.

(12) Since my lawful entry for permanent residence I have not been absent from the United States, for a period or periods of 6 months or longer, as follows:

[Table without entries omitted here]

(13) I declared my intention to become a citizen of the United States on October 24, 1936 in the USDC Court of Southern District at Los Angeles California. (14) It is my intention in good faith to become a citizen of the United States and to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, and particularly, by name, to the prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which at this time I am a citizen or subject, and it is my intention to reside permanently in the United States. (15) I am not, and have not been for the period of at least 10 years immediately preceding the date of this petition, an anarchist; nor a believer in the unlawful damage, injury, or destruction of property, or sabotage; nor a disbeliever in or opposed to organized government; nor a member of or affiliated with any organization or body of persons teaching disbelief in or opposition to organized government. (16) I am able to speak the English language (unless physically unable to do so). (17) I am, and have been during all of the periods required by law, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States. (18) I have resided continuously in the United States of America for the term of 5 years at least immediately preceding the date of this petition, to wit, since Aug. 16, 1936 and continuously in the State in which this petition is made for the term of 6 months at least immediately preceding the date of this petition, to wit, since Feb. 1, 1942. (19) I have not heretofore made petition for naturalization: No. [left blank] on [left blank] at [left blank] in [left blank] Court, and such petition was dismissed or denied by that Court for the following reasons and causes, to wit: [left blank] and the cause of such dismissal or denial has since been cured or removed. (20) Attached hereto and made a part of this, my petition for naturalization, are my declaration of intention to become a citizen of the United States (if such declaration of intention be required by the naturalization law), a certificate of arrival from the Immigration and Naturalization Service of my said lawful entry into the United States for permanent residence (If such certificate of arrival be required by the naturalization law), and the affidavits of at least two verifying witnesses required by law.

(21) Wherefore, I, your petitioner for naturalization, pray that I may be admitted a citizen of the United States of America, and that my name be changed to

Evsey David Domar.

(22) I, aforesaid petitioner, do swear (affirm) that I know the contents of this petition for naturalization subscribed by me, that the same are true to the best of my own knowledge, except as to matters therein stated to be alleged upon information and belief, and that as to those matters I believe them to be true, and that this petition is signed by me with my full, true name: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed]
Evsey David Domashevitsky
Evsey David Domar

AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES

The following witnesses, each being severally, duly, and respectively sworn, depose and say:

My name is Alvin H. Hansen, my occupation is college professor. I reside at 56 Juniper Rd. Belmont, Mass. and

My name is Harlin [sic] M. Smith, my occupation is student. I reside at 15½ Shepard St. Cambridge, Mass.

I am a citizen of the United States of America Wit. Hansen I have personally known and have been acquainted in the United States with said Domashevitsky, the petitioner named in the petition for naturalization of which this affidavit is a part, since October 1, 1941 and Wit. Smith has known the petitioner since Feb. 1, 1942 to my personal knowledge, the petitioner has resided immediately preceding the date of filing this petition, in the United States continuously since the date last mentioned and at Cambridge, in the State of Mass. continuously since Feb. 1, 1942 and I have personal knowledge that the petitioner is and during all such periods has been a person of good moral character, attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States, and well disposed to the good order and happiness of the United States, and in my opinion the petitioner is in every way qualified to be admitted a citizen of the United States.

            I do swear (affirm) that the statements of fact I have made in this affidavit of this petition for naturalization subscribed by me are true to the best of my knowledge and belief: SO HELP ME GOD.

[signed] Alvin H. Hansen
[signed] Harlan M. Smith

Subscribed and sworn to before me by the above-named petitioner and witnesses in the respective forms of oath shown in said petition and affidavit in the office of the Clerk of said Court at Boston, Mass. this 13th day of October Anno Domini 1942. I herby certify that Certificate of Arrival no 23 51762 from the Immigration and Naturalization Service, showing the lawful entry for permanent residence of the petitioner above named, together with Declaration of Intention no. 78493 of such petitioner, has been by me filed with, attached to, and made a part of this petition on this date.

Deps.

[signed] James S. Allen, Clerk
By [signature illegible], Deputy Clerk.

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; SO HELP ME GOD. In acknowledgment whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

[signed] Evsey David Domar…Evsey David Domashevitsky

Sworn to in open court, this 21 day of Dec, A.D. 1942

Petition granted: Line No. [left blank] of List No. 734 and Certificate No. 5703583 issued.

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

PAUL HERMAN BUCK, DEAN
HENRY CHAUNCEY, ASSISTANT TO THE DEAN
JEFFRIES WYMAN, JR., ASSISTANT DEAN

January 27, 1943

Dear Mr. Greene:

Professor Chamberlin has informed me that Mr. Evsey D. Domar (formerly Joshua Domashevitsky) is resigning as Teaching Fellow in Economics as of February 1, 1943. Will you kindly present this resignation to the corporation.

According to Professor Chamberlin Mr. Domar was voted a salary $1233.33 to be pro-rated equally over the ten-month period from September to June. He now says Mr. Domar was expected to carry a heavier load in second half-year. His salary for the first half-year should, therefore, he fixed at a total of $566.67.

Mr. Domar understands than this adjustment will be made in the check to be sent him on February 1. I have asked the Bursar not to make a payment to Mr. Domar until he has been notified by you as to the proper amount to be paid on that date.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Buck.

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 226, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943”.

Image Source: Joshua Domashevitsky (a.k.a. Evsey D. Nomar) in the UCLA yearbook, 1939 Southern Campus, p. 52. Colorized by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.

Categories
Economics Programs Harvard Undergraduate

Harvard. Economics Department Reports to the Dean, 1946-47 to 1949-50

 

This post adds the Chair’s annual reports on the Harvard Economics Department for the early post-WW II years to previously posted reports for 1932-33 through 1945-46. 

Reports to the Dean of Harvard
from the Department of Economics.
1932-1941
1941-1946

___________________________

1946-1947

September 29, 1947

Dear Dean Buck:

You have requested a brief report on the work of the Department of Economies for the academic year 1946-47.

This report necessarily follows much the same pattern as the report for last year. Again our work has been dominated by the number of students, undergraduate and graduate, and the lack of a trained junior staff.

The number of undergraduates of course is entirely so beyond our control. In Economies A and in most of our “middle group” courses, the elections taxed our capacity for effective instruction. Under the most propitious conditions the crowded classrooms would have presented many problems but with a dearth of trained teaching fellows and annual instructors the load carried by the senior staff was unduly heavy. Foreseeing this range of problems, the Department voted on February 19, 1946 [sic, 1947 probably correct. In December 1946 departments wereallowed to withdraw from offering tutorials] to suspend tutorial instruction for a period of two years. It may be stated here that this was probably a wise decision. Concentration in Economics appears to have resumed the trend apparent before the war. In the current year the number of concentrators will approach, or perhaps exceed 800. Even should no consideration be given to the expenditure involved, the possibility of finding and training effective tutors even for honors candidates seems somewhat remote.

On the graduate level the problems of instruction were even more difficult. During the year the number of graduate students receiving instruction was approximately 286. Our course offering on this level is large. Nevertheless, the principal graduate courses were crowded to a point where the maintenance of standards was difficult. After the graduate student has completed his preliminary program and has been accepted as a candidate for the Ph.D, degree, the instruction is largely individual. In the last year we were just coming into the situation where a considerable proportion of the students were receiving such instruction. The full impact of this situation will be felt in the current year. Most members of the senior staff will be directing the theses of some 10 to 15 students. Some officers will be responsible for even larger numbers. With the numbers we are attempting to handle on the graduate level the single task of examining candidates in the general and special examinations becomes a major consideration. During the last academic year the staff conducted general and special examinations. Such an amount of examining and of individual instruction on the graduate level has its bearing on tutorial instruction for undergraduates.

The Department voted to accept the large number of graduate students now on our rolls only after considerable investigation and discussion. It is my own personal opinion that we have set our limit altogether too high. However, the pressure upon us for admission has been very strong and our obligations to the Littauer School, where the pressure is hardly less, just be observed.

This matter of the size of the Graduate School in the immediate future is one of our most difficult problems. It will receive our attention in the current year.

In the last two or three years these reports have noted certain experiments in instruction, especially in connection with Economics A. Such experiments are dependent upon the presence of a considerable number of able and mature young men with adequate teaching experience, as well as upon a margin of free time. Both of these factors are lacking to such a degree that substantial and outstanding progress could not be expected but the plans were active and some progress was made.

If full tutorial instruction is not resumed by the Department, experimentation in undergraduate courses is imperative and this we have planned. It is our expectation that a good deal in the way of individual guidance can be accomplished in connection with Economics A and some of our middle group courses. We believe that we can make our instruction more efficient with a much smaller personnel and at much less expense than the tutorial system would involve. However, a definitive decision has not been reached on all of these matters.

It is hardly necessary to emphasize that the heavy instructional demands discussed above affected our research projects. Furthermore, the officers of this Department are severely handicapped by the lack of research funds. This dearth of research funds is a question which has been placed before our Visiting Committee.

In spite of the difficulties involved, the contributions of the members of the Department were substantial. The following books were published:

Teoria de la Competencie Monopolica, by E. H. Chamberlin, Mexico, 1946. (Spanish translation of The Theory of Monopolistic Competition)

Economic Policy and Full Employment, by A. H. Hansen. McGraw-Hill. 1947.

The New Economics, S. B. Harris, editor and contributor Knopf. 1947.

The National Debt and the New Economics, by S. E. Harris. 1947.

Income and Employment, by T. Morgan. Prentice-Hall. 1947.

New enlarged edition of Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy, by J. A. Schumpeter.

The Challenge of Industrial Relations, by S. H. Slichter, Cornell University Press, 1947.

Postwar Monetary Plans and other Essays, by J. Williams. Knopf, 3rd edition. 1947.

articles were published.

Although we are able to record only one new volume and one republication of an older volume in the Harvard Economic Series for the past year, four other volumes are in the hands of the printer and will appear in the current year.

In the area of distinctions or honors, I believe the only items to be noted concern Dean Edward S. Mason. Last spring he was appointed Economic Advisor to Secretary of State Marshall at the Moscow Conference. In July he was appointed a member of President Truman’s Committee on Foreign Aid.

Sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean Paul H. Buck

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11), Box 2, Folder “Provost Buck—Annual Report of Dept.”

___________________________

1947-1948

September 30, 1948

Dear Provost Buck:

You have requested a brief report on the work of the Department of Economics for the academic year 1947-48.

The report on the work of the Department for the last year can be given in part in the same terms that have been employed in the last three reports. Our major problems have been quantitative and have presented the same difficulties that were emphasized in the other post-war reports. However, we believe that the last year did reach the peak of the load and that the pressure of numbers will abate steadily. The problem of building and maintaining an effective junior staff was hardly less than in the preceding years. Crowded classrooms and insufficiently trained assistants imposed unduly severe burdens upon the senior teachers responsible for course instruction. Some improvement, especially in the middle group courses, is in prospect for the coming year but it is probable that two to three years more will be necessary before these courses will be adequately staffed. In the introductory course which relies heavily upon a large number of young instructors and teaching fellows, the situation is still serious but latterly we have been able to utilize young men with more satisfactory preparation and training. Because of the heavy demands for the services of these young men by other institutions, the turnover is large leaving us each year with a relatively inexperienced staff.

Graduate instruction continues to make unusual demands upon the time and energy of the senior staff. During the past year we conducted 109 general examinations and 26 special examinations. Examining and the related task of directing the research of candidates for the higher degrees undoubtedly have an incidence upon undergraduate instruction which raises questions of fundamental importance. It is encouraging that the number of graduate students is, through the action of the Department, declining.

In spite of the difficulties presented by the numbers of undergraduates and graduates, the Department, perhaps belatedly, has given particular consideration to its commitments in the Areas and in General Education. A report on General Education is enclosed.

Also, the Department has considered at length and in detail various problems of instruction, particularly undergraduate instruction. These considerations will be continued in the current year. By completely revising the content of our basic courses it may be possible to increase the effectiveness of our instruction and reduce somewhat the number of courses offered. A preliminary report on this aspect of our work is included.

A year ago I noted that many of our senior officers were handicapped severely by the lack of research funds. As you know, it can now be recorded with sincere satisfaction that a grant from the Rockefeller Foundation and that several projects under the auspices of the Research Marketing Act, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Charles H. Hood Dairy Foundation, the Ferguson Foundation Fund, and the Carnegie Corporation Fund, meet the situation effectively for some of our officers. The set-up of these projects promises not only to be of great value to the professors in charge of the research but it contributes heavily to the training of our most promising graduate students and younger officers.

The following books were published by members of the Department:

How Shall We Pay for Education? by Seymour Harris. Harpers.

Stabilization Subsidies by Seymour Harris. Historical Report Series, U.S. Gov’t.

Price Control of International Commodities by Seymour Harris. Archives Volume, Historical Records Office.

International Monetary Policies, by Gottfried Haberler (with Lloyd Metzler and Robert Triffin). Postwar Economic Series, Federal Reserve System Board of Governors.

Problemas de Conjuntura e de Politica Economica, by Gottfried Haberler. Fundacao Getulio Vargas, Rio de Janiero.

Production in the United States, 1866-1914, by Edwin Frickey. Harvard University Press.

Seventy-eight articles have been published. Three books were published in the Harvard Economic Series during the past year. Five volumes are in the hands of the Press to be published later this year.

Professor Edward H. Chamberlin has been appointed to succeed Dr. Arthur B. Monroe as Managing Editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economics. Both the Quarterly Journal of Economies and the Review of Economic Statistics are well established intellectually and financially. With the demands of instruction and research, the editing of the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the Review of Economics and Statistics, as well as the direction of the Harvard Economic Series, raises questions regarding the adequacy of the manpower within the Department.

 In the area of distinctions or honors, Professor Joseph A. Schumpeter was chosen to be President of the American Economic Association for 1948. Dean Edward S. Mason was awarded an honorary degree, D. Litt, from Williams College, June, 1948.

Very sincerely,
H. H. Burbank

Provost Paul H. Buck
5 University Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11), Box 2, Folder “Provost Buck—Annual Report of Dept.”

___________________________

1948-1949

September 28, 1949

Dear Provost Buck:

The pattern of the report of the Department of Economics on the work of the last year is essentially the same as the other reports for the post-war years. Indeed, not a little of the introduction to the report of a year ago could be utilized in the current report. The quantitative side of our work has been among our major problems. I think I was correct in predicting that the peak of the load would be passed in 1948-49. For the year 1949-50, numbers, particularly on the graduate level, will be approximately less although the total is still beyond the capacities of our senior staff.

Again I can repeat that the problem of building and maintaining a junior staff presents great difficulties. We have strengthened our position on the level of the assistant professor but we are unable to hold our most promising young Ph.D’s for appointment at the instructor level. All of our undergraduate instruction suffers because of this factor, but Economics 1 (the introductory course) is affected particularly. The demand for these young men by other institutions continues at a high level resulting in a high rate of turnover and leaving us sech year with a relatively inexperienced staff. [end of p. 1]

[Note: need to replace unfocussed image of page 2]

[p. 3 begins ] …expectation that we will be able to revise our general examination effectively.

In the post-war years the Department has been striving to meet its obligations to General Education and to the areas. We believe that we have made an excellent beginning in both General Education and in the Russian Area. We are still actively engaged in the attempt to strengthen our position in the Chinese Area. This is exceedingly difficult but I believe that some progress is being made.

Last year we were able to record with great satisfaction that some research projects were being established satisfactorily. These projects under the auspices of the Rockefeller Foundation and under the auspices of various groups interested in agriculture and marketing are now going forward successfully and up proving to be important for us not only as research projects but also because of their general effect upon a relatively large group of our graduate students. We can now give a type of training to our most promising men which would have been impossible without such projects. It should be emphasized at this point that other areas of interest need research funds.

The following books were published:

Collective Bargaining: Principles and Cases, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1949, by John I. Dunlop.

Labor in Norway by Walter Galenson. Harvard University Press, 1949.

Monetary Theory and Fiscal Policy, by Alvin Hansen McGraw-Hill, 1949.

The European Recovery Program, by Seymour E. Harris. Harvard University Press.

Foreign Economic Policy for the U.S., edited by Seymour E. Harris, Harvard University Press.

Price Control of International Commodities, by Seymour E. Harris. Archives Volume for Historical Records Office.

Saving American Capitalism, edited by Seymour E. Harris. Knopf.

Economic Planning, by Seymour E. Harris. Knopf.

Post-war Monetary Plans and Other Essays, by John H. Williams. Oxford, Basil Blackwell.

The American Economy, Its Problems and Prospects, by Sumner H. Slichter. Knopf.

There were 62 articles published by members of the Department during the past year. Five books were published in the Harvard Economic Studies and two volumes are in the hands of the Press to be published later this year. There has been a total of 86 books published in the Harvard Economic Studies to this date.

It should be recorded that both the Quarterly Journal of Economics under the editorship of Professor Chamberlin and the Review of Economics and Statistics have prospered during the year. Again I do feel it necessary to refer to the fact that editing the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the Review of Economics and Statistics and the carrying forward of the Harvard Economic Studies continues to raise questions regarding the adequacy of the manpower within the Department.

In the area of distinctions and honors, Professor Slichter was awarded honorary degrees (LL.D.) from the following universities: Lehigh University, Harvard University, University of Rochester, University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University. Professor

Haberler was awarded an honorary degree of Doctor of Economics (“Doktor der Wirtschaftswissenschaft honoris causa”) from Handelshochschule, St. Gallen, Switzerland. Dr. Galbraith was awarded the President’s Certificate of Merit, Medal of Merit Board, for services in Price Control and Economic Stabilization during the war.

Sincerely
[Harold H. Burbank]

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11), Box 2, Folder “Departmental Annual Reports to the Dean 1948-54”.

___________________________

1949-1950

[Draft] Report to Dean, October 2, 1950
Professor Burbank

In each of the reports for the last three years, emphasis has been placed upon two matters; our efforts to handle the increased numbers incident to the war, particularly on the graduate level, and our attempts to revise and improve our instruction, particularly on the undergraduate level.

With a good deal of satisfaction we are able to report that for the last year substantial progress has been made in each of these areas. Immediately after the war the number of our graduate students increased from approximately 100 to nearly 300. By raising the standards of admission and giving the most careful scrutiny to applications, the numbers on the graduate level are now well under 200, and will be reduced somewhat more for 1950-51.

The work of supervising and directing graduate students falls very unevenly upon the various members of the senior staff. Even with not over 150 graduate students some members of the staff will carry an inordinate part of individual instruction and of examining for the higher degrees. Further, large graduate classes tend to dilute the instruction.

On the undergraduate level the Department has revised its requirements for concentration, including the content of many of our key courses. This plan has been accepted by the Faculty and is now in operation. It is an ambitious scheme that involves not only a change in the content and coverage of our key courses but it also involves the strengthening the staff in these courses and an integration of course work with tutorial work. Undoubtedly it will take some years to complete this plan. Much depends upon our ability to build a strong junior staff, especially on the annual instructor level. When this reorganized instruction is in full operation it is expected that a number of courses now offered for undergraduates may be deleted.

Also it is with a good deal of satisfaction that after a period of suspension tutorial instruction has been reestablished and is developing steadily. The period of suspension was unfortunate but probably inevitable. We are now approaching a position with respect to both graduate and undergraduate instruction that at least approximates a normal situation, with a possibility of a carefully planned and well integrated system of undergraduate instruction. As a part of this plan increased attention has been given to reestablishing the General Examinations on something approximating the level of earlier years. Since we are lacking experienced tutors the establishment of tutorial instruction is a very real task but it is believed it can be done successfully.

We have been fortunate to have been able to attract to the Graduate School a group of unusually able young men. The very top of this group represents ability of the very highest order. Unfortunately only rarely can we retain the services of these young men even on the assistant professor level. However, the Department is keenly aware of the difficulties it faces in recruitment and every effort is being made to follow the progress of the product of other schools as well as the progress of our own young scholars.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11), Box 2, Folder “Provost Buck—Annual Report of Dept.”

___________________________

1949-1950

January 5, 1951

Provost Paul H. Buck
5 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Provost Buck:

I am now somewhat belatedly submitting the report of the Department of Economics for 1949-50.

I. Undergraduate Instruction

Four hundred eighty-two Harvard and Radcliffe students concentrated in economics in 1949-50 as compared with 608 in the previous year. The enrolment in Economics 1 was 402 as compared with 546 in the previous year. Seventy-seven students graduated with honors; 20 obtaining magna cum laude and 57 cum laude.

The entire senior staff gave courses at the undergraduate level— a practice that distinguishes Harvard sharply from institutions such as Columbia and Chicago which restrict the activities of some of the most talented members of the staff to graduate instruction. Nevertheless, the strength of our undergraduate teaching has depended very largely on the unusually fine group of assistant professors we now have on our staff.

During the past couple of years the Department has been gradually moving toward restoration of the tutorial system and last spring it decided finally to give tutorial instruction to all honors students in their junior and senior years,

II. Graduate Instruction

Two hundred graduate students in economics were in residence last year as compared with 234 the previous year. The Department gave 58 general examinations for the Ph.D. and 47 special examinations.

The number of graduate students is still too large to handle effectively with the present staff. The students themselves justifiably complain that they cannot see enough of the members of the faculty. However if they did see as much of the faculty as they wanted to, the faculty would have little time for reading and research and the quality of instruction would decline. We are planning to deal with this problem as far as possible by making sure that more graduate students attend reasonably small seminars and do have an opportunity to get to know at least one faculty member reasonably well.

I believe that the quality of our graduate work has suffered through overemphasis on course work and preoccupation with grades. We tend to make graduate instruction too much of a prolongation of undergraduate instruction. We also tend too much in the direction of specialization and provide too little encouragement for students to become coordinated in the whole economic field. The remedy for this state of affairs depends more upon the general attitude of the Department rather than any specific measures of reorganization. We shall do whatever is possible to encourage students in the feeling that their main function here is to acquire the maturity that is essential for scholarship rather than to accumulate a collection of pieces of isolated information.

III. Research

Professors Mason, Leontief, Black, Galbraith and Dunlop are all conducting organized research projects within the Department. Apart from their substantive value, these projects give a considerable number of graduate students an opportunity to take part in organized research activity. I believe these projects have an important part to play in the future of the Department as a whole rather than as special interests of individual members. However, I do not share the view that most of our intellectual activities should be directed towards organized research. There is danger that we may become a research bureaucracy and that the merits of individual scholarship may achieve less recognition than they deserve. While the research project is invaluable in training the students in specialized activity, it does little to cultivate the maturity that should be one of the most important products of our graduate training.

IV. The Staff of the Department

Professor Schumpeter’s death has meant a loss to the Department that cannot be covered by any individual that we now have on the staff or could get from the outside. The only way to make up for his absence is for the present members of the faculty to direct part of their attention to the aspects of economic thought in which Schumpeter was particularly interested. This has in part been done. I think it is true to say that since Schumpeter’s death his own work has received more attention in Harvard classrooms than it received while he was alive.

The only new additions to the to the staff at the professorial level in 1949-50 were assistant professors Orcutt and Sawyer. Orcutt is giving a course at the graduate level and the undergraduate level on empirical economies in which he stresses the quantitative aspects of economic theory. He is also a first-class statistician. Since the resignation of Professor Crum we have had only one professional statistician in the Department, and it seems highly desirable to have at least two. Sawyer will add considerable strength to the Department’s work in economic history although he will spend half of his time in the General Education program.

VI. [sic] Distinctions

Members of the Department received the following distinctions:

Professor Edward Chamberlin — An honorary degree (Dr.) awarded by the Universita Catholica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy. December 1949.

Professor Sumner Slichter — President, Industrial Relations Research Association.

Professor Gottfried Haberler — President, International Economic Association for 1950 (held by Professor Schumpeter at the time of his death).

I am attaching a bibliography of the writings of the members of the Department. [not included in this folder]

Sincerely yours,
Arthur Smithies

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11), Box 2, Folder “Departmental Annual Reports to the Dean 1948-54”.

Images Source: Burbank (left) from the Harvard Class Album 1946, Smithies (right) from the Harvard Class Album 1952.

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Economics Programs Harvard Teaching Undergraduate

Harvard. Economics Department Reports to the Dean, 1941-1946

This post adds the Chairman’s annual reports on the Harvard Economics Department for the World War II years to the series:

Department of Economics Reports to the Dean of Harvard, 1932-1941

More about Harvard during WWII: Coreydon Ireland, “Harvard Goes to War,” The Harvard Gazette (November 10, 2011).

_______________________

1941-42

October 15, 1942

Dear Dean Buck:

I submit herewith a report on the work of the Department of Economics covering the past year.

The only honor conferred upon a member of the Department during this period has been the election of Professor Leontief to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Several books have been published by members of the Department, including Professor Harris’s two major works (appearing, I believe, not more than a month apart), The Economics of American Defense and Economics of Social Security; Professor Black’s Parity, Parity, Parity; Professor Hansen’s Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles; and Professor Haberler’s Consumer Credit and Economic Fluctuations. Professor Haberler’s Prosperity and Depression has also gone through a third edition. Professor Crum was co-author of Fiscal Planning for Total War. The list of articles, pamphlets, reviews, and other items seems unusually long. Professor Hansen has listed thirteen items, Professor Slichter eight, and Professor Black six. The Harvard Economic Studies has expanded from 70 to 72 volumes during the year.

The contribution of the Department to the war effort has been substantial. Professor Mason continues on leave of absence with the Office of Strategic Services, and Professor Harris has recently been granted full time leave to serve as Director of the Division of Export-Import Price Control in the Office of Price Administration. Among those in the Department who are more or less active as Consultants or in other part time war activities are Professors Black, Crum, Hansen, Leontief, and Slichter, and Dr. Butters. Numerous younger men have, of course, entered the war services or have declined possible reappointment at Harvard in order to accept administrative and research positions in Washington.

The problem of maintaining instructional standards has, of course, been aggravated by the war. Fortunately, exceptions to the two-thirds rule have been granted in many cases; otherwise it would have been literally impossible in the face of competing wartime opportunities to recruit a staff of younger men at all. Out of the present staff of fifteen teaching fellows eleven are on more than two-thirds time, and almost without exception these men would not have been available (that is, not even at two-thirds time) if exceptions to the rule had not been made. The average experience of the Economics A staff has improved owing to a policy of putting more experienced men into Economics A and breaking in new men either in tutorial work or in the Statistics and Accounting courses. 36% of concentrators in Economics are tutored by new men this year; 60% by men of one year or less experience. The very sizeable staff in Statistics and Accounting is made up almost entirely of new appointees.

In view of the desperate need for trained economists in the expanding activities of the United States Government, the Department has announced for the current year an Undergraduate Training Program in Economics for Government Service which has attracted a substantial enrolment. The program has been opened to non-honors as well as to honors candidates. It has been carefully designed to give advanced training of a type which will enable them to undertake with a minimum of delay and adaptation administrative and research positions in the government service. It includes, in addition to a substantial corps of standard courses in Economics, three new courses, namely, Economics 7a and 7b, Research in Market Organization, Commodity Distribution, and Prices; Economics 19a, Research in Money and Finance; and Economics 22b, Government Statistics. One striking indication of the merits of this program might appear in the fact that a program of training announced by the Department of Government seems to consist essentially in normal concentration Government plus an election from these new courses in Economics.

Sincerely yours,

E. H. Chamberlin

Dean Paul H. Buck

_______________________

1942-43

October 21, 1943

Dear Dean Buck:

I submit herewith the report on the work of the Department of Economics for the academic year.

The war effort has continued to deplete our staff. Since the opening of the academic year Professors Chamberlin and Haberler and Dr. Dunlop have been granted leave of absence to undertake work in war agencies in Washington. However, Professor Crum resumes his work with the Department after leave of absence from the University to conduct an investigation on Fiscal Planning for the National Bureau of Economic Research of which he is currently the Chairman. Also Associate Professor Seymour Harris has returned to the University after a year and a half of service with the Office of Price Administration where he served as Director of the Office of Import-Export Price Control. A very small fraction of the once large junior staff now remains. By the end of the coming term it is expected that not more than four Annual Instructors will be active in instruction.

The incidence of war activities on research and publication has been two-fold. In some instances long-time research projects have been put aside, but concurrently much effort has been applied to projects concerned with war and post-war problems. Having in mind the inevitable interruptions of the war period, it is gratifying to be able to report that the books, scientific articles, addresses and reports have been in about the same number as the average of the immediately preceding years.

Of the major publications during the year the following should be mentioned:

J. A. Schumpeter, Capitalism, Socialism, and Democracy

P. M. Sweezy, The Theory of Capitalist Development

Edwin Frickey, Economic Fluctuations in the United States: a Systematic Analysis of Long-Run Trends and Business Cycles, 1866-1914

S. E. Harris, Economics of America at War

S. E. Harris, Editor, Postwar Economic Problems

A. P. Usher, The Early History of Deposit Banking in Mediterranean Europe has just left the press.

J. T. Dunlop, Cost Behavior and Price Policy

It is also indicative of the demands of war activities that some forty or fifty articles directly related to the war and post-war economy have been published by members of the Department. In addition numerous reports have been issued to or under the auspices of various war agencies such as Professor Harris, “O.P.A. Manual of Price Control” and his “Reports on Anti-Inflationary Programs in South America,” and Professor Crum’s memorandum on Fiscal Planning for Reconstruction and Peace for the National Bureau of Economic Research. The Quarterly Journal of Economics has continued successfully through another year, bringing the total volumes of this publication to 57. The Review of Economic Statistics now in its 25th volume is continuing under the editorship of Professor Harris. The Harvard Economic Studies is now publishing its 75th volume.

The rapid reduction in the numbers of the teaching staff has been met in part by the increased activity of those remaining. With the very active cooperation of the members of the staff we have been able to offer a reasonably full and well balanced program of instruction. On the graduate level flexibility of instruction has been more necessary than in previous years because of the cosmopolitan group now in attendance –not less than a dozen different nationalities are represented. This flexibility is being achieved largely by increased individual supervision and instruction.

The sharp decline in the undergraduate body together with the presence of a small but able and experienced staff of teachers has made possible a degree of experimentation in the introductory course in Economics which should lead to significant changes in the conduct of this course in the post-war period. Also at the present time some attention is being given to a question which has been in the minds of a number of members of the staff for some year—the so-called quiz section. It has been a quite common practice, in the conduct of middle group courses to provide for two lectures and one section meeting each week. On occasion five lectures are followed by the section meeting. For many years the usefulness of the section meeting has been in question. It is to be admitted that it does relieve the instructor of a lecture, but whether or not it provides equivalent or better instruction is debatable. At the present time Professor Crum and Dr. Smith are conducting a controlled experiment in the section meetings connected with their offering Government Control of Industry and Public Utilities. In the course time they will report their findings to the Department.

At this point I should like to mention the interesting and valuable “experiment” which Professor Slichter has called The Trade Union Fellowship Project. I am enclosing Professor Slichter’s report on this project which, I believe, you will find of interest. We regard the experiment as not only highly successful from both the point of view of the University and the Unions, but the experience furnishes a good deal of evidence regarding educational processes which may prove to be highly significant.

Very sincerely yours,

H. H. Burbank

_______________________

1943-44

October 13, 1944

Dear Dean Buck:

I submit herewith a brief report on the work of the Department of Economies for the academic year.

In the main, this report is a continuation of the report sent to you a year ago. In spite of the multifarious wartime activities of the member of the staff, the Department has maintained a well balanced offering of courses on both the undergraduate and graduate level. Course elections have continued to be surprisingly large, but I believe that the decline we have been expecting will actually begin with the Winter Term. The large proportion of foreign students on the graduate level, together with our inability to give complete offerings each Term, has necessitated an unusual amount of individual instruction.

Professors Mason and Chamberlin and Drs. Sweezy and Dunlop were on leave for the entire year. Professor Haberler resumed his work with us for the Summer Term.

I can repeat from my report of last year that the incidence of war activities on research and publication has been twofold. Most of our long time research projects have been put aside, but currently many projects concerned with war and postwar problems have been initiated and some of them completed. Although publication has been diminished by war activities, it is still gratifying to be able to report that the books, scientific articles, addresses, and reports—although not in quite the same quantity as in the prewar years—have nevertheless appeared in substantial numbers. Progress on the publication of books has shown a more definite interruption, but four books have been published during the year and not less than six books are now either actually in the press or are nearing form for publication. The books published during the year were:

J. D. Black, Food Enough

A. H. Hansen, (with H. S. Perloff), State and Local Finance in the National Economy

S. H. Slichter, Present Savings and Postwar Markets

J. H. Williams, Postwar Monetary Plans and Other Essays

Both of our periodicals — the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the Review of Economic Statistics — have been able to continue publication without interruption and have been able to maintain their high standards. The difficulties encountered by scientific periodicals during these years are very real. One other volume has been added to the Harvard Economic Studies.

In my last report I mentioned the experimentation, particularly in the Introductory course, which had been initiated. I am very happy to be able to report that this experimentation has continued through another year with very gratifying results. A very interesting problem is involved in the attempt to present adequately the introductory material in Economies. Most of us who have been intimately concerned with the problem believe that a single course can serve both for those who will concentrate in Economics and for those whose main, interest lie elsewhere. The content of such a course, and the effective presentation of the material, is now being studied.

I might add here—because fundamentally it is experimentation in methods and relationships—that the Trade Union Fellowship Project has been conducted successfully for another year. At various times I have sort you Professor Slichter’s reports on these projects. We believe that a very interesting and productive educational experiment is being carried on with the Trade Union men.

Also in the sane connection I should like to record that during the last year we were presented with a variety of problems by the numerous South American students who came to us on the graduate level.We gave these students particular attention. By the end of the year we had learned that it would be highly profitable to develop for such students some specialized instruction which would overcome the difficulties under which all of them labored in their first term or two of residence. Their educational background, following European patterns, is such that it is necessary for us to present to them in concentrated form certain types of qualitative and quantitative analysis with which they are unfamiliar and which is not now offered on the graduate level.

The members of the Department have continued to discuss and to arrive at decisions regarding course instruction in the postwar years. In sone respects, we will strengthen the instruction offered mainly for the specialist in Economics, but we are more concerned with broader offerings which will prove to be desirable, and we hope necessary, for the college at large. Our permanent staff is large and versatile. We hope to be able to utilize to the full the resources we possess. In connection with the enrichment of our teaching, we expect to utilize more effectively in our instruction the material forthcoming from a number of proposed seminars.

It seems unnecessary to mention in detail the wartime activities of our staff members. Practically every member of the staff is actively engaged in some type of war activity. Without exception, each officer is utilizing his special aptitudes and training in connection with the various Federal agencies concerned with economic problems.

Very sincerely,

H. H. Burbank

Dean Paul H. Buck
University Hall 5
Cambridge, Massachusetts

_______________________

1944-45

October 24, 1945

Dear Dean Buck:

I submit herewith a brief report on the Department of Economics for the last year.

As in the preceding war years, the Department has been able to present a very respectable offering of courses, both on the graduate and undergraduate level. The number of graduate students continued to be unexpectedly large, necessitating a rather more elaborate course offering for them than we had planned. To a somewhat larger extent than in the two preceding years the students enrolled represent such a diverse background of training and experience that sone new types of instruction were involved. Some seventeen nationalities were represented. We are inclined to believe that this is not altogether a temporary and war situation. Even after the European universities are reestablished, we expect to draw many students with foreign background and training. If this expectation is fulfilled, our wartime experience with foreign students will have been of considerable value.

Even before the war the Department was concerned with the reorganization of its instruction. Our discussions continued throughout the year materializing in a curriculum in theoretical and applied Economics which tends to utilize to the full the unusual capacities of the members of the staff. Our present position, however, is by no means definitive. We have always relied heavily upon the stimulating intellectual activities of the younger members of the staff. When recruitment is again possible we expect to strengthen our position markedly through the cooperation of these younger members.

The reorganization of instruction has been concerned mainly with the content and coverage of courses, but in some cases it has dealt with the actual methods of classroom instruction. The introductory course has been completely recast, involving new types of material and new methods of presentation. The full effects of these changes will have to wait upon the enlargement of our junior staff. Also, some of our plans involving quantitative instruction necessarily are held in abeyance until the questions regarding a statistical laboratory have been settled.

The war effort of many officers of the Department continued through the year. Professor Mason and Drs. Sweezy and Dunlop were on leave from the University devoting their entire time to their respective wartime assignments. Professor Chamberlin returned to Cambridge in February from his post with the office of Strategic Services. Other members of the Department, particularly Professors Hansen, Slichter, Harris, Leontief and Black, while meeting their University obligations also served in various capacities with wartime agencies.

The incidence of this wartime service upon research and publishing activities of the group was marked. Both books and articles were fewer in number than in the normal year and in the main reflected the particular war activities of the authors. However, in all some

34 articles and 7 books were published. It should be noted that at least three volumes which the authors had expected to complete in the last year are now being prepared for the press.

The difficulties involved in the publication of scientific journals have been great but not insurmountable. We have been able to continue the publication of the Quarterly Journal of Economies and the Review of Economic Statistics without reduction in size and without omission of numbers. In the Harvard Economic Series [rest of line blank] that some four volumes either in the hands of the press or the Department were ready for publication but because of the war restrictions were not actually published.

Latterly the Department has been concerned with the vexing problems of the definition of objectives of students on the graduate level and the adjustment of these objectives to the various higher degrees offered. We are concerned with the administration not only of the Ph.D. degree in Business Economies, the Ph.D. in Political Economy and Government, and in part with the Ph.D. in Public Administration which may be conferred through the Littauer School of Public Administration. The problems involved in defining and administering each of these degrees will receive continued attention.

Although no honorary degrees have been reported by members of the staff, Professor E. H. Chamberlin was elected Membre Correspondent de L’Institut de Science Économique Appliquée, May 1945, and Professor S. E. Harris was elected to membership in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Very sincerely,

[H.H. Burbank]

_______________________

1945-46

September 30, 1946

Dear Dean Buck:

You have requested a brief report on the Department of Economics for the academic year 1945-46.

Although the Department of Economics had anticipated to a considerable extent the problems that would be presented by the post-war situation, it found the academic year 1945-46 presenting difficulties for which there, was no immediate solution.

Fortunately we had devoted a great deal of time and thought to our course offering and to methods of instruction. We were moderately well prepared to take up the new work involved in new instruction and also the work involved in changing the content of, old courses. Again we were fortunate in being able to meet most of the difficulties presented by the unprecedented number of graduate students. With all of the permanent members of the staff in residence, we were able to meet the graduate situation although it taxed our resources to the limit. Many of our most insistent problems were concerned with the difficulties we met in assembling and training an adequate junior staff. We began the fall term with 2 Assistant Professors (Faculty Instructors), 3 Annual Instructors, and 7 Teaching Fellows. The staff was increased during the year but it was far from adequate to meet the course work, involved in our offering. However, this would seem to be a problem of relatively short duration. A few young scholars are being brought from other institutions and occupations and our Graduate School contains a number of most promising young scholars whose development is proceeding rapidly.

During the fall of 1945 the Department surveyed repeatedly the obligations it had undertaken. We were committed to an elaborate course offering. He realized that the permanent personnel of the Department could not be expanded and we recognized that in the range of the junior staff immediate and extensive increases in personnel also were impossible. Because of the irreducible demands upon our limited resources, we reconsidered repeatedly our efforts in the area of tutorial instruction and eventually voted to suspend tutorial instruction for a period with the stipulation that the subject be reconsidered at such time as the Department might see fit and in no event not later than two years.

The foregoing remarks have indicated that all members of the staff are carrying much heavier loads than in pre-war days. The burden necessarily is apportioned unevenly but all are affected. The main incidence of this situation is on research. For some officers it means that research must be put aside temporarily. For others, less than ordinary progress is being made. However, as the following titles indicate, the contributions have been substantial:

Black, John D., and a committee consisting of M. R. Benedict, S. T. Dana, and L. K. Pomeroy; Credit for Small Timberland Owners, Including Farmers with Woodlands; A Report on Forest Credit. (In press)

Black, John D., with some guidance from Jorge Ahumada of Chile, Roberto Arellano Bonilla of Honduras, and Jorge Alcazer of Bolivia; Farm Cost Analysis, with Some Reference

Black, John D.; Clawson, Marion; Sayre, C.F.; Willcox, W. W.; Farm Management. The Macmillan Company (in press).

Chamberlin, E. H.; Fifth edition of the Theory of Monopolistic Competition (Chapter added). Translation of the above book into Spanish.

Crum, W. L., and Schumpeter, J. A.; Rudimentary Mathematics for Economists and Statisticians. McGraw-Hill.

Hansen, A. H.; America’s Role in the World Economy. W. W. Norton.

Hansen, A. H.; The United States After the War. Cornell Uiv. Press.

Hansen, A. H.; Financing American Propsperity. 20th Century Fund.

Harris, S. E.; Price Control in the International Field. (In press)

Harris, S. E.; National Debt. (In press)

Mason, E. S.; Controlling World Trade; Cartels and Commodity Agreements. McGraw-Hill.

Morgan, T.; The Development of the Hawaiian Economy, 1778-1876. Stanford Press. (In press)

In addition to the above books, some 72 articles have been contributed to scientific journals. We feel particularly happy in having been able to carry our publications, the Quarterly Journal of Economics and the Review of Economic Statistics, through the war period without serious alterations. Both publications are in sound financial condition. Actually, the Review of Economic Statistics will be in a much sounder position financially at the end of the current fiscal year than at the beginning of the war. However, increased publication costs are a matter for concern.

We have added two volumes to the Harvard Economic Series and published a revision of one. Three more volumes are now in the press. Again, increasing publication costs constitute a serious problem.

As mentioned above, all of the permanent officers of the Department had returned to active duty in Cambridge at the beginning of the year. A few officers have maintained contacts with various Washington departments and on occasion are called upon for consultation. In this connection, Professor John D. Black has served as Chairman of the Committee on Food Supplies for the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council and also has served actively with at least four other agencies. Professor John T. Dunlop has served as Consultant in the Office of Economic Stabilization and the Office of War Mobilization and Reconversion. Professor Seymour E. Harris has served as Consultant for the office of Price Administration. Professor Edward S. Mason has served as Consultant for the Department of State.

Very sincerely,

H. H. Burbank

Dean Paul H. Buck
5 University Hall

_______________________

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers 1930-1961 (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Provost Buck—Annual Report of Dept.”

Image Source: A Harvard Army ROTC unit on parade along Memorial Drive, July 1943. From the Harvard Archives published in: Coreydon Ireland,  “To Honor the Living and Dead“, The Harvard Gazette (November 10, 2011).

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Economics Programs Graduate Student Support Harvard Undergraduate

Harvard. Economics Chairman’s Report to the Dean. Harris, 1956

 

The previous post provided transcriptions of the annual reports to the Dean by the chairman of the economics department from 1932 through 1941. This post skips ahead to the middle of the 1950s to give us a glimpse of the post-war Harvard economics department. Seymour Harris’ big take-aways from his 45 year survey of undergraduate and graduate economics courses taught by Harvard economics faculty: (i) “the proportion of undergraduate courses given by full professors has fallen from 75 to 35 percent” and (ii) “graduate courses are relatively 5 times as numerous as they were in 1909-10.” (from July 3, 1956 cover letter to Dean McGeorge Bundy that accompanied the report transcribed below).

It is also interesting to note that the economics department’s continues to plead for more funds to compensate it for “…about one half the teaching burden of the G.S.P.A. and students in the G.S.P.A. account[ing] for about one third of all the graduate students in economics (on a full-time basis)…”. Harris wrote this report two decades after the Graduate School of Public Administration had opened for business.

____________________________

CONFIDENTIAL

June 30, 1956

Report to the Dean of the Faculty for the Academic Year 1955-56
by Seymour E. Harris, Chairman of the Department of Economics

Contents

Undergraduate Instruction

  1. More Mature Staff for Economics 1.
  2. Contents of Economics 1.
  3. Staff Meetings of Economics 1.
  4. Lectures in Economics 1.
  5. Economics Tutorial.
  6. High Honors Concentrators.
  7. Seminars for Honors Graduates.

Allocation of Resources

  1. Enrollment of Undergraduates in Graduate Courses and Vice Versa.
  2. Increase in the Number of Undergraduate Courses, 1909-10 to 1955-56.
  3. Increase in the Number of Graduate Courses, 1909-10 to 1955-56.
  4. Table 1 – Distribution of Courses by Academic Rank, 1909-10 to 1955-56.
  5. Table 2 – Courses Given by Faculty, 1909-10 to 1955-56, by Rank.
  6. Table 3 – Percentage of Courses, Undergraduate and Graduate.
  7. The Increased Importance of Graduate Instruction.
  8. Reduced Undergraduate Instruction by Higher Ranking Members of Faculty.
  9. Ibid., Statistical Summary.
  10. Number of Faculty by Rank.

Relations with G.S.P.A.

  1. Teaching Responsibilities of Economics Department in G.S.P.A.
  2. Contributions of G.S.P.A. to Economics Department.
  3. Overall Consideration of Number of G.S.P.A. Seminars.

Library Problems

  1. Library Problems.

Fellowships

  1. Inadequate Fellowships.
  2. Campaign for Additional Money.
  3. Outside Fellowships.

Research and Personnel Problems

  1. Competition of Research Fellowships for Potential Teachers.
  2. Research Projects.
  3. Financing of Pay of Director of Research Projects.
  4. Small Research Grants.
  5. Secretarial Help.
  6. Personnel Changes.
  7. Honors, etc.

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

Undergraduate Instruction

The Department is especially concerned with the problem of undergraduate instruction. Confronted with a trend away from economics the country over (see my Memo to the Alumni of the Harvard Graduate School in Economics, May, 1956, p. 4) and the competition of an unusually able corps of undergraduate teachers in competing fields at Harvard and notably in history and government we are paying increased attention to our undergraduate instruction. In the last year we have taken the following steps:

  1. More Mature Staff for Economics 1. We are using a larger proportion of instructors and assistant professors in Economics 1. We expect that half the Economics 1 staff will consist of instructors and assistant professors in 1956-57 as compared with 20 per cent in 1955-56.
  2. Contents of Economics 1. We are revising Economics 1 for 1956-57. Economics 1 has become too technical. One advantage of increasing the average age of the staff is that the older men are less inclined to teach the highly technical economics they get in graduate courses. Probably less than 20 per cent of those enrolled in Economics 1 are, or are likely to become, concentrators in economics; and no more than 1-2 per cent will become economists. Our major responsibility is to give the student in Economics 1 relatively simple economic theory and relate it to the major issues of public policy. We intend to devote more time to integrating our economics with history and political science. Macroeconomics will continue to receive a major part of our attention, but less time will be given to the economics of the firm.
  3. Staff Meetings of Economics 1. The Chairman now meets with the Economics 1 staff for 1½ hours every 2 weeks and in every possible way is trying to make the teaching fellow and other junior members, who contribute so much time and enthusiasm to our teaching program, feel as though they are an important part of our department staff.
  4. Lectures in Economics 1. This year we doubled our lectures in Economics 1 — a lecture every other week. In these lectures we try to go over ground not covered in the readings and also incidentally to give the undergraduate an opportunity to listen to some of the top economists in the country. We are now not disposed to increase the number of lectures further but we shall continue the experiment. Of this I am convinced — lectures are not likely to be as important in Economics 1 as in the elementary course in government and history (Social Science). The undergraduate probably gets much more from discussions of economics in small sections than from lectures.
  1. Economics Tutorial. Tutorial in economics is not as good as it ought to be. We are wrestling with this problem. We intend to have more meetings of tutors and to impress upon them the importance of tutorial. At one of our Executive Committee meetings, we had a frank discussion with the seven masters and several senior tutors concerning our tutorial work. Our Junior tests, tied to house tutorial, seem to be working well. This year we prepared an extensive reading list for Sophomore tutorial; and next year we intend to integrate tutorial and Economics 1 more than in the past. We hope that tutorial in the second half of the Sophomore year will deal with some of the theoretical problems that will be excluded from Economics 1.
  1. High Honors Concentrators. This year we had periodic meetings with all first and second group men in economics. At these meetings (one evening every two weeks) we try to encourage discussions of important problems in the seminar manner.
  1. Seminars for Honor Graduates. Economics 100 and 102 are two new courses (to be introduced in 1956-57 and 1957-58) to be open to Junior and Senior honors students. They will be run on a seminar basis, limited in enrollment, and will be integrated with tutorial. The student will get an opportunity to deal with theoretical problems and their empirical counterpart.

Allocation of Resources

  1. Enrollment of Undergraduates in Graduate Courses and Vice Versa. Here are some tables which throw some light on the allocation of resources between undergraduate and graduate courses. Generally courses for undergraduates and graduates are taken primarily by undergraduates, and courses for graduates primarily by graduates. Hence, we assume that the courses for undergraduates and graduates are in fact courses for undergraduates and courses for graduates are in fact courses for graduates. (In the spring term 1956 the percentage of Arts and Science graduate enrollment in courses for undergraduates and graduates was 14 or 1 per cent of the 1181 enrolled in these courses; the enrollment of undergraduates in courses primarily for graduates was 10 of 482, or 2 per cent).
  2. Increase in the Number of Undergraduate Courses, 1909-10 to 1955-56. Table 1 reveals relatively unimportant changes in the number of courses for undergraduates; and the net change in the number of courses for undergraduates and graduates (in fact undergraduate courses) in the last 40-50 years has not been large. In 1909-10, there were 10½ undergraduate courses (inclusive of half courses for undergraduates and graduates and exclusive of bracketed courses); in 1955-56, there were 14½ of such courses.
  3. Increase in the Number of Graduate Courses, 1909-10 to 1955-56. It is especially in graduate courses that the rise has been spectacular. In 1909-10 there were 1½ graduate courses in Economics (exclusive of bracketed ones); by 1929-30, there were 11; by 1939-40, there were 12½ courses; by 1949-50, there were 21½ courses; and by 1955-56, there were 24. All these totals include half courses.
  1. Table 1 — Distribution of Courses by Academic Rank, 1909-10 to 1955-56*
    (Refers to Units of Full Courses)
  1909-10 1919-20 1929-30 1939-40 1949-50 1955-56
Rank U G U G U G U G U G U G
Full Prof. 8 1 3 7 4 ½ 7 7 ¼ 16 ¾ 8 15 ¼ 5 18
Assoc. Prof. — — — — 3 3 3 ¼ 1 ¾ 1 3 ¼ 3 2 ½
Asst. Prof. 1 ½ ½ 3 ½ 2 ½ 1 — ½ — 2 ½ — 4 2
Instructor & Lecturer 1 — 3 1 1 ½ 1 1 ½ 1 3 3 2 ½ 1 ½
Total 10 ½ 1 ½ 9 ½ 10 ½ 10 11 12 ½ 19 ½ 14 ½ 21 ½ 14 ½ 24
  1. Table 2 — Courses Given by Faculty, 1909-10 to 1955-56, by Rank*
    (Refers to Nearest Decimal point)
  1909-10 1919-20 1929-30 1939-40 1949-50 1955-56
Rank U G U G U G U G U G U G
Full Prof. 76 66 32 67 45 64 58 86 55 73 35 75
Assoc. Prof. — — — — 30 27 26 9 7 14 21 10
Asst. Prof. 14 — 36 24 10 — 4 — 17 — 27 8
Instructor & Lecturer 10 34 32 9 15 9 12 5 21 13 17 7
Total 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100

* U = “undergraduate” and “undergraduate and graduate”;  G = “graduate”.
Source: Compiled from Course of Study Volumes.

  1. Table 3 — Percentage of Courses, Undergraduate and Graduate
Total No. of Courses % of Total Courses
(Exclusive of Bracketed Courses)
“Undergraduate” and
“Undergraduate & Graduate”		 Graduate
(Inclusive of G.S.P.A. Economics Courses)
1909-10 12 88 12
1929-30 21 56 44
1939-40 32 39 61
1949-50 36 41 59
1955-56 38½ 38 62

From 1909 to 1929-30 the percentage of graduate courses was up from 12 to 44 per cent; but since 1929-30 the rise has been less spectacular. In Table 2, we note the courses, both undergraduate and graduate, given by men of various rank, from 1909-10 to 1955-56. The following points should be noted.

  1. The Increased Importance of Graduate Instruction. In 1909-10 there were but 1½ out of 12 courses, or 12 per cent, graduate courses. By 1929-30 courses were roughly evenly divided between graduate and undergraduate. By 1939-40 and 1949-50 the ratio was about 60 per cent graduate courses; and by 1955-56, 62 per cent of all courses were graduate courses, or 5 times as much relatively as in 1909-10.
  2. Reduced Undergraduate Instruction by Higher Ranking Members Faculty. Whereas in 1909-10 full professors accounted for 76 per cent of undergraduate course work, by 1955-56 they gave only 35 per cent of these courses; and there has been a marked decline since 1949-50. The total of undergraduate courses taught by them dropped from 1949-50 to 1955-56 by 3, or 37 per cent, and of graduate courses rose by 2¾ or 18 per cent. A similar trend is evident for associate professors, though from 1949-50 to 1955-56, the percentage of undergraduate courses taught by associate professors rose. It is a striking fact that in 1955-56, full professors taught 37 per cent less undergraduate courses and 1700 per cent more graduate courses than in 1909-10. In the former year there were 4 full professors, each responsible on the average for 2 full undergraduate courses and ¼ graduate courses. In 1955-56, 13 full professors averaged 1/3 of 1 undergraduate course and 1.4 graduate courses. (All 13 were not on full time). It is clear that the trend is away from undergraduate teaching for permanent members of the Department.
  3. Ibid., Statistical Summary. As might be expected, the percentage of all graduate courses taught by full professors tends to rise and of undergraduate courses to fall — the latter courses taught by professors declined from 76 per cent in 1909-10 to 45 per cent in 1929-30, and to 35 per cent by 1955-56.
  4. Number of Faculty by Rank. In this connection, the number at different ranks is of some interest. The full professors account for a somewhat larger proportion (teaching fellows omitted) than 50 years ago; but permanent appointments are an increased percentage.
  1909-10 1929-30 1939-40 1949-50 1955-56
Professors 4 5 12 13 13
Assoc. Professors — 3 3 2 4
Asst. Professors 1 2 1 4 4
Lecturers and Instructors 3 2 3 4 3
Visiting, etc. Professors 2
(part-time)		 3
(part-time)		 — — 1
Total (excl. Visiting) 8 12 19 23 24
———— ———— ———— ———— ———— ————
% Full Prof. (excl. Visiting) 50 42 63 57 54
% Permanent (incl. Permanent Lecturers) 50 67 89 74 75

Relations with the Graduate School of Public Administration

  1. Teaching Responsibilities of Economics Department in G.S.P.A. Our relations with the G.S.P.A. are of great importance. It is now close to 20 years since the G.S.P.A. was founded and yet the Department of Economics has never taken a long look at our relations. The Economics Department accounts for about one half the teaching burden of the G.S.P.A. and students in the G.S.P.A. account for about one third of all the graduate students in economics (on a full-time basis).
  2. Contributions of G.S.P.A to Economics Department. The G.S.P.A. has made an important contribution towards the Economics Department. It provides some research and secretarial help, good physical facilities, useful library, central facilities for students and faculty, an opportunity to give our students excellent seminars, and to meet outstanding scholars and practical men in government.
  3. Over-all Consideration of Number of G.S.P.A. Seminars. It may be that a decision should be made concerning the number of seminars. We tend to add one at a time, and the numbers now are at such a level that we may be putting a disproportionate amount of energy into these seminars. At any rate, net additions should be considered with care, given our available manpower. At present only 6 of the 18 permanent members of our faculty are not associated with the G.S.P.A.; and of the 6, Professors Dorfman and Duesenberry are about to participate. Of 27 courses to be given by permanent members of the Department, 7¼ will be as seminars in the G.S.P.A.

Library Problems

  1. Library Problems. Professor Arthur Cole retires this year. He has for many years been responsible for the acquisition of books in economics. Unless this responsibility is assumed by another, our economic collection will deteriorate. So far we have not been able to work out an arrangement acceptable to the Dean and the Director of the library. In my opinion, there is need for a central responsibility for library acquisitions in economics.

Fellowships

  1. Inadequate Fellowships. One of our most serious problems is fellowships. A study of fellowship funds announced as available to students suggested that Harvard was falling way behind. In a recent period of 5 years, five institution which are our strongest competitors had 30, 23, 20, 10, and 5 times as much money available for fellowships per Ph.D. granted in these five years. Increasingly we are losing the best students to rival institutions.
  2. Campaign for Additional Money. We have discussed this problem with Dean Bundy and Dean Elder, and also with our Visiting Committee. We have set up a committee consisting of Dean Mason, Professors Slichter, Dunlop and Harris to seek aggressively more fellowship funds. We are seeking these funds in the expectation that the major part of new funds will be available as additional funds for the Economics Department. Our goal is 6 fellowships at $2500 per year, or $15,000 per year additional. We discovered last year that by offering large fellowships to a limited number, we were more successful than in the past in attracting the more able candidates.
  3. Outside Fellowships. Our fellowship problem is eased by the availability of fellowships given by outside groups — governments, foundations etc. For example, Harvard received 5 of the 15 Wilson National fellowships for 1956-57. But it should be observed that there is often pressure to deny applicants access to the major universities and especially to Harvard. There is pressure to distribute widely, Moreover, a large proportion of these fellowship holders are often below our usual fellowship standards.

Research and Personnel Problems

  1. Competition of Research Fellowship Money for Potential Teachers. It is becoming increasingly easy for graduate students writing theses to receive fellowships that generally pay at least as much as a teaching fellowship. This year we lost 10 potential teachers as a result of these lucrative fellowships.
  2. Research Projects. Many of the Senior members of the staff are associated with large research projects, some of them of great significance. At least 9 of these projects may be classified as giant projects, three of them involving outlays of one half million or more dollars in the next 3-5 years. In 1955-56, Professor Leontief received almost one half million dollars to continue the projects of the Harvard Economic Group, and Dean Mason received $450,000 for a study of the New York Metropolitan area.
  3. Financing of Pay of Directors of Projects. It has always seemed to the Chairman, at least, that the foundations ought to pay part of the salary of the faculty members who direct these projects. When these projects are the major interest of those responsible for them, a case could be made for the foundation paying part of the salary of the relevant members of the faculty.
  4. Small Research Grants. It would be helpful to get some help from the Ford Foundation for small research projects especially for those who do not participate in the giant projects. I have had some preliminary discussion with the Ford Foundation, and I believe they would look with favor on an application for $25,000-30,000 per year for research help. Grants might vary from a few hundred dollars to $1,000-2,000 and be tied with specific projects. The great danger here is abuse of the privileges. Hence any such grant would have to be carefully administered – with some representation of outside economists on the committee.
  5. Secretarial Help. A related problem is that of secretarial help. Most of the Senior members, through administrative posts, control of seminars, editorial work, and research grants, manage to get the minimum amount of secretarial help. But 5 of our permanent members have virtually no access to secretaries and this is also true of most of our assistant professors. It would be helpful if some provision could be made for secretarial help for those without it. We realize this raises serious problems of finance.
  6. Personnel Changes. Professor Hansen retires this year and Professor Williams next year. We thus lose the best combination in money, cycles, and fiscal policy available anywhere. It is going to be difficult to fill this gap. Professor Black’s departure has also left a serious gap. We have added 2 very able assistant professors, Drs. J. Henderson and Valavanis, aside from two appointments (Drs. Moses and Conrad) in which the Economics Department shares one quarter of the cost. For 1957-58 and 1958-59, the Economics Department will have the services of Dr. E. Hoover for 3/7 of his time. We probably have the most able group of assistant professors in our history. It is not going to be easy to fill the gaps noted above, and make the most effective use of the young talent now in the Department. The Visiting Committee is again raising the question of a Professor of Business Enterprise, a matter to which we should give earnest attention. President Conant and Provost Buck were apparently prepared at the last discussion of this problem to provide an additional appointment for this purpose.
  7. Honors, etc. Dean Mason received an honorary degree from Harvard, and was a United States Representative at the United Nations Conference in Geneva on Peaceful Use of Atomic Energy.

Professor Hansen gave the Walgreen lectures at the University of Chicago.

Professor Harris served as Chairman of the Nor England Governors” Textile Committee,

Professor Galbraith advised the Indian Government on their Five Year Plan.

Professor Smithies was a Visiting Professor at Oxford and Professor

Kaysen at the London School of Economics.

 

Books:

Galbraith and Holton: Marketing Efficiency in Puerto Rico.

Harris: Keynes: Economist and Policy Maker.

Harris: New England Textiles and the New England Economy: Report to the Conference of New England Governors.

Kaysen: United States v. United Shoe Machinery Corporation: An Economic Analysis of an Anti-Trust Case.

Kaysen and Harris were two of the four co-authors of the American Business Creed.

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2,  Folder: “Departmental Annual Reports to the Dean, 1955-”.

Image Source: Seymour E. Harris in The Harvard Class Album 1957.

 

Categories
Economics Programs Harvard Undergraduate

Harvard. Economics Chair annual reports to Dean, 1932-1941

 

This post takes us from the trough of the Great Depression to the eve of the U.S. entry into the Second World War. The items below are transcriptions of copies of reports written by the Harvard economics department chairmen of the time (Harold Hitchings Burbank (a.k.a. Burbie to his Buds) and Edward Hastings Chamberlin. Some chest-thumping, some whining, no notes of irony and definitely no flashes of wit…we all know this art form. Nevertheless some raw intelligence of value for working historians of economics of the present and future.

____________________________

November 12, 1932

Dear Dean Murdock,

Under the Faculty vote of December, 1931, the Chairman of each Department is requested to report in each half year to the Dean of the Faculty on the working of the plan recommended by the Committee on Instruction concerning Hour Examinations and Other Course Requirements. My report for the Department of Economics follows.

Acting on the Report from the Committee on Instruction, the Department of Economics on January 12, 1932 voted to observe the recommendations of the Committee. Following the Department meeting, I reported to you to the effect that the requirements of the Department of Economics were substantially in accord with the principles laid down by the Committee on Instruction. Ordinarily, we require not more than one Hour Examination in any one half year; ordinarily, we require not more than one thesis or report in any one half year. It is the standing rule of the Department of Economics and of the Division of History, Government, and Economics, that Senior candidates for Honors, who are writing Honors theses, shall be excused from the writing of any theses in courses within the Division. After a long discussion and with considerable reluctance, the Department voted that for Seniors who are candidates for Honors in the Division, Hour Examinations in courses within the Department shall be optional.

The vote of the Department was made known immediately to the students and observed in all of our undergraduate course (not of an introductory nature) during the second half of last year, and it is being observed in the current half year.

In the Division of History, Government, and Economics, we have had for many years a rule that all Seniors in good standing shall be exempted from final examinations in courses within the Division in their last half year. The result has been, of course, that after the April Hour Examinations, Seniors have paid little attention to courses within in the Division, and their attendance has been hardly more than occasional. The members of the Department who are more interested in courses than in General Examinations, and who perhaps doubt the efficacy of General Examinations, view this situation with increasing criticism.

When the Department voted the making of Hour Examinations optional for Seniors who are candidates for Honors, the doubting members were highly critical, fearing that our courses elected largely by Seniors would be entirely disrupted. From all that I can learn, I cannot see that there have been any untoward or undesirable results. In most of our “Senior” courses, the attendance until the Easter recess was satisfactory. Honors candidates attended lectures and, I believe, completed most of the required readings. Their records on the General Examinations were excellent. The Honors theses were among the best we have ever had.

A number of members of my Department and not a few members of the Departments of History and Government are strongly opposed to the new order. They make the point that we have in substance permitted an additional reduction in courses, that Senior Honor candidates are simply required to register in courses, but they have nether to attend them nor to do the work. All of these allegations are true enough, but it seems to me they are beside the point. To the extent that we have confidence in our examiners and tutors, I do not believe that in effect the requirements regarding the quality and quantity or work have been reduced.

The Department of History has recommended to the other departments of the Division the consideration of a motion which would require all senior candidates for Honors to complete whatever courses in History they elect. I think that probably the departments of the Division will consider in full detail the questions this motion involves.

Sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean Kenneth B. Murdock
20 University Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

1933
[not found]

A copy of the report is not found with the others included in this post: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 15, 1934

Dear Dean Murdock,

I beg to submit the following report for the Department of Economics:

In this period of rapid economic evolution the problems presented to a group of university economists are both stimulating and perplexing. The changing pattern of our social and economic structure offers new data for analysis and at the same time calls for a testing of principle that involves new fields for both teaching and research.

There have been few periods in modern history more difficult to interpret, yet the responsibility for interpretation seems foremost among the duties devolving upon educational institutions. For many years the keystone of the introductory course in economics has been that the community has the right to expect political and economic leadership from the graduates of its colleges. Our undergraduate courses are directed toward the attainment of this end. But the teaching of political economy is an art not easily mastered even by those who give abundant evidence of intellectual leadership. In the instruction of undergraduates and in the training of teachers and scholars in our graduate school, the difficulties inherent in our subject must not be overlooked. The presentation of the data of economics makes demands upon the staff not felt in many other departments of the University. Looking toward the strengthening of our undergraduate instruction, the Department is now associating a number of the junior members of the staff with the senior members who are now in charge of the large lecture courses. In Money and Banking, in the Relations of Government to Industry, and in Public Finance, this experiment is advanced sufficiently to indicate its desirability.

At the same time that our teaching problems have become intensified the need for the results of research is pressing. In periods of accelerated social evolution involving political and economic experimentation, the demand for accurate data is insistent. Relatively, economics is a young science. The foundations of fact are still being established. Investigations that may have an important bearing upon government policy should not be delayed. The economists of this University have contributed largely to their subject, but always with scant facilities in material equipment and in time.

Among the many problems confronting us as a group, that of securing the time necessary for research is perhaps the most troublesome. To our exacting teaching requirements must be added the demands for public service. Since the establishment of this Department, the requests for such service heave been continuous. Of late the increasing calls have raised a question which must be considered by the University administration. The opportunities for service to governments are gratifying. Undoubtedly these services belong among the necessary functions of a university. But obviously they do divert a considerable part of our time and energy from our strictly defined duties. Over the years the University is enriched by such services, but at any given time the responsibilities attaching to teaching and research are interrupted. If the University Includes public service among its important functions, the personnel of the staffs affected should be so adjusted that the work can be performed without overtaxing our internal activities.

During the past your, the leave of absence of Professor John M. Williams was continued to allow him to serve as Economist of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York to advise on monetary and credit policies, and to direct research. In the latter part of the year, Professor Williams was called by the Department of State to investigate certain conditions in Brazil, Uraguay [sic], Argentina, and Chili [sic]  and to formulate policies of exchange controls. Daring the second half-year, Assistant Professor Edward H. Chamberlin was granted leave of absence to work with the Committee on Government Statistics and Information Services in Washington. Also, during the second half-year, though leave was not requested, Assistant Professor William T. Ham was in Washington frequently, serving as a member of the staff of the Labor Advisory Board of the National Recovery Administration. And also, though no leave was requested, Professor John D. Black devoted a substantial part of the year to public service. He served on a number of committees connected with the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and land utilization. At the request of Secretary Wallace, he organized and directed the activities of committees outlining programs of economic research in (1) the marketing of farm products and (2) farm population and rural life. Also at the request of the Secretary of Agriculture, he served with two others to coordinate the work of the Agricultural Adjustment Administration and the Bureau of Agricultural Economics of the United States Department of Agriculture. In the summer months, Drs. Alan Sweezy and Lauchlin B. Currie were called to the Treasury Department to serve as special investigators.

Owing to his illness, Professor Emeritus William Z. Ripley was unable to fulfill his duties as President of the American Economic Association. In his absence, Professor Abbott P. Usher, first Vice-President of the Association, was in charge of the December, 1933 session.

Notable among our publications of the year were Twenty Years of Federal Reserve Policy, by S. E. Harris, and The Theory of Monopolistic Competition, by E. H. Chamberlin. Because of its significance for immediate practical application, I am including at this point the Report of the Committee on Model State and Local Taxation, by Professor C. J. Bullock’s committee of the National Tax Association. Also at this point, mention should be made of Economics of the Recovery Program, by seven members of the Department. In the course of the year, about forty-five articles were contributed to scientific journals by various members of the Department.

Within the limitations described above, the research work of the staff is going forward at a satisfactory rate. Investigations in the following subjects are well advanced: History of the Industrial Revolution; Development of Banking and Credit in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries; Evolution of English Company Law; Economic Fluctuations; Nature and Effects of Inflation; Index Numbers; Municipal Ownership of Public Utilities; State and Local Taxation; Unbalanced Budgets; The National Income; New England Agriculture; The Economics of Agricultural Production; German Trade Unionism; The Fundamentals of Sociology; Economics and Politics; Socialism as an International Movement.

A considerable number of these projects are nearing completion and should be ready for publication shortly. A large project on the relation of Government to Industry involving the efforts of a number of the staff is in its initial stages. This subject is of such immediate importance that other plans for research are being put aside until it can be carried to its completion. The Quarterly Journal of Economies has continued its usual high standard. During the year, five substantial volumes were added to the Harvard Economic Studies.

Again I would press the point that the potential research capacity of the Department is severely handicapped by the demands of teaching and public service.

Sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean Kenneth B. Murdock
20 University Hall

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 18, 1935

Dear Dean Birkhoff:

I beg to submit the following report for the Department of Economics.

In the report of last year the effects of the contemporary political and economic situation upon our problems of teaching and research were discussed briefly. More than ever we are aware of the responsibilities incumbent upon the teacher of Economics in this period of rapid and far-reaching change. Our undergraduate instruction had been, and is, receiving particular attention. A few years ago we began experimentally the association of a number of the junior members of the staff with the senior members who are nominally in charge of the larger lecture courses. We are quite convinced that this method of instruction is most effective. Also there is a positive, although perhaps incidental, advantage in this arrangement in that it relieves the pressure for the multiplication of undergraduate courses.

I find it necessary to stress again the problem presented by the demands upon our staff for services to the public. We believe that public service belongs among the necessary functions of a university. But under existing conditions large demands for public service at any given time bring serious interruptions to both research and instruction. “If the University includes public service among its important functions the personnel of the staffs affected should be so adjusted that the additional work can be performed without taxing severely our internal activities.”

I am very happy, to write that Professor Chamberlin’s “The Theory of Monopolistic Competition”, published somewhat over a year ago, has won immediate recognition as a foremost contribution to economic theory. During the past year two books of unusual importance have appeared,—Professor John D. Black, “The Dairy Industry and the A.A.A.”, and Professor Sumner Slichter, “Towards Stability”. Six manuscripts have been completed, and should appear in book form during the present year. It is significant that five of these books have been written by the younger members of our Department whose teaching duties have been mainly of a tutorial nature. Among the publications I should note the report submitted to the Treasury Department on the “Objectives and Criteria of Monetary Policy” by Dr. Alan Sweezy, and the report to the State Department on “Foreign Exchange Control in Latin America” by Professor John Williams.

In addition to the above volumes and reports the members of the Department published somewhat over fifty articles in the scientific journals of our subject. Some of these contributions are of major importance.

The investigations of the staff are being carried forward as satisfactorily as possible with the limited facilities that are at our disposal. Two researches on a very large scale have to do with the general subject of the Trade Cycle and the Relation of Government to Industry. Numerous important, but less extensive, investigations are in process.

Perhaps I should note here that a generous grant from the Rockefeller Foundation enabled the Department to undertake the continuation of the Review of Economic Statistics and the fundamental research that is involved in this publication, The Quarterly Journal of Economics long published by the members of this Department, together with the Review of Economic Statistics, are among the more important activities of the Department. In the course of the year three volumes more added to the Harvard Economic Studies.

As in my last report, I would again bring to your attention the disturbing fact that the potential research capacity of the Department is handicapped severely by the demands of administration, teaching, and public service.

Very sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean George D. Birkhoff

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 15, 1936

Dear Dean Birkhoff:

I beg to submit the following report for the Department of Economics.

I find it necessary to emphasize again the effects of the contemporary political and economic situation upon our problems of teaching and research. It had been necessary to bring these matters to your attention in both of the preceding years, since they present such important problems to us. We feel an increasingly positive responsibility regarding out undergraduate instruction in this period of rapid and far-reaching change.

We have continued the experiment begun some few years ago of the association of a number of the junior members of the staff with the senior members who are in charge of the large lecture courses. We believe that we are improving our instruction by this method, and at the same time this arrangement tends to relieve the pressure for the multiplication of undergraduate courses.

Perhaps as a result of the general social situation the elections of our undergraduate courses and the number of concentrators in Economics have increased very heavily. The problems of instruction presented by these overwhelming numbers are intensified perhaps by the personnel situation in which the Department finds itself. During the last dozen years the personnel of this Department—one of the largest in the University—has been changed completely. For a quarter of a century a group of eminent economists brought great prestige to the University. With the resignation of Professor Gay the active services of this group has come to an end. One cannot speak of replacing these scholars. They were unique both as individuals and as a group. Their leadership and their scholarship has left a lasting impression on the development of Economics. In the course of the passing of this group a now Department has been brought together. This new and younger Department is assuming full responsibility at the very time when questions of teaching and new methods of research are becoming insistent.

The demands upon members of our staff for public service continue. It has seemed expedient to encourage some few members to give their time and energy for public purposes. But with a minimum teaching force it has not been possible for all members of the Department to comply with the requests made. The public service relations of faculty members remains a question for the University to consider.

The Quarterly Journal of Economics celebrates this year its fiftieth anniversary. For forty years this Journal has won and held its prestige under the editorship of Professor F. W. Taussig. Professor Taussig, now emeritus, has graciously consented to continue as editor during the present year, but very shortly it will be necessary for us to provide for the editorial direction of this very important publication.

In an earlier report to you I indicated the activities of the Department in connection with the Review of Economic Statistics. The scientific work underlying this publication, as well as the journal itself, is now under the direction of a committee of the Department. The Review continues as a vehicle of publication of the results of investigations here and elsewhere regarding the business cycle. We have ambitious plans for the Review, and we have every reason to believe that its scientific usefulness will increase.

There is little question that, the research activities of practically all members of the staff have been curtailed by the heavy teaching loads which have been imposed. However, the research programs of various members and of various groups within the Department have shown marked progress in the past year. As I have indicated in an earlier report the research activities of our members are of two somewhat different types. Numerous members of the staff working altogether independently are pursuing their own researches while others working as a group are developing particular aspects of a well devised project in research. In the social sciences this latter type of work is rapidly assuming importance. In general it is this type of research which receives the support of the large foundations. Within our own group there are a number of projects of this character. Messrs. Mason, Chamberlin, Wallace, Cassels, Reynolds, and Alan Sweezy are developing Industrial Organization and Control. In the process of the exploration of this subject numerous independent volumes and studies will appear. Professors Mason, Chamberlin and Dr. Wallace are already well advanced in their study of monopolistic combinations and expect to complete it in about one year. Professor Cassels and Dr. Reynolds expect to finish their study on Canadian combinations this year, and Dr. Alan Sweezy is at work on investment policies. Dr. Wallace’s monograph, Market Control in the Aluminum Industry, is now going to press, and Dr. Abbott’s monograph on The Rise of the Business Corporation has just appeared and is being, used by our undergraduate courses. The full development of this program will take a number of years, but its completion will mark, I believe, a very significant chapter in research in the relation of government to industry.

Another cooperative project on the Farm Credit Administration is being carried on by Professors Black and Harris and Dr. Galbraith, largely with the assistance of grants from the Committee on Research in the Social Sciences. Professor Black is working on the cooperative aspects of the Farm Credit Administration’s policies. Professor Harris is working on the monetary and recovery aspects of the Farm Credit Administration’s loan operations. Dr. Galbraith is working on the structural aspects of the Farm Credit Administration and the mortgage, credit and production loan policies. Numerous articles resulting from this research have been published in scientific periodicals.

Professors Crum, Wilson, and Black are conducting a study of the relation of weather and other natural phenomena with the economic cycle. This study is partly financed by the United States Department of Agriculture.

I believe I have mentioned to you and to President Conant in conversation the plans which are being developed for large research projects in collaboration with the National Bureau of Economic Research.

In addition to these cooperative projects all members of the Department are pursuing work along the lines of their individual interests. Professor Schumpeter’s study of time series and cyclical fluctuations is practically completed, and he hopes to send it to press by December. Professor Haberler’s major contribution—The Theory of International Trade and Its Application to Commercial Policy has been translated and is now available in English. For the past two years Professor Haberler has been working at Geneva on the Nature and Causes of the Recurrence of Economic Depressions which is soon to be published by the League of Nations. We are hoping to provide facilities for him so that the important research may be continued at Harvard. Professor Frickey’s study on a Survey of Time Series Analysis and Its Relation to Economic Theory is well advanced. The statistical work on the first volume has been completed, and he hopes to have it written by the middle of this present academic year. The statistical work on the second volume has been completed in part. Already two significant articles have been published. Professor Cole’s recent study in Fluctuations in American Business, written in collaboration with Professor W. B. Smith, was published late in 1935. Dr. Oakes’ investigations in Massachusetts Town Finance, the winner of the Wells Prize for 1935-36, is now being printed. Professor Chamberlin has continued to elaborate his Theory of Monopolistic Competition which is winning wide recognition among economist the world over. Numerous articles, some sixty in number, from members of the staff have appeared in various scientific periodicals in the course of the year.

Very sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean George D. Birkhoff
20 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

[Separate sheet following: I should have included Professor Harris’ Exchange Depreciation, Its Theory and History. We believe that this new book, which is being published today, will take Its place beside the significant contributions Professor Harris has made in the last half-dozen years, particularly his Monetary Problems of the British Empire and Twenty Years of Federal Reserve Policy.]

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 21, 1937

Dear Dean Birkhoff:

I beg to submit the following report for the Department of Economics.

Previous reports of the Department of Economics have brought to your attention the effect of the political and economic situation upon our problems of teaching and research. It is still necessary to point out that the positive responsibility of the Department regarding undergraduate instruction has not lessened.

The election of our undergraduate courses remains at substantially the high level of recent years, while the number of concentrators continues to increase.

Last year I mentioned that with the resignation of Professor Gay the active services of the senior members of this Department, had come to an end. At this point it seems necessary to put into writing a matter I have discussed with you in conversation which has important ramifications. Coincident with the resignation of Professor Gay there were increased elections in certain of our courses that involve a large degree of individual instruction and also on an increase in the number of students demanding tutorial supervision. To meet these latter problems it was necessary to add to our staff a group of young men to carry on the instruction in the elementary course, Accounting, Statistics, Money and Banking, and so on. With increased numbers in courses demanding increased instruction, increased cost cannot be avoided; but it seems to us that this increasing cost because of increasing should not result in less effective intellectual leadership. To transfer a considerable part of the salary released by a retiring professor of distinguished accomplishment to the support of routine instruction in middle group courses seems to us not to be wise University policy.

Professor Taussig has resigned as editor of the Quarterly Journal of Economies. For the time being, committee of the Department will undertake the editorial direction of this publication.

The Review of Economic Statistics, which appears under the direction of a committee of the Department, is financed by funds from the Rockefeller Foundation. Should the grant be continued, it is expected that the research activities of the committee will be increased.

Not less than ten members of the Department are concerned with the activities of the Graduate School of Public Administration. In some instances—as in the case of Dean Williams—their work in the School has been compensated by a reduction of work in the Department, but for the most part the activities in the new School are simply in addition to the duties of the staff members.

The Committee on Research in the Social Sciences, of which Professor Black is Chairman, is working in close cooperation with the National Bureau of Economic Research and its cooperating University agencies. Principle among them is the project upon Fiscal Policy for which Professor Crum is acting as Chairman.

The responsibilities and activities of members of the Department tend in some instances to change the direction of our research, but in only too many instances they also tend to retard our research.

In all directions, however, the research activities of the members of the Department were sustained, with six books and approximately sixty articles appearing. Special mention should he made of the following books:

Three Years of the AAA by John D. Black

A Study of Fluid Milk Prices by John M. Cassels. Wells Prize Essay of 1934-35

Professor Chamberlin’s significant volume, The Theory of Monopolistic Competition has been revised.

Prosperity and Depression by Gottfried Haberler

Exchange Depreciation by S. E. Harris. (Came from the press last fall, and mentioned a year ago.)

Studies in Massachusetts Town Finance by E. E. Oakes. Wells Prize Essay of 1935-36

Professor Schumpeter’s book on Business Cycles has been completed, and is now ready for the press.

Economic History of Europe since 1750 by Usher, Bowden, and Karpovich

Explorations in Economics. Essays in Honor of F. W. Taussig contains contributions by most of the members of the staff.

Very sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean George D. Birkhoff
20 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 15, 1938

Dear Dean Birkhoff,

I beg to submit the following report for the Department of Economics.

As in previous years I am very happy, to be able to record that the research activities of the officers of the Department have been sustained. In the last two years I have been, able to enumerate an unusually large number of books actually published together with numerous contributions to our periodical literature. In the present year the number of volumes is smaller since the research activities of our staff are still in process. The most notable volumes are Professor Hansen’s Full Recovery or Stagnation and Professor Wallace’s Market Control in the Aluminum Industry. Professor Haberler devoted the major part of the year, and spent the summer abroad, revising his Prosperity and Depression. Also the volume by Professor Crum and Associates on Economic Statistics has been revised.

In all, some fifty or sixty periodical contributions have been made by members of the staff. Notable among these contributions have been the articles by Professor Slichter on “The Downturn of 1937” in the Review of Economic Statistics for August, 1938.

It fell to the lot of the officers of this Department, together with the officers of the Department of Government, to develop instruction in the Littauer School of Public Administration during the past year. Without going into the details of the principles upon which this instruction is based, it may be noted that research courses of a very advanced nature constitute the core of the work of the School. Professors Williams, Hansen, Black, Mason, Slichter, and Wallace are devoting a considerable proportion of their time to this work. It is expected and hoped that these activities will result in an increase in our contributions.

The grant of funds from the Rockefeller Foundation to subsidize the research underlying the Review of Economic Statistics expired with the closing of the fiscal year. This contribution made it possible to continue the Review, and to maintain the scholarly level of the contributions. In the course of the year the Review published a number of the contributions of the staff. Other contributions are nearing completion, and will be published in the present year. The accomplishments or Professors Crum and Haberler as Managing Editors of the Review should be noted. They have succeeded in restoring the very high level of scholarship which characterized the Review a decade ago. We believe that the Review in its present form adds materially to the prestige of the Department and the University.

Also I am happy to note that the Quarterly Journal of Economics under its new editorial staff is maintaining its high position.

There is little to be added to the points which have been discussed in previous reports. The Department finds itself fully occupied with the continuation of its traditional activities and the assumption of such new duties as are involved in the Graduate School of Public Administration. If the personnel of the Department remains constant, it will be necessary to reduce our activities, either in research, in teaching, or in both.

Last fall at a dinner of the Committee to Visit the Department of Economics I reported in some detail regarding the increasing activities of members of the Department. This report led to the appointment of a committee to investigate the budgetary situation of the Department. The investigation conducted under the direction of Mr. George May of Price, Waterhouse, made some very interesting disclosures regarding the increasing load of the Department.

I believe that problems of undergraduate and graduate instruction, the tutorial situation, and the public service contributions of our members have been discussed sufficiently in previous reports. I can only repeat that “there is little question that the research activities of practically all members of the staff have been curtailed by the heavy loads of teaching and administration.

Very sincerely yours,
H. H. Burbank

Dean George D. Birkhoff
20 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 16, 1939

Dear Dean Ferguson:

In accord with your recent request, I submit herewith a report of the work by the Department of Economies for the past year.

Honors have been bestowed upon members of the Department as follows: Professor Schumpeter has received an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Sofia, Bulgaria, and Professor Leontief has been elected a Fellow of the Econometric Society. Professor Williams was elected a Vice-President of the American Economic Association.

In the field of publications, the outstanding event is the final appearance of Professor Schumpeter’s two volume work on Business Cycles: A Theoretical, Historical and Statistical Analysis of the Capitalistic Process. The fruition of years of study and research, this book is of especial interest as the first major work of Professor Schumpeter in the English language, his well-known Theory of Economic Development having appeared first in German before its translation into English much later. Other books actually appearing within the academic year (the fall of 1938) were referred to in our last report, such as Professor Hansen’s Full Recovery or Stagnation?, a revision of the volume on Economic Statistics by Professor Crum and associates, and a new, enlarged and revised edition of Prosperity and Depression by Professor Haberler (published by the League of Nations). During the year arrangements have been completed for the translation into Japanese of A History of Mechanical Inventions by Professor Usher. For some years Professor Emeritus F. W. Taussig has been at work on a thorough-going revision of his textbook on the Principles of Economics. Volume I appeared last spring, Volume 2 is in the press and will appear very shortly. This much needed revision (the last was in 1921) may regain for Professor Taussig’s text some of the preeminence it held in an earlier period before it had become so badly out of date. Politics, Finance and Consequences by Professor Emeritus C. J. Bullock, the result of continuing research since his retirement, has been published during the past year in the Harvard Economic Studies. A book of which Mr. Paul M. Sweezy was a prominent co-author, An Economic Program for American Democracy, is popularly supposed to have been influential in putting the stamp of economic authority upon recent economic policies of the Federal Government. Finally, some sixty-odd articles, addresses, and reviews by members of the Department have appeared in journals, both professional and popular, during the past year.

A matter not mentioned in our last report was a new policy adopted by the Quarterly Journal of Economics of publishing at intervals of approximately one year a series of supplements devoted to articles and studies of interest to scholars but of such length as to make their publication in the regular issues impractical. These supplements are sent to subscribers without charge, and additional copies are sold separately. The first of these appeared in May 1938, Rudimentary Mathematics for Economists and Statisticians by Professor Crum. Two other manuscripts have been accepted and will appear shortly.

The Committee on Problems of the Business Cycle has carried on the publication of the quarterly Review of Economic Statistics but because of the expiration of its grant of research money many of its new research investigation have been greatly curtailed. Quarterly issues of the Review of Economic Statistics, in addition to carrying the studies of current economic history which present a quarterly record of economic statistics for the United States with their interpretation, have published a wide range of articles on various aspects of the trade cycle problem. Several of these articles have been contributed by foreign specialists but more than half were produced by American writers (in this connection we may note that about one-fourth of the subscribers are located abroad). In addition to the normal research activities involved in studying current history the Committee has financed during the year a continuation of the special investigation by Dr. J. B. Hubbard of the remarkable developments in the issuance of securities since 1933. A further article in Dr. Hubbard’s series will appear in the issue of November 1939.

Mention has been made in previous reports of the burden placed upon particular members of the Department and thus upon the group as a whole by the responsibilities of public service. These responsibilities have continued and expanded during the past year. The adjustment of this burden is a pressing problem. Its immediate influence upon both teaching and research is adverse, yet no ready solution appears at hand. The additional burden of uncompensated teaching in the Graduate School of Public Administration presents an even more serious problem. For the most part the seminars and other activities of this School constitute a net additional load for those members of the Department responsible for them, and inevitably throw a heavier burden of administrative and other work upon others not directly concerned. Budgetary allowance for courses given within the School is an obvious answer to this problem, whenever it may become possible.

You have asked, among other things. for an account of “any changes in the methods of instruction”, of the Department. The changes here have been revolutionary. Over a long period of years there has been built up in the Department a staff of trained instructors and tutors, carrying on established traditions of teaching and constantly experimenting in the adaptation of methods to new problems. These men were sifted constantly, and the best of them retained for a substantial period, after which, if not advanced, they were without exception placed to advantage elsewhere. In view of the singular success with which in the past the personnel problem has been handled in Economics, it is not surprising that the Department is unanimous in viewing with dismay and discouragement the situation in which we now find ourselves. Fifteen teachers and tutors at the instructor or assistant professor level have left us within the past year, seven the preceding year. The general effect upon teaching may be indicated by the tutorial situation. Sixty-seven per cent of the students concentrating in Economics this year are tutored by men of two years or less experience, forty-three per cent by men of no tutorial experience whatsoever, Furthermore, it has been our policy in the past to stagger new men as between tutoring and Economics A, having them start in with either one alone and take up the other the following year. This fall we have been obliged to take on five men who are both teaching Economics A and tutoring for the first time. It has been our policy also to provide more experienced instruction in middle group courses through a period of apprenticeship in Economics A. This fall we have been obliged to put men of no classroom experience whatever directly into middle group courses. We are already experiencing in acute form the devastating effects upon instruction of a rapid turnover, brought on by the mass exodus of last year.

It takes time (and patience on the part of someone) to train men in the discussion method of teaching Economics which has been developed with such success in Economics A at Harvard University. Much is learned by slow experience, by making mistakes and by discussing techniques with fellow instructors, especially with those who have been through the mill. It is impossible to assimilate new men unless the collective experience of the group is maintained at a fairly high level. Furthermore, it seems unlikely that anyone in the Department will be interested in training them unless a substantial portion stay long enough to make it worth while.

Very sincerely yours,
H. H. Chamberlin

Dean W. S. Ferguson
20 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 15, 1940

Dear Dean Ferguson:

I submit herewith a report of the work by the Department of Economics for the past year. There is very little to report—no events or changes of outstanding importance, and only a few isolated items which might be of interest.

Professor Black has been elected to honorary membership in the Swedish Royal Society of Agriculture. Professor Slichter has been honored by appointment as Lamont University Professor.

In the field of publications there is the usual long list of articles in the professional periodicals, but no major work of importance by any member of the Department. Professor Usher’s History of Mechanical Inventions was during the year translated into Japanese. Also in the field of publications it is of interest that there has been begun under the supervision of a committee in the Department and financed in part by a grant from the A. W. Shaw Fund a new series entitled The Harvard Studies in Monopoly and Competition. The first two volumes of this series appeared within the year, — the first, Corporate Size and Earning Power, by Professor W. L. Crum, and the second, Control of Competition in Canada, by Lloyd Reynolds.

The Committee on Problems of the Business Cycle has continued publication of the quarterly Review of Economic Statistics. In place of the general reviews of current economic developments in the United States, which in earlier years had been regular features of each quarterly issue, the Review introduced this past year the policy of presenting each quarter an article pertaining to some specific problem of current interest. The November 1939 issue contained a study of the impact of the war on America commodity prices; the February 1940 number included a study of the current gold problem and the American economy; a review of recent developments in agriculture and the influences of the war on American agriculture appeared in May; while the August 1940 issue presented a comparison and evaluation of various estimates of unemployment in the United States. These studies have been made by members of the Department, with the Committee staff contributing assistance, whenever it was desired, in the preparation of the articles for publication. As in previous years, the Review has also presented articles covering a wide range of studies on various trade cycle problems; and the Review staff has continued the compilation of selected current economic series which have been used in research studies by Department members and graduate student within the Department.

There have been no important changes in policy in the year by the Quarterly Journal of Economics. The policy begun the previous year of publishing occasional supplements sent to subscribers without charge has been continued. Two supplements appeared during the year, Exchange Control in Austria and Hungary and Exchange Control in Germany, both by Professor Howard S. Ellis. Through an arrangement with the Harvard Economic Studies they will shortly appear in that series as a single volume.

During the year Professor Emeritus Frank W. Taussig attained his eightieth birthday. A tribute and greeting was presented to him on this occasion signed by some two hundred of his former students.

I call attention again to the continuing problem of the added burden to members of the Department for uncompensated teaching in the Graduate School of Public Administration. The situation here remains substantially as described in my last report. It remains one of the most serious problems which the Department has to meet in maintaining the standards of its instruction.

The quality of instruction given by the Department continues to suffer from the heavy losses in the junior personnel during the past few years. Sixty-four per cent of the students concentrating in Economics this year are tutored by men of two years or less experience, fifty-five per cent by men of one year or less. The difficulties of maintaining satisfactory instruction with such a rapid turnover remain almost insuperable, and concentration in Economics which has fallen off steadily over the past four years slumped most disastrously for the year 1940-41. Although most of the liquidation of our more experienced instructors and tutors had taken place before the year on which I am reporting, we have during that year again lost a number of our best men because of the limited inducement which could be offered for them to remain with us even for a short period.

Sincerely yours,
H. H. Chamberlin

Dean W. S. Ferguson
5 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

____________________________

October 15, 1941

Dear Dean Ferguson:

I submit herewith a report on the work of the Department of Economics covering the past year.

Professor Slichter has been elected President of the American Economic Association. This is the third time in the past five years that this honor has gone to an economist from Harvard, Professor Sprague having been elected in 1937-38 and Professor Hansen in 1938-39.

In the field of publications there have appeared, in addition to the usual long list of articles, several books of possible importance. I should mention especially Professor Slichter’s Union Policies and Industrial Management, Professor Leontief’s The Structure of American Economy: An Empirical Application of Equilibrium Analysis, and Dr. Triffin’s Monopolistic Competition and General Equilibrium Theory. The latter appeared in the Harvard Economic Studies of which there have now been published 70 volumes, four within the past year. The new series of Harvard Studies in Monopoly and Competition has been augmented by two new volumes during the past year, bringing the total to four. Professor Usher’s History of Mechanical Inventions has again been translated, this time into Spanish. During the past year an arrangement was made with the Rockefeller Foundation (for the current year only) which if continued may prove to be of real importance to the members of our Department. Professor Crum has been relieved of one-half of his teaching duties for research through the payment by the Foundation of the salary of someone to replace him in his teaching assignment. In addition to providing possibilities for research to members of the Department, such an arrangement would have the added advantage of making it possible to invite to Harvard for short period either possible candidates for permanent appointments or others whose presence here for one year would prove stimulating to our students.

Again I call attention to the problem of the added burden to members of the Department for uncompensated teaching in the Graduate School of Public Administration. This has been from the beginning a serious matter in maintaining standards of instruction. It is especially a factor in concentrating the activities of the older members of the Department in the graduate field, leaving undergraduate instruction to be taken care of in undue degree by younger men whose experience on the average seems to decline further each year.

The quality of instruction by the junior staff continues to be a grave concern to our Department. Last year I mentioned that 64 per cent of the students concentrating in Economics were tutored by men of two years or less experience. This year the percentage has increased to 72, and the problem of finding enough experienced and competent tutors in the right fields for distinction seniors has become impossible to solve. The general situation is reflected also in Economics A where the percentage of new instructors has jumped alarmingly for the current year. For the five years 1936-41 the sections taught by new men averaged 24 per cent of the total. For the current year 39 per cent of the sections are taught by new men. For the same five years the sections taught by men of one year or less experience averaged 45 per cent of the total. For the current year this figure has advanced to 61 per cent. The large volume of complaints on the part of students as to the inexperience of their tutors and Economics A section instructors leaves no doubt in the minds of the Department that the continuing decline in concentration in Economies is mainly a reflection of this situation. In view of the competing opportunities for our younger men which have repeatedly been pointed out the problem for our Department continues to be not to maintain a high rate of turnover as the present rules of tenure seem designed to do, but to be able through more flexible arrangements both with respect to tenure and to salaries to maintain a staff sufficiently experienced to give satisfactory instruction to our undergraduates. Such instruction is clearly not being given at the present time.

Sincerely yours,
H. H. Chamberlin

Dean W. S. Ferguson
5 University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers (UAV 349.11). Box 2, Folder “Report to the Dean on the Department 1932-…”

Image Source: Harold Hitchings Burbank from the Harvard Class Album 1934.

 

Categories
Chicago Funny Business

Chicago. West Side Story Number from an economics skit, ca. 1962

These parody lyrics come from pages of University of Chicago economics skits from the 1960s that had been saved by Zvi Griliches and that can be consulted now in the Zvi Griliches papers collection in the Harvard University Archives. The reason we can date this artifact with confidence is because the following children’s rhyme almost immediately follows “Please Mr. Harry Johnson” featured below.

(To the tune of „Mary had a Little Lamb“)

Harvard School has gone away, gone away, gone away
Harvard School has gone away
To Washington D.C.

MIT has joined them too, joined them too, joined them too
MIT has joined them too
Advising Kennedy

Link to the film version of the original “Dear Officer Krupke” from West Side Story.

Also worth noting: that the students’ friend for learning price theory instead of relying on George Stigler’s book was Richard Leftwich’s The Price System and Resource Allocation (incidentally the same textbook was assigned for the microeconomics semester (Fall semester) of Early Concentration Economics my freshman year at Yale 1969-70).

________________________________

(To the tune of “Dear Officer Krupke” from West Side Story)
[ca. 1962]

Please Mr. Harry Johnson
It’s easy to explain
They told me Keynes was silly
And Hansen just a pain
Velocity is the main thing
And interest a passing stress
Leapin’ lizards, that why I’m a mess.

Chorus: 

Gee Prof. Johnson
we’re very upset
we never had the love that every child ought to get
we ain’t no delinquents, we’re misunderstood
deep down inside us there is good
there is good
there is good
like inside of each of us there’s good.

Oh Mr. Bailey listen
You’ve got to understand
All my life they’ve taught me
Investment lacks demand
No body ever told me
to buy a foot of land
Crawlin’ catfish, that’s why I’ve been canned.

(Repeat Chorus till last three lines)

Hear oh Mr. Friedman
I want make it clear
Always I’ve considered
Children sweet and dear
No one ever told me
Of production they’re a tool
Gosh almighty that’s why I’m a fool.

(Repeat Chorus minus last three lines)

Oh Mr. Metzler hear me
It’s simple to conceive
The BB schedule threw me
The CC did deceive
With your Keynesian leanings
I really couldn‘t cope
Goodness gracious, that’s why I’m a dope.

(Repeat Chorus…)

Dear Professor David
Please lend to us an ear
All these expectations
The present did make queer
The future was the present
The present—there was none
Really truly, that’s why I’m so dumb

 (Repeat Chorus…)

Dear Sweet Professor Stigler
We all have read your book
The fun is in the footnotes
At which we love to look
But we go back to Leftwich
For Economic sense
Heaven help me, that‘s why I‘m so dense.

(Repeat Chorus…)

Now to conclude my story
I’d like to say tonight
Why it’s so very difficult
for us to be alright
Whatever one pronounces
The others say “it’s rot”
Mama mia that’s why I’m a sot.

Dear muddled department – we’re very upset
(rest of chorus…)

Source: Harvard University Archives, Papers of Zvi Griliches, Box 129, Folder “Faculty skits, ca. 1960s”.

Image Source: Random undocumented discovery in the internet.

Categories
Chicago Economics Programs Economist Market Economists

Chicago. Memos discussing guests to teach during summer quarter, 1927

 

 

Apparently the 1926 summer quarter course planning at the Chicago department of political economy in 1926 was so wild that the head of the department, Leon C. Marshall, decided to start the discussion for 1927 on the second day of Summer, 1926. Four of the seven colleagues responded with quite a few suggestions.

This post provides the first+middle names where needed in square brackets. Also links to webpages with further information about the suggested guests have been added.

______________________

Copy of memo from
Leon Carroll Marshall

THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Department of Economics

Memorandum from L. C. Marshall. June 22, 1926

To: C. W. Wright, J. A. Field, H. A. Millis, J. Viner, L. W. Mints, P. H. Douglas, W. H. Spencer

We really must break through the morass we are in with respect to our summer quarter. Partly because of delayed action and partly because of an interminable debating society in such matters we finally get a patched up program which is not as attractive as it should be.

I shall proceed on the basis of the homely philosophy that the way to do something is to do something. I shall try to secure from every member of the group a statement of his best judgment concerning the appropriate course of action for the summer of 1927 and then move at once toward rounding out a program.

Won’t you be good enough to turn in to E57 within the next few days your suggestions and comments with respect to the following issues.

  1. Do you yourself expect to be in residence the summer quarter of 1927?
  2. If you do, what courses do you prefer to teach? Please list more than two courses placing all of the courses in your order of preference. In answering this question, please keep in mind the problem of guiding research. Should you offer a research course?
  3. What are your preferences with respect to hours? Please state them rather fully and give some alternatives so that a schedule may be pieced together.
  4. What courses or subject matter should we be certain to include in the summer of 1927?
  5. What men from outside do you recommend for these courses which we should be certain to include? Please rank them in the order of your preference.
  6. Quite aside from the subject matter which you have recommended above, what persons from the outside ought we try to make contact with if our funds permit? This gives an opportunity to aid in making up the personnel of the summer quarter in all fields.
  7. Please give any other comments or suggestions which occur to you.

Yours very sincerely,

LCM:G

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

Response from
Jacob Viner

The University of Chicago
Department of Political Economy

July 1, 1926

Dear Mr. Marshall

I will want to offer 301 (Neo-class Ec.) & 353 (Int Ec. Pol) as usual next summer, though if we have a good outside theorist to give 301, I would like to give a course on Theory of Int Trade in addition to 353. I think we need someone especially in Banking, next in theory. Beyond these we should offer work in some of the following, if we can get first rankers: statistics, private finance, transportation, economic history of Europe & ec. Hist. of U.S.

I suggest the following from which selections could be made:

Banking

 Theory Statistics Transportation

Ec. Hist.
[Eugene E.]
Agger

 

[Benjamin Haggott] Beckhart

 

[Allyn Abbott]
A.A. Young

 

[Chester Arthur]
C. A. Phillips

 

[Oliver Mitchell Wentworth]
Sprague

 

[James Harvey] Rogers

 

[Ernest Minor] E.M. Patterson

 [Allyn Abbott]
Young

 

[Jacob Harry]
Hollander[Frank Hyneman] Knight

 

[Albert Benedict] Wolfe

 

[Herbert Joseph] Davenport

 [Henry Roscoe] Trumbower

 

[Homer Bews] Vanderblue

 [Melvin Moses] M.M. Knight

 

[Abbott Payson] A.P. Usher

As other possibilities I suggest [George Ernest] Barnett, [James Cummings] Bonbright, [Edward Dana] Durand, [Edwin Griswold] Nourse, [Sumner Huber] Slichter, John D. [Donald] Black, Holbrook Working, [Alvin Harvey] Hansen.

[signed]
J Viner

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

Response from
Paul Howard Douglas

The University of Chicago
The School of Commerce and Administration

June 29, 1926

Professor L. C. Marshall
Faculty Exchange

Dear Mr. Marshall:

You have hit the nail on the head in your proposal to get under way for next summer, and I am very much pleased at your action. Answering your questions specifically may I say—

  1. That I do not expect to be in residence for the summer quarter of 1927.
  2. &3. Since I shall not be in residence no answers to these questions are, I take it, necessary.

 

  1. We should, I think, be certain to include adequate work in the following fields (a) Economic theory, (b) Monetary and banking theory, (c) Labor problems, (d) Statistics and quantitative economics, (e) Taxation and Public finance, (f) Economic history.
  2. As regards men from outside, I would recommend the following in each field: (a) Economic theory—[Herbert Joseph] H. J. Davenport, [John Rogers] J. R. Commons, [Frank Hyneman] F. H. Knight; (b) Monetary and banking theory—[Allyn Abbott] A. A. Young, [Oliver Mitchell Wentworth] O.M.W. Sprague, [James Waterhouse] James W. Angell; (c) Labor problems—Selig Perlman, Alvin [Harvey] H. Hansen; (d) Statistics and quantitative economics—[Frederick Cecil] F. C. Mills, [Robert Emmet] R. E. Chaddock, [William Leonard] W. L. Crum; (e) Taxation and public finance—[Harley Leist] H. L. Lutz, [William John] William J. Shultz; (f) Economic history—[Norbert Scott Brien] N. S. B. Gras.
  3. As people from outside to try for, might it not be possible to secure some one from England, such as [John Atkinson] John A. Hobson, Henry Clay, or [Dennis Holme] D. H. Robertson? Might it not also be possible to get Charles Rist from France or [Werner] Sombart from Germany?

Faithfully yours,
[signed]
Paul H. Douglas

P.S. The news that [Henry] Schultz and [Melchior] Palyi are to be with us next year is certainly welcome. Should we not let everyone know that they are coming, and should not a news note to this effect be sent on to the American Economic Review? [Handwritten note here: “Mr. Wright doing this”]

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

Response from
Lloyd Wynn Mints

The University of Chicago
The School of Commerce and Administration

July 16, 1926

Memorandum to L. C. Marshall from L. W. Mints, concerning the work of the summer quarter, 1927.

  1. It is my present intention not to be in residence during the summer quarter, 1927, although I will be in the city, I suppose.
  2. It appears to me that we should attempt to get men from the outside who would represent some of the newer points of view rather than the orthodox fields. I should suppose that it would be desirable to have a man in statistics and, if he could be found, somebody to do something with quantitative economics. For the statistics I would suggest [William Leonard] Crum, [Frederick Cecil] Mills, [Frederick Robertson] Macaulay, [Willford Isbell] King, [Bruce D.] Mudgett, [Robert] Riegel. I am ignorant of the particular bents of some of the statistical men, but I should suppose that in quantitative economics [Holbrook] Working, [Alvin Harvey] Hansen, or [William Leonard] Crum might do something. Perhaps [Edmund Ezra] Day should be added to the men in Statistics.
    In economic history, as I remember it, we have had no outside help for a long time. I should like to see either [Noman Scott Brien] Gras or Max [Sylvius] Handman give some work here in the summer.
    Particular men who represent somewhat new points of view, and who might be had for the summer, I would suggest as follows: [Lionel Danforth] Edie, [Oswald Fred] Boucke, [Morris Albert] Copeland, [Sumner Huber] Slichter.
    In addition I should like very much to see either [Edwin Robert Anderson] Seligman or [John Rogers] Commons here for a summer.

[signed]
L.W.M.

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

Response from
Harry Alvin Millis

Answers to questions re Summer Teaching, 1927

  1. Yes, I feel that I must teach next summer unless that plan you have been interested in goes through.
  2. 342 [The State in Relation to Labor] and 440 [Research].
  3. 342 at 8; 440 hour to be arranged.
  4. 5. 6.: Should get a better rounded program than we have had. Should have an outstanding man in economic theory and another in Finance. For the former I would mention [John] Maurice Clark, [John Rogers] Commons, and [Frank Hyneman] Knight—in order named. For the latter I would mention [Allyn Abbott] Young, [James Harvey] Rogers. If we can get the money I should like to see [George Ernest] Barnett brought on for statistics and a trade union course.

 

  1. Would it be possible to have a seminar which would bring together the outside men and some of the inside men and our mature graduate students—these hand-picked? It might be made very stimulating.

[Signed]
H. A. Millis

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

Response from
Chester Whitney Wright

The University of Chicago
The Department of Political Economy

Memorandum to Marshall from Wright

Summer 1927
First term some aspects of economic history
1:30 or 2:30
May have to teach the whole summer but hope I can confine it to first term.
Can teach any phases of subjects in any fields suitable for term.

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

Response from
James Alfred Field

[No written answer in the folder: however L. C. Marshall noted that Field would not be teaching in the summer term of 1927]

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

Response from
William Homer Spencer

The University of Chicago
The School of Commerce and Administration
Office of the Dean

July 12, 1926

Mr. L. C. Marshall
The Department of Political Economy

My dear Mr. Marshall:

As Mr. [Garfield Vestal] Cox does not wish to teach during the Summer Quarter of 1927, I wish the Department of Political Economy would try to get Mr. [Edmund Ezra] Day of Wisconsin [sic, Michigan is correct] who could give both a course in statistics and a course in forecasting. Forecasting is not given this summer and unless we get someone from the outside to give it, I presume it will not be given next summer.

Why does not the Department of Political Economy for the coming summer get someone like Mr. [Leverett Samuel] Lyon to give an advanced course in economics of the market for graduate students? The Department of Political Economy could handle half of his time and I perhaps could handle the other half for market management

Now that it appears that the Department of Political Economy cannot get any promising young men in the Field of Finance, why do you not try for [Chester Arthur] Phillips of Iowa? He will give good courses and will draw a great many students from the middle west to the University.

So far as my own program is concerned, I have not made much progress. I tried to get [Roy Bernard] Kester of Columbia, but he turned me down. I am placing a similar proposition before [William Andrew] Paton of Michigan. In the Field of Marketing, I am trying for [Frederic Arthur] Russell of the University of Illinois to give a course in salesmanship primarily for teachers in secondary schools. Otherwise I have made no progress in getting outside men for next summer.

Yours sincerely,
[signed]
W. H. Spencer

WHS:DD

Source:  University of Chicago Archives. Department of Economics. Records. Box 22, Folder 7.

Categories
Bibliography Fields Harvard Suggested Reading

Harvard. Fiscal Seminar Bibliography and Topics. Williams and Hansen, 1946-47

Alvin Hansen and John H. Williams’  Fiscal Policy Seminar at Harvard was a major parade ground for Keynesian policy ideas in the United States. This post provides a transcription of all 29 pages of bibliography provided for the seminar along with three pages of fiscal policy topics, presumably suggestions for student papers/presentations. An earlier post includes lists of speakers for the first eight years of the seminar.

Harvard’s Fiscal Seminar, speakers 1937-44

_________________________

Seminar Enrollment

[Economics] 148a. (fall term) Professors J. H. Williams and Hansen. — (A seminar offered by the Graduate School of Public Administration.) Fiscal Policy.

Total 26: 9 Graduates, 17 Public Administration.

[Economics] 148b. (spring term) Professors J. H. Williams and Hansen. — (A seminar offered by the Graduate School of Public Administration.) Fiscal Policy.

Total 22: 7 Graduates, 1 Graduate Business, 14 Public Administration.

Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1946-47, p. 71.

_________________________

ECONOMICS 148
FISCAL POLICY SEMINAR
1946-1947

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. The National Income and Its Composition:
    1. Books:

Barger, Harold — Outlay and Income in the United States, 1942.

Basic Facts on Employment and Production, U. S. Senate Committee on Banking and Currency, 19th Congress, First Session, (Committee Print No. 4).

Bowley, A. L. — Studies in the National Income, 1942.

Clark, C. — National Income and Outlay, 1938.

Fabricant, S. — Capital Consumption and Adjustment, 1938.

Friedrich, C. J. and Mason, E. S., editors — Public Policy, Volume II, Chapters VII, 1941.

Hicks, J. R. — The Social Framework, Oxford, 1942.

Hicks and Hart — The Social Framework of the American Economy, Oxford, 1945.

Kuznets, S. — National Income and Capital Formation, 1919-1935, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1937.

Kuznets, S. — National Income and its Composition, 1919-1938, 2 volumes, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1941.

Lindahl, Dahlgren, and Koch — National Income of Sweden, 1861-1930, 1937.

Livingston, S.M. — Markets After the War. Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, 1943.

Martin, R. F. — National Income in the U.S., 1799-1938, National Industrial Conference Board, 1939.

Meade and Stone, National Income and Expenditure, (Oxford, 1944).

National Wealth and Income —Report by the Federal Trade Commission.

Readings in Income Distribution, Blakiston Co. (1945).

Seventh Report of Director of War Mobilization and Reconversion, July 1, 1946.

Studies in Income and Wealth, National Bureau of Economic Research, 3 volumes, 1937, 1938, and 1939.

    1. Articles:

Gilbert, M. — “Measuring National Income as Affected by the War”, Journal of American Statistical Association, June 1942.

Chawner, L. J. — “Capital Expenditure in Selected Manufacturing Industries”, Survey of Current Business, December 1941.

Kaldor, N. — “The 1941 White Paper on National Income and Expenditure”, Economic Journal, June-September 1942.

Kaldor, N., “The 1943 White Paper on National Income and Expenditure,” Economic Journal, June-September 1943.

Harris, S. E. — “The British White paper on War Finance and National Income and Expenditure”, Journal of Political Economy, February 1942.

Copeland, M.A. — “The Defense Effort and the National Income Response Pattern”, Journal of Political Economy, June 1942.

Survey of Current Business — Articles on National Income and Gross National Product, Various Issues, 1942-46.

Stone, Richard — “National Income in the United Kingdom and the United States of America”, Review of Economic Studies, Winter 1942-1943.

Stone, R. — “Two Studies in Income and Expenditure in the U.S.”, Economic Journal, April 1943.

Stone, Richard —“The National Income Output and Expenditure of U.S.A., 1929-1941”, Economic Journal, June-September 1942.

Painter, Mary S. — “Estimates of Gross National Product, 1919-1928”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, September 1945.

Kalecki, M. — “The White Paper on the National Income and Expenditure in the years 1938-43”, Oxford Institute of Statistics Bulletin, July 1, 1944, Volume 6, No. 9.

Dacey, W. M. — “The 1944 White Paper on National Income and Expenditure”, Economic Journal, June-September 1944.

Bangs, R. B. — “The Changing Relation of Consumer Income and Expenditure”, Survey of Current Business, April 1942.

Gilbert, M. and Bangs, R. B. — “Preliminary Estimates of Gross National Product, 1929-1941”, Survey of Current Business, May 1942.

Gilbert, M. — “War Expenditure and National Production”, Survey of Current Business, March 1942.

Gilbert, M. — “U. S. National Income Statistics”, Economic Journal, April 1943.

Gilbert and Jaszi — “The 1945 White Paper on National Income and Expenditure”, Economic Journal, December 1945.

Smith, T. and Merwin, C. — “Corporate Profits and National Income Estimates, Quarterly, 1938-42”, Survey of Current Business, June 1942.

Hance, W. D. — “Estimates of Annual Business Inventories, 1928-1941”, Survey of Current Business, September 1942.

British White Paper on War Finance, Cmd. 6520 (reprinted in Federal Reserve Bulletin, July 1944.)

Stern, E. H. — “Public Expenditure in the National Income”, Economica, May 1943.

Gilbert, Milton; Staehle, Hans; Woytinsky, W. S. — “National Product, War and Prewar: Some Comments on Professor Kuznets’s Study”, Review of Economic Statistics, August 1944.

Hagen, Everett E. — “Postwar Output in the United States at Full Employment”, Review of Economic Statistics, May 1945.

Hagen, E. E. and Kirkpatrick, N. B. — “The National Output at Full Employment in 1950”, American Economic Review, September 1944.

Hoffenberg, M. — “Estimates of National Output, Distributed Income, Consumer Spending, Saving and Capital Formation”, Review of Economic Statistics, May 1943.

“Consumer Incomes and Expenditures in Wartime”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, April 1944.

  1. Fiscal Policy, Income and Employment
    1. Books.

Arndt, H. W. — The Economic Lessons of the Nineteen Thirties, Oxford, 1944.

Beveridge, W. H. — Full Employment in A Free Society, 1945.

Burchardt and Others — The Economics of Full Employment: Six Studies in Applied Economics, Oxford University Institute of Statistics, 1944.

Burns, A. E. and Watson, D. S. — Government Spending and Economic Expansion, 1940.

Copland, D. B. — The Road to High Employment, Harvard University Press, 1945.

deChazeau, Hart and Others — Jobs and Markets, McGraw-Hill, 1946.

Financing American Prosperity, A symposium (Anderson, Clark, Ellis, Hansen, Slichter, Williams) Twentieth Century Fund, 1945.

Giblin, L. F. — The Problem of Maintaining Full Employment, Melbourne University, 1943.

Hansen, A. H. — Full Recovery or Stagnation, 1938.

Hansen, A. H. — Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — Economic Policy and Full Employment, 1946.

Harris, S. E. (editor) — Postwar Economic Problems, McGraw-Hill, 1943.

Harris, S. E. (editor) — Economic Reconstruction, McGraw-Hill, 1945.

Hayes, H. Gordon — Spending, Saving, and Employment, Knopf, 1945.

Keynes, J. M. — General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, Harcourt, 1936.

Lerner, A. P. — The Economics of Control, Macmillan, 1944.

Nathan, Otto — Mobilizing for Abundance, McGraw-Hill, 1944.

National Budgets for Full Employment, National Planning Association.

National Resources Planning Board — The Structure of the American Economy, Part II, Toward Full Use of Resources, 1940.

Pigou, A. C. — Lapses from Full Employment, Macmillan, 1945.

Pigou, A. C. — Employment and Equilibrium, Macmillan, 1941.

Polanyi, M. — Full Employment and Free Trade, Cambridge University Press, 1945.

Pierson, J. H. G. — Full Employment, 1941.

Robertson, D. H. — Essays in Monetary Theory, King, 1940.

Ruml, B. and Sonne, H. C. — Fiscal and Monetary Policy, National Planning Association, 1944.

Seven Harvard and Tufts Economists — An Economic Program for American Democracy, 1938.

Williams, John H. Postwar Monetary Plans, 2nd, 1945.

Wilson, T. — Fluctuations in Income and Employment, 1942.

Wright, D. McC. — Creation of Purchasing Power, 1942.

Committee on National Expenditure (May Committee) Cmd. 3920 (1931)

N.E.C. — Final Report of the Executive Secretary, Chapters 5, 7-13, 16.

Postwar Economic Studies, Nos. 1, 3, and 6, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, 1945-6.

    1. Articles:

Lerner, Simons, and Others — “Planning and Paying for Full Employment”, International Postwar Problems, October 1945 and January 1946.

Hardy, C. O. — “Fiscal Policy and National Income: Review”, American Economic Review, March 1942.

Slichter, S. H. — “The Conditions of Expansion”, American Economic Review, March 1942.

Clark, J. M. — “The Relation of Government to the Economy of the Future”, Journal of Political Economy, December 1941.

Temporary National Economic Committee — Review of the Monographs, pp. 573-601, American Economic Review, September 1941.

Gayer, A. D. — “Fiscal Policies”, American Economic Association Proceedings, 1938.

MacGibbon, D. A. — “Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles”, Canadian Journal of Economic and Political Science, February 1943.

Mitchell, W. C. — “Economic Resources in Economic Theory”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and industrial Relations, 1941.

Clark, J. M. — “Investment in Relation to Business Activity and Employment”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and Industrial Relations, 1941.

Kuznets, S. — “Capital Formation, 1879-1938”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and Industrial Relations, 1941.

Slichter, S. H. — “The Development of National Labor Policy”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and Industrial Relations, 1941.

Brown, J. D. — “Is Unemployment Inevitable?”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and Industrial Relations, 1941.

Berridge, W. A. — “Is Unemployment Inevitable?”, University of Pennsylvania Bicentennial Conference, Studies in Economics and Industrial Relations, 1941.

Clark, J. M. — “An Appraisal of the Workability of Compensatory Devices”, American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1939.

Gayer, A. D. — “Fiscal Policies”, American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1938.

Myrdal, G. — “Fiscal Policy in the Business Cycle”, American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1939.

Seltzer, L. H. — “Direct vs. Fiscal and Institutional Factors”, American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1941.

Simons, H. C. — “Hansen on Fiscal Policy”, Journal of Political Economy, April 1942.

Williams, J. H. — “The Implications of Fiscal Policy for Monetary Policy and the Banking Systems”, American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1942.

Hansen, A. H. — “Income, Consumption, and National Defense”, Yale Review, Autumn, 1941.

Hardy, C. O. — “Fiscal Policy and National Income: Review”, American Economic Review, March 1942.

Somers, H. M. — “The Impact of Fiscal Policy on National Income”, Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, August 1942.

Abbott, C. C. — “Administration of Fiscal Policy”, Harvard Business Review, Autumn, 1944.

Abrahamson, A. G. — “The Problem of Full Employment,” Harvard Business Review, Spring, 1944.

Anderson, Clay J. — “The Compensatory Theory of Public Works Expenditure”, The Journal of Political Economy, September 1945.

Beveridge, Sir W. — “The Government’s Employment Policy”, Economic Journal, June-September 1944.

Copeland, Morris A. — “How Achieve Full and Stable Employment”, American Economic Review, March 1944.

Garland, J. M. — “Some Aspects of Full Employment”, Economic Record, December 1944.

Goldenweiser, E. A. — “Postwar Problems and Policies”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, February 1945.

Pigou, A. C. — “The Classical Stationary State”, Economic Journal, December 1943.
(See also comment by M. Kalecki in Economic Journal, April 1944.)

Gragg, C. I. and Teele, S. F. — “The Proposed Full Employment Act”, Harvard Business Review, Spring 1945.

Hansen, A. H. — “Fiscal Policy: A Clarification”, American Economic Review, June 1945.

Hansen, A. H. — “Three Methods of Expansion Through Fiscal Policy”, American Economic Review, June 1945.

Hansen, Harris, Haberler, Slichter, McNair — “Five Views on the Murray Full Employment Bill”, Review of Economic Statistics, August 1945.

Harrod, R. F. — “Full Employment and Security of Livelihood”, Economic Journal, December 1943.

Herrick, L. — “Employment and Postwar Prosperity”, Yale Review, December 1944.

Hirsch, Julius —“Facts and Fantasies Concerning Full Employment”, American Economic Review, March 1944.

Klein, Lawrence R. — “The Cost of a Beveridge Plan in the United States”, Quarterly Journal, May 1944.

Langer, H. C., Jr. — “Maintaining Full Employment”, American Economic Review, December 1943.

McNair, Malcolm P. — “The Full Employment Problem”, Harvard Business Review, Autumn 1945.

Pierson, J. H. G. — “The Underwriting of Aggregate Consumer Spending as a Pillar of Full-Employment Policy”, American Economic Review, March 1944.

Smithies, Arthur — “Full Employment in a Free Society”, American Economic Review, June 1945.

Smullyan, E. B. — “Seventeen Postwar Plans — The Pabst Postwar Employment Awards”, American Economic Review, March 1945.

Wallich, H. C. — “Income-Generating Effects of a Balanced Budget”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, November 1944.

Warburton, C. — “Normal Production, Income, and Employment, 1945-1965”, Southern Economic Journal, January 1945.

Welcker, J. W. — “The Federal Budget: A Challenge to Businessmen”, Harvard Business Review, Summer 1944.

Williams, John H. — “The Postwar Monetary Plans”, American Economic Review, March 1944.

Williams, R. S. — “Fiscal Policy and Propensity to Consume”, Economic Journal, December 1945.

Woytinsky, W.S. and Halasi, A. — “Prospects of Permanent Full Employment”, International Postwar Problems, September 1944.

Wright, D. McC. — “The Future of Keynesian Economics”, American Economic Review, June 1945.

Wright, D. McC. — “Hopes and Fears — The Shape of Things to Come”, Review of Economic Statistics, November 1944.

Yntema, Theodore O. — “Full Employment in a Private Enterprise System”, American Economic Review, March 1944.

“Employment Policy in Great Britain: The Government’s White Paper”, International Labor Review, August 1944.

Beattie, J. R. — “Some Aspects of the Problem of Full Employment”, Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, August 1944.

Joseph, J. F. W., “The British White Paper on Employment Policy”, American Economic Review, September 1944.

  1. Saving and Investment
    1. Books:

Angell, J. W. — Investment and Business Cycles, 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — N. F. C. Hearings, Part IX, 1939.

Long, C. D. — Building Cycles and the Theory of Investment, 1940.

Machinery and Allied Products Institute — Savings and American Progress, December 1937.

Machinery and Allied Products Institute — Savings and Investment in the American Enterprise System, July 1939.

Moulton, H. G. — The Formation of Capital, Brookings, 1935.

National Industrial Conference Board — Capital Formation and Its Elements, 1939.

Postwar Economic Studies, No. 5., Federal Reserve Board, 1946.

Private Capital Requirements, Postwar Economic Studies, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, 1945.

Williams, John H., Postwar Monetary Plans, 2nd, 1946.

N.E.C. Monograph No. 37, Saving, Investment and National Income.

    1. Articles:

Freeman and Barre — “Saving and Spending Pattern,” American Economic Review, June 1944.

Ezekiel, M. — “Saving, Consumption and Investment,” American Economic Review, March and June 1942.

Abramovitz, M. —“Savings and Investment: Profits vs. Prosperity,” American Economic Review, Supplement, June 1942.

Silberling, N. J. — “Some Aspects of Durable Consumer Goods Financing and Investment Fluctuations,” American Economic Review, September 1938.

Slichter, S. H. — “The Conditions of Expansion,” American Economic Review, March 1942.

Hoover, C. B. (Chairman) — “Durable Consumers Goods,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1938.

Weintraub, D. — “Effects of Current and Prospective Technological Developments Upon Capital Formation,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

Deibler, F. S. (Chairman) — “The Effects of Industrial and Technological Developments Upon the Demand for Capital,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

Crum, W. L. (Chairman) — “Income and Capital Formation,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

Ruggles, C. — “Corporate Surpluses, Income and Employment,” American Economic Review, December 1939.

Dirks, F. C. — “Durable Goods Expenditures in 1941,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, April 1942.

Gilboy, E. W. — “The Propensity to Consume,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, November 1938.

Gilboy, E. W. — “Changes in Consumption Expenditures and the Defense Program,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1941.

Humphrey, D. D. — “The Relation of Surpluses to Income and Employment During Depression,” American Economic Review, June 1938.

Shackle, G. L. S. — “A Means of Promoting Investment,” Economic Journal, June-September 1941.

Simpson, K. — “Securities Markets and the Investment Process,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1938.

“Status and Role of Private Investment in the American Economy,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1941.

Tucker, R. S. — “Estimates of Savings of American Families,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1942.

Weintraub, D. — “Effects of Current and Prospective Technological Developments Upon Capital Formation,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1939.

Isard, W. A. — “A Neglected Cycle: The Transport-Building Cycle,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1942.

Hicks, J. R. — “Maintaining Capital Intact: A Further Suggestion,” Economica, May 1942.

Wright, D. McC. — “The interpretation of the Kuznets-Fabricant Figures for ‘Net’ Capital Consumption,” Journal of Political Economy, June 1942.

Fulcher, G. S. — “Annual Saving and Underspending of Individuals 1926-37,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1941.

Gilbert, R. V. and Perlo, V. — “The Investment Factor Method of Forecasting Business Activity,” Econometrica, July-October 1942.

O’Leary, J. J. — “Malthus and Keynes,” Journal of Political Economy, December 1942.

Terborgh, G. — “Estimated Expenditures for Durable Goods, 1919-1938,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, September 1939.

Anderson, Montgomery, “A Formula for Total Savings,” Quarterly Journal, November 1943.

Jones, M. V. — “Secular and Cyclical Saving Propensities,” Journal of Business, University of Chicago, January 1944.

Leontief, W. W. — “Output, Employment, Consumption, and Investment,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 1944.

Neisser, Hans— “Government Net Contribution and Foreign Balance As Offset to Savings,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1944.

Wright, D. McC. — “Limits to the Use of Capital,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1944.

  1. Technology, Population, and Investment:
    1. Books:

Gourvitch, Survey of Economic Theory on Technological Change and Employment, W.P.A. National Research Project, Report No. G-6 (1940).

Hearings, Temporary National Economic Committee, Part IX, 1939.

Lederer, E. — Technical Progress and Unemployment, International Labour Office, 1938.

Machinery and Allied Products Institute — Ten Facts on Technology and Employment, February 1936.

Machinery and Allied Products Institute — More Facts on Technology and Employment, April 1936.

Moulton, H. G. et al. — Capital Expansion, Employment and Economic Stability, 1940.

Myrdal, G. — Population, a Problem for Democracy, 1940.

National Resources Committee — Technological Trends and National Policy, 1937.

National Resources Committee — The Problem of a Changing Population, 1938.

Reddaway, W. B. — The Economics of a Declining Population, 1939.

Terborgh, G. — The Bogey of Economic Maturity, Machinery and Allied Products Institute, 1945.

Weintraub, D. — Effects of Technological Developments Upon Capital Formation, National Research Project, Report g-4 (1939).

T.N.E.C. Hearings, Part 30, Technology and Concentration of Economic Power.

T.N.E.C. Monograph, No. 22, Technology in Our Economy.

    1. Articles:

Neisser, H. P. — “Permanent Technological Unemployment,” American Economic Review, March 1942.

Dulles, E. — “War and Investment Opportunities: An Historical Analysis,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, March 1942.

McLauchlin, G. E. and Watkins, R. J. — “The Problem of Industrial Growth in a Mature Economy,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

DuBrul, S.M. (Chairman) — “Expansion and Contraction in the American Economy,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

Fleming, J. M. — “Secular Unemployment,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, November 1939.

Hansen, A. H. — “Extensive Expansion and Population Growth,” Journal of Political Economy, August 1940.

Hawley, A. H. and Bogue, D. J. — “Recent Shifts in Population: 1930-40,” Review of Economic Statistics, August 1942.

Round Table on Population Problems, American Economic Association Proceedings, 1940, pp. 283-298.

Weintraub, D. (Director) — “Unemployment and Increasing Productivity,” National Research Project, W.P.A., 1937.

Weintraub, D. (Director) — “Summary of Findings to Date,” National Research Project, W.P.A., March 1938.

Weintraub, D. — “Effects of Current and Prospective Technological Developments Upon Capital Formation,” National Research Project, 1939.

Gill, C. — “Unemployment and Technological Change,” National Research Project, W.P.A., 1950.

Gourvitch, A. — “Survey of Economic Theory on Technological Change and Employment,” National Research Project, W.P.A., 1940.

Hopkins, J. A. — “Changing Technology and Employment in Agriculture,” National Research Project, W.P.A., 1941.

Fellner, W. — “The Technological Argument of the Stagnation Thesis,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1941.

Lonigan, E. — “The Effect of Modern Technological Conditions Upon the Employment of Labor,” American Economic Review, June 1939.

Staehle, H. — “Employment in Relation to Technical Progress,” Review of Economic Statistics, May 1940.

Hansen, A. H. — “Economic Progress and a Declining Population Growth,” American Economic Review, March 1939.

Keynes, J. M. — “Some Consequences of a Declining Population,” Eugenics Review, Volume XXX, No. 1, April 1937.

Spengler, J. J. — “Population Movements and Economic Equilibrium in the United States,” Journal of Political Economy, April 1940.

Sweezy, A. R. — “Population Growth and Investment Opportunity,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, November 1940.

Hansen, A. H. — “Some Notes on Terborgh’s ‘The Bogey of Economic Maturity,’” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1946.

Wright, D. M. — “Terborgh vs. Hansen,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1946.

Samuelson, P. A. — “Dynamics, Statics, and the Stationary State,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1943.

King, W. I. — “Are We Suffering From Economic Maturity?” Journal of Political Economy, October 1939.

Jones, M. V. — “Secular Trends and Idle Resources,” Journal of Business, October 1944.

  1. The Role of Public Investment
    1. Books:

Bretherton, Burchardt, Rutherford — Public Investment and the Trade Cycle in Great Britain, 1941.

Duffus, R. L. — The Valley and Its People: A Portrait of TVA, 1945.

Gayer, A. D. — Public Works in Prosperity and Depression, 1935.

Hansen, A. H. and Perloff, H. S. — Regional Resource Development, National Planning Association, 1942.

Housing, Social Security and Public Works, Postwar Economic Studies, No. 6, Federal Reserve Board, 1946.

International Development Loans, National Planning Association, 1942.

Lilienthal, David — V.A. Democracy on the March, (Harpers, 1944).

National Resources Committee — Public Works Planning, Report of the Committee, 1937.

National Resources Planning Board — The Structure of the American Economy, Part II, Toward Full Use of Resources, 1940.

National Resources Planning Board — The Economic Effects of the Federal Public Works Expenditures, 1833-1938, November 1940.

National Resources Planning Board — National Resources Development Report for 1942, January 1942.

Staley, E. — World Economic Development, 1944.

    1. Articles:

Government Expansion in the Economic Sphere,” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, November 1939.

Lewis, B. W. — “Government Competition and Private Investment,” American Economic Review, June 1939.

Copeland, M.A. — “Public Investment in the United States,” American Economic Association, Proceedings, 1939.

Blakey, R. G. (Chairman) — “The Role of Public Investment and Consumer Capital Formation,” American Economic Association Proceedings, 1939.

“Economic Planning,” pp. 247-280, American Economic Association Proceedings, 1940.

Gibson, A. H. — “Will Banking Eventually Become Nationalized?” Bankers’ Magazine, March 1944.

Hansen, A. H. and Kindleberger, C. — “World Institutions for Stability and Expansion,” Foreign Affairs, January 1944.

Smithies, Arthur — “The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Benedict, M. R. — “The Relation of Public to Private Lending Agencies (in Agriculture) and Recent Trends in Their Development,” Journal of Farm Economy, February 1945.

  1. Urban Redevelopment and Housing:
    1. Books:

Colean, Miles L. — American Housing, Problems and Prospects, 1944.

Greer, G. and Others — The Problem of Urban Redevelopment, Institute on Postwar Reconstruction, 1944.

Greer and Hansen — Urban Redevelopment and Housing, National Planning Association, 1942.

Housing, Social Security, and Public Works, Postwar Economic Studies, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, 1946.

Housing Costs, Bulletin No. 2, National Housing Agency, 1944.

Housing Needs, Bulletin No. 1, National Housing Agency, 1944.

Housing After World War I, Bullentin No. 4, National Housing Agency, 1945.

Hearings on S. 1592, Committee on Banking and Currency, U.S. Senate, 79th Congress, 1st

Land Assembly for Urban Redevelopment, Bulletin No. 3, National Housing Agency, 1945.

National Resources Committee — Housing Monographs, Nos. 1-3, 1939.

National Resources Planning Board — Housing, the Continuing Problem, June 1940.

Postwar Economic Studies, No. 6, Federal Reserve Board, 1946.

Simon, Sir Ernest, Re-building Britain —A Twenty-year Plan (Victor Gollancz, 1945).

Uthwatt Report, Cmd. 6386 (1942).

The Problem of the Cities and Towns — Conference on Urbanism, Harvard University, 1942.

S. 1592, 70th Congress, 2nd Session — An Act to Establish a National Housing Policy.

T.N.E.C. Monograph No. 8, Toward More Housing.

    1. Articles:

Greer, Guy — “Housing,” Fortune, November 1944.

Greer, Guy — “A New Start for Cities,” Fortune, September 1944.

Husband, W. H. — “Interest Rates for Home Financing,” American Economic Review, June 1940.

French, D. M. — “The Contest for a National System of Home-Mortgage Finance,” American Political Science Review, February 1941.

“Call of Our Cities, Redevelopment and Postwar Housing,” Survey Graphic, April 1944.

Grebler, L. — “Housing Policy and the Building Cycle,” Review of Economic Statistics, May 1942.

Isard, W. and Isard C. — “The Transport-Building Cycle in Urban Development: Chicago,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1943.

  1. Income Distribution, Consumption, and Saving:
    1. Books:

Bangs, R. B. — The Changing Relation of Consumer Income and Expenditure, April 1942.

Department of Agriculture — Consumer Purchases Studies, on Family Income and Expenditures, 1939-1941.

Family Spending and Saving in Wartime, Bulletin No. 822, U.S. Department of Labor, 1945.

Fisher, A. G. B., Economic Progress and Social Security (Macmillan, 1945).

Haberler, G. — Consumer Instalment Credit and Economic Fluctuations, 1942.

Leven, Moulton and Warburton — America’s Capacity to Consume, Brookings, 1934.

Leven, M. — The Income Structure of the U.S., 1938.

Moulton, H. G. — Income and Economic Progress, Brookings, 1935.

National Resources Committee — Consumer Expenditures in the U.S., 1933-36, 1939.

National Resources Planning Board — Family Expenditures in the U.S., Statistical Tables and Appendices, June 1941.

Nourse, E. G. — America’s Capacity to Produce.

T.N.E.C. Monograph No. 4, Concentration and Composition of Individual Incomes, 1918-1937.

    1. Articles:

Tucker, R. S. — “Estimates of Savings of American Families,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1942.

Green, A. R. — “Social Reconstruction by the Regulation of Incomes,” Economic Journal, April 1942.

Stauffacher, C. — “The Effect of Governmental Expenditures and Tax Withdrawals Upon Income Distribution, 1930-1939,” Public Policy, Volume II, 1941.

Tucker, R. S. — “The National Resources Committee’s Report on Distribution of Income,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1940.

Gilboy, E. W. — “Income-Expenditure Relations,” Review of Economic Statistics, August 1940.

Pancoast, O., Jr. — “Malthus vs. Ricardo: The Effects of Distribution on Production,” Political Science Quarterly, March 1943.

Samuelson, P. A. — “Fiscal Policy and Income Determination,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1942.

Metzler, L. A. — “Effects of Income Distribution,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1943.

Pigou, A. C. — “Comparisons of Real Income,” Economica, May 1943.

Rhodes, E.C. — “The Distribution of incomes,” Economica, August 1942.

Smullyan, E. B. — “Net Investment, Consumption and Full Employment,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Sweezy, A. R. — “Reply (to E. B. Smullyan),” American Economic Review, December 1944.

  1. Wages, Costs, and Prices:
    1. Books:

Abramovitz — Price Theory for a Changing Economy (Columbia U. Press, 1939).

Clark, J. M. — Demobilization of Wartime Economic Controls (McGraw-Hill, 1944).

de Chazeau, and others — Jobs and Markets (McGraw-Hill, 1944).

Financing American Prosperity, 20th Century Fund (1945).

Harris, S. E. — Inflation and the American Economy (McGraw-Hill, 1945).

Harris, S. E. — Price and Related Controls in the U.S. (McGraw-Hill, 1945).

Lange, O. — Price Flexibility and Employment, 1944.

National Bureau of Economic Research — Cost Behavior and Price Policy, 1943.

Oxford institute of Statistics, The Economics of Full Employment (Blackwell, 1944).

Pigou, A. C., Lapses from Full Employment (Macmillan, 1945).

Prices, Wages, and Employment, Postwar Economic Studies, no. 4, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, 1946.

T.N.E.C. Hearings, Part 5, Monopolistic Practices in Industries.

National Resources Planning Board, The Structure of the American Economy, Part II (1940).

    1. Articles:

Mund, V. A. — “Monopolistic Competition Theory and Public Price Policy,” American Economic Review, December 1942.

Bangs, R. B. — “Wage Reductions and Employment,” Journal of Political Economy, April 1942.

Ezekiel, M. — “Productivity, Wage Rates, and Employment,” American Economic Review, September 1940.

Sweezy, A. — “Wages and Investment,” Journal of Political Economy, February 1942.

Weintraub, S. — “Monopoly Equilibrium and Anticipated Demand,” Journal of Political Economy, June 1942.

Bergson, A. — “Price Flexibility and the Level of Income,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1943.

Keynes, J. M. — “Relative Movements of Real Wages and Output,” Economic Journal, March 1939.

  1. Taxation, Investment, and Consumption:
    1. Books:

Butters, J. K. and Lintner, J. — Effect of Federal Taxes on Growing Enterprises, Study No. 2, Polaroid Corporation, 1945.

Colm, G. and Lehmann, F. — Economic Consequences of Recent American Tax Policy, 1939.

Committee on National Debt and Taxation (Colwyn Committee) Cmd. 2800 (1927).

Curran, Kenneth J. — Excess Profits Taxation, 1943.

Groves, H. M. — Production, Jobs, and Taxes, McGraw-Hill, 1944.

Groves, H. M. — Postwar Taxation and Economic Progress, McGraw-Hill, 1946.

Hazelett, C. W. — Incentive Taxation, 1939.

Hicks, J. R. and U. K. — The Incidence of Social Rates in G. B., (Occasional Paper No. 8 of National Institute of Economic and Social Research, Cambridge U. Press, 1945).

Koch, Albert R. — The Financing of Large Corporations—1929-39, National Bureau of Economic Research, 1943.

Machinery and Allied products Institute — Taxes and American Progress, March 1938.

Mering, O. — The Shifting and Incidence of Taxation, (Blakiston, 1942).

Newcomer, M. — A Tax Policy for Postwar America, Postwar Goals and Economic Reconstruction, Series 2, No. 6, 1943.

Tarasov, Helen, Who Does Pay the Taxes? Supplement IV, Social Research, (1942).

T.N.E.C. Monograph, No. 3, Who Pays the Taxes?

T.N.E.C. Monograph, No. 9, Taxation of Corporate Enterprise.

T.N.E.C. Monograph, No. 12, Profits and New Investment.

    1. Articles:

Benham, F. — “What is the Best Tax System?” Economica, May 1942.

Bradley, P. D. — “The Direct Effects of a Corporate Income Tax,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1942.

Gilbert, D. W. — “Taxation and Economic Stability,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1942.

Pettengill, R. B. — “Division of the Tax Burden Among Income Groups in the United States in 1936,” American Economic Review, March 1940.

Kuznets, S. — “National Income and Taxable Capacity,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, March 1942.

Colm, G. — “Full Employment Through Tax Policy? Social Research, November 1940.

Gilbert, D. W. — “Taxation and Economic Stability,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 1942.

Paul, R. E. — “Redesigning Federal Taxation,” Harvard Business Review, Winter 1941.

Friedman, M. and Poole, K. E. — “The Spending Tax,” American Economics Review, March 1943.

Boulding, K. E. — “The Incidence of a Profits Tax,” American Economic Review, September, 1944.

Brown E. C. and Patterson, G. — “Accelerated Depreciation: A Neglected Chapter in War Taxation,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1943.

Buehler, A. G. — “The Sales Tax,” Bulletin National Tax Association, February 1945.

Buehler, A. G. — “The Taxation of Business,” Bulletin National Tax Association, December 1944.

Burkhead, J. V. — “Property Tax as a Burden on Shelter,” Journal of Land and Public Utility Economics, August 1944.

Ciriacy-Wantrup, C. — “Taxation and the Conservation of Resources,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 1944.

Domar, E. D. and Musgrave, R. A. — “Proportional Income Taxation and Risk-Taking,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1944.

Dowell, A. A. and Toben, G. E. — “Some Economic Effects of Graduated Income Tax Rates on Investors in Farm Capital,” Journal of Farm Economics, May 1944.

Dowsett, W. T. — “The Tax Lag Myth,” Economic Record, December 1944.

Ebersole, J. F. — “Banks Can Make More Postwar Jobs,” Harvard Business Review, Part I, Autumn 1943.

Goode, R. — “The Corporate Income Tax and the Price Level,” American Economic Review, March 1945.

Hubbard, J. C. — “Income Creation by Means of Income Taxation,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, February 1944.

Macy, C. W. — “The Corporation Net Income Tax and the Cost-Price Structure,” Bulletin of National Tax Association, May 1944.

Magill, R. — “Business, Investment and Taxation,” Trusts and Estates, October 1943.

May, G. O. — “Corporate Structures and Federal Income Taxation,” Harvard Business Review, Part I, Autumn 1943.

Wald, H. P. — “A Comparative Analysis of Three Variations of Retail Sales Taxes,” American Economic Review, June 1944.

Ballantine, A. A. — “The Corporation and the Income Tax,” Harvard Business Reivew, Spring 1944.

  1. The Public Debt and Debt Management
    1. Books:

Cadman, F. F. — National Income and Deficit Financing, 1939.

Colwyn Report, Committee on National Debt and Taxation, Cmd. 2800, (1927).

Ellis, P. W. — The World’s Biggest Business —American Public Spending, 1914-1944, 1944.

Fine, Sherwood — Public Spending and Postwar Economic Policy, 1944.

Moulton, H. G. — The New Philosophy of Public Debt, Brookings, 1943.

Phillips, C. F. and Garland, J. V. — Government Spending and Economic Recovery, 1938.

Public Finance and Full Employment, Postwar Economic Studies, Board of Governors, Federal Reserve System, 1946.

Seckler-Hudson, C. (Editor) — The Evolution of the Budgetary Concept in The Federal Government, 1944.

Villard, H. H. — Deficit Spending and the National Income, 1941.

Williams, J. H. — Post War Monetary Plans, (2nd 1945).
(See also titles in other sections)

    1. Articles:

Ratchford, B. U. — “The Burden of a Domestic Debt,” American Economic Review, September 1942.

Haley, B. F. — “The Federal Budget: Economic Consequences of Deficit Financing,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1941.

Hansen, A. H. and Greer, Guy — “The Federal Debt and the Future, Harpers, April 1942.

Higgins, B. and Musgrave, R. A. — “Deficit Finance —The Case Examined,” Public Policy, Volume II, 1941.

Smith, D. T. — “Is Deficit Spending Practical?” Harvard Business Review, Autumn 1939.

Williams, J. H. — “Federal Budget: Economic Consequences of Deficit Spending,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1941.

Williams, J. H. — “The Implications of Fiscal Policy for Monetary Policy and the Banking System,” American Economic Review, Proceedings, 1942.

Mitnitzky, M. — “Aspects of Government Borrowing,” American Economic Review, March 1943.

Roberts, R. O. — “Ricardo’s Theory of Public Debts,” Economica, August 1942.

Domar, E. D. — “The ‘Burden of the Debt’ and the National Income,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Hansen, A. H. — “National Debt, Flexible Budget and Tax Cut,” Bulletin of National Tax Association, May 1944.

Poindexter, J. C. — “Fallacies of Interest-Free Deficit Financing,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1944.

Stettner, Walter F. — “Sir James Stewart on the Public Debt,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, May 1945.

Warburton, Clark. — “The Monetary Theory of Deficit Spending,” Review of Economic Statistics, May 1945.

Wright, D. McC. — “Interest-Free Deficit Financing: A Reply,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, August 1944.

Bell, E. V. — “Consequences of $300,000,000,000 Debt,” Savings Bank Journal, February 1945.

Lanston, A. G. — “Crucial Problems of the Federal Debt,” Harvard Business Review, Winter 1946.

Leland, S. E. — “The Government, the Banks, and the Debt,” Commercial and Financial Chronicle, January 17, 1946.

Slater, A. — “U.S. Debt Pattern,” (Public and Private Debt), Survey of Current Business, September 1945.

Shoup, Carl — “Postwar Federal Interest Charge,” Supplement of American Economic Review, Part 2, June 1944.

Simons, H. C. — “On Debt Policy,” Journal of Political Economy, December 1944.

Simons, H. C. — “Debt Policy and Fiscal Policy,” Rev. of Econ. Stat., May 1946.

Abbott, Charles C. — “Management of the Federal Debt,” Harvard Business Review, Autumn 1945.

Leland, Simeon E. — “Management of the Public Debt After the War,” American Economic Review Supplement, Part 2, June 1944.

Symposium on Fiscal and Monetary Policy, Rev. of Econ. Stat., May 1946.

  1. Fiscal Policy and the War Economy:
    1. Books:

Crowther, G. — Ways and Means of War, 1940.

Crum, Fennelly, Seltzer — Fiscal Planning for Total War, 1942.

Durbin, E. F. M. — How to Pay for the War, 1941.

Harris, S. E. — Economics of American Defense.

Hart and Allen — Paying for Defense, 1941.

Hicks, J. R., Hicks, U. K., and Rostas, L. — The Taxation of War Wealth, 1941.

Keynes, J. M. — How to Pay for the War, Harcourt, 1940.

Parkinson, J. F. — Canadian War Economics, 1941.

Seidemann, H. P. — Curtailment of Non-Defense Expenditures, Brookings Institution Pamphlet No. 30, 1941.

Spiegel, H. W. — The Economics of Total War, 1942.

Stein and Backman (Editors) — War Economics, 1942.

Tax Institute Symposium — Financing the War, 1942.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics — Study of Consumer Purchases, 1939-1941.

    1. Articles

“Billions for Defense,” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, March 1941.

“Bank Credit and War Finance,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, June 1942.

Clark, J. M. — “Further Remarks on Defense Financing and Inflation,” Review of Economic Statistics, August 1941.

Crum, W. L. — “Paying for the War,” Academy of Political Science Proceedings, May 1942.

Douglas, M. — “Limitations of the Financial Factor in a War Economy,” Canadian Journal of Economics and Political Science, August 1942.

Eccles, M. S. — “How Shall We Pay for the War?”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, March 1942.

George, C. O. — “British Public Finance in Peace and War,” Journal of Royal Statistical Society, Part III, 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — “Monetary and Fiscal Controls in Wartime,” Yale Review, Winter 1940.

Hansen, A. H. — “Defense Financing and Inflation Potentialities,” Review of Economic Statistics, February 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — “Some Additional Comments on the Inflation Symposium,” Review of Economics Statistics, May 1941.

Hansen, A. H. and Others — “Some Economic Problems of War, Defense, and Postwar Reconstruction,” American Economic Review, February 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — “We Can Pay the War Bill,” The Atlantic, October 1942.

Hart, A. G. — “Flexible Taxes to Combat Inflation,” American Economic Review, March 1942.

Hart, A. G. — “What It Takes to Block Inflation,” Review of Economic Statistics, August 1942.

Feiler, A. — “‘Full Employment of Resources’ and War Economy,” (Note) Social Research, February 1942.

Mackintosh, W. A. — “Canadian War Financing,” Journal of Political Economy, August 1942.

Polak, J. J. — “Rationing of Purchasing Power to Restrict Consumption,” Economica, August 1941.

Roberts, G. and Others — “War Finance and Inflation,” Academy of Political Science Proceedings, May 1942.

Villard, H. H. — “The Effect of the War Upon Capital Markets,” American Economic Review Proceedings, March 1942.

Viner, J. — “Inflation: Menace or Bogey?” Yale Review, Summer 1942.

Blakey, R. G. and G. C. — “The Revenue Act of 1941,” American Economic Review, December 1941.

Weintraub, S. — “Compulsory Savings in Great Britain,” Harvard Business Review, Autumn 1941.

Hansen, A. H. — “Changes in Economic Structure Arising Out of the War and Their Implications for Public Policy,” Part III, Chapter IV, Public Policy, Volume III, Harvard University, 1942.

Fellner, W. — “War Finance and Inflation,” American Economic Review, June 1942.

Salant, W. A. — “The Inflationary Gap,” American Economic Review, June 1942.

Pigou, A. C. — “Types of War Inflation,” Economic Journal, December, 1941.

Nathan, O. and Fried, M. — “Consumer Spending, Inflation and the Wage Earner in the United States,” International Labour Review, February 1942.

Blakey, R. G. and C. C. — “Federal Revenue Legislation, 1943-44,” American Political Science Review, April 1944.

Ensley, G. W. — “Budget for the Nation,” Social Research, September 1943.

Haig, R. M. — “The Background of Our War Finance,” Political Science Quarterly, September 1943.

Harris, C. L. — “Revenue Implications of a Progressive-Rate Tax on Expenditure,” Review of Economic Statistics, August 1943.

Mosak, J. L. and Salant, W. S. — “Income, Money, and Prices in War-Time,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Newcomer, M. — “Congressional Tax Policies in 1943,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Seligman, H. L. — “Patterns of Wartime Borrowing in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, November 1944.

Allen, E. D. — “Treasury Tax Policies in 1943,” American Economic Review, December 1944.

Hansen, A. H. — “A General View of the Institutional Effects of the War,” American Economic Review Supplement, March 1942.

Musgrave, R. A. and Seligman, H. L. — “The Wartime Tax Effort in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada,” Federal Reserve Bulletin, January 1944.

  1. Fiscal Policy in the Post War:
    1. Books:

Clark, C. — The Conditions of Economic Progress, 1940.

Eccles and Others — Curbing Inflation Through Taxation, Symposium, Tax Institute, 1944.

Galloway, G. B. and Associates — Planning for America, 1941.

Galloway, G. B. — Postwar Planning in the U.S., 1942.

Hansen, A. H. — After the War — Full Employment, National Resources Planning Board, January 1942; Revised, February 1943.

National Planning Association, Pamphlet No. 15 — International Development Loans, September 1942.

Shoup, C. — Federal Finances in the Coming Decade, 1941.

Shoup, Carl; Friedman, Milton; and Mack, Ruth P. — Taxing to Prevent Inflation, 1943.

Financing American Prosperity; 20th Century Fund (1945).

    1. Articles:

Hansen, A. H. — “Wanted: Ten Million Jobs”, Atlantic Monthly, September 1943.

Hansen, Alvin H., and Guy Greer — “Toward Full Use of Our Resources”, Fortune, November 1942.

“From War to Work”, (Articles by Sir Arthur Greenwood, Marriner Eccles, B. Ruml, Sidney Hollman, Walther Nash, Alvin Hansen) Survey Graphic, May 1943.

Clark, J. M. — “Economic Adjustments After Wars: The Theoretical Issues”, American Economic Review Supplement, March 1942.

Blakey, R. G. — “State and Local Postwar Financial Policies”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, March 1944.

Burrell, O. K. — “The Pattern of Postwar Federal Taxes”, Oregon Business Review, December 31, 1944; January 31, 1945.

Butters, J. Keith — “An Appraisal of Postwar Tax Plans”, Harvard Business Review, Winter 1945.

Butters, J. Keith — “Tax Revisions for Reconversion Needs”, Harvard Business Review, Spring 1944.

Eccles, M. S. — “Statement on a Capital Gains Tax to Curb Rising Prices of Capital Values”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, March 1945.

Groves, Harold M. — “Revising the Postwar Federal Tax System”, American Economic Review Supplement, Part 2, June 1944.

Haygood, T. F. — “Federal Fiscal Measures and Agricultural Prosperity”, Agricultural Financial Review, November 1944.

Heer, C. — “Styles in Postwar Taxation”, (Review Article), Bulletin of National Tax Association, December 1944.

Houston, G. S. — “Postwar Taxes: Individuals vs. Corporate Tax Reduction”, Trusts and Estates, December 1944.

Howenstine, E. J., Jr. — “Methods of Federal Financing of Postwar Public Works”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, February 1945.

Lerner, A. P. — “Government Spending, Public Debt and Postwar Taxation”, International Postwar Problems, January 1945.

Lutz, H. L. — “A Postwar Tax Program”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, June 1944.

Musgrave, R. A. — “Three Plans for Postwar Taxation: A Comparison of the CED, Twin Cities and Ruml-Sonne Tax Proposals”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, December 1944.

Shoup, C. — “Three Plans for Postwar Taxation”, American Economic Review, December 1944.

Slichter, S. H. — “Present Savings and Postwar Markets”, Harvard Business Review, Part II, Autumn 1943.

Spero, H. and Leavitt, J. A. — “Inflation as a Postwar Problem”, Journal of Political Economy, August 1943.

Wolman, Leo — “Policies of Postwar Employment”, Political Science Quarterly, December 1943.

“Possibilities of Postwar Inflation and Suggested Tax Action”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, March 1944.

“Slowing Down of Credit Expansion”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, June 1944.

“War Finance and Banking”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, August 1944.

“The Wartime Expansion of Liquid Assets”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, October 1944.

Bell, D. W. — “Financing the War and the Postwar Readjustment”, Federal Reserve Bulletin, January 1944.

Hansen, A. H. and Kindleberger, C. P. — “The Economic Tasks of the Postwar World”, Foreign Affairs, April 1942.

Hansen, A. H. — “Changes in Economic Structure Arising Out of the War and Their Implications for Public Policy”, Public Policy, Volume III, 1942.

Slichter, S. H. — “Postwar Boom or Collapse”, Harvard Business Review, Autumn 1942.

Thorp, W. L. — “Postwar Depressions”, American Economic Review Proceedings, 1941.

Gustin, R. P. and Holme, S. A. — “An Approach to Postwar Planning”, Harvard Business Review, Summer 1942.

  1. Inter-governmental Relations:
    1. Books:

Federal, State, and Local Government Fiscal Relations, U.S. Treasury Department, 1943.

Hansen and Perloff — State and Local Finance in the National Economy, 1944.

Hicks, J. R. and U. K. — Standards of Local Expenditure, Macmillan, New York, 1943.

Silver, A. N. — The Reform of Local Government Finance, 1945.

    1. Articles:

Blakey, R. G. (Chairman) — “Coordination of Federal, State and Local Fiscal Systems”, American Economic Review Supplement, March 1942.

Blakey, R. G. — “State and Local Taxation of Federal Property”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, January 1945.

Graves, W. B. and Scholz, K. W. H. — “Meeting the Needs for State and Local Revenues in the Postwar Era”, American Political Science Review, October 1944.

Haig, R. M. — “Federal-State Financial Relations: A Conscientious Governor Studies a Senate Document,” Political Science Quarterly, June 1944.

Heer, C. — “State and Local Finance in the Postwar Plans of the South,” Southern Economic Journal, January 1945.

Hicks, J. R. and U. K. — “The Beveridge Plan and Local Government Finance”, Review of Economic Studies, Winter, 1943.

Kaiser, A. R. — “Coordination of Federal and Local Revenue Sources”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, November 1944.

Pond, C. B. — “Impact of the War on State Tax Systems”, Bulletin of National Tax Association, November 1943.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in economics, 1895-2003. Box 4, Folder “Economics 1946-47 (2 of 2)”.

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ECONOMICS 128
FISCAL POLICY SEMINAR
1946-1947
TOPICS ON FISCAL POLICY

  1. Fiscal policy as a business-cycle control measure contrasted with fiscal policy as a means for structural readjustment.
  2. The fiscal problems growing out of war and depression contrasted.
  3. Deficit spending and its limits.
  4. A high-consumption economy vs. a high-savings economy.
  5. The dual economy and its relation to stability and full employment; the role of the government corporation (T.V.A., R.F.C., etc.); the program of the British Labor Party.
  6. The relation between income, output, and employment in the short run and in the long run.
  7. The public debt as an instrument of fiscal policy.
  8. The economic background of war-time expansion in the United States compared with that in Great Britain.
  9. Increased production vs. reduced consumption as war-time anti-inflation measures.
  10. Consumption, investment, income, and national expenditure in war time.
  11. The relation and importance of the various war-time control schemes (direct controls, monetary controls, fiscal controls).
  12. The timing of the various control measures in the transition period.
  13. Federal non-armament expenditures during the war.
  14. The control of non-essential investments in war time.
  15. A sharply progressive income tax vs. consumption taxes as a means to reduce war-time consumption.
  16. The relation between taxation and borrowing at different stages in the war and transition periods.
  17. Fiscal policy and the control of inflation in the postwar.
  18. “Easy money” and the role of monetary control in the prevention of postwar inflation.
  19. The taxation of war wealth.
  20. The Keynes plan of deferred wage payments as a means to prevent war-time inflation.
  21. Accumulation of social security reserves as a means to prevent war-time inflation.
  22. Forecasting and the timing of fiscal control measures in the postwar.
  23. Fiscal policy as a measure against:
    1. a postwar inflation,
    2. a postwar slump.
  24. Public investments and relief expenditures in the postwar period.
  25. Fiscal policy and the redistribution of income.
  26. The shift from a “free market” to a planned economy.
  27. British discussions on postwar debt and the wisdom of a capital levy.
  28. British and American postwar debt problems contrasted.
  29. Establishment of a monetary and fiscal authority to administer a flexible fiscal policy.
  30. Effective fiscal policy as a means of securing international stability.
  31. Trends in intergovernmental fiscal relations since the first World War.
  32. The shift of functions toward the central government in Canada and the U.S. and fiscal implications of this development.
  33. Efforts toward limiting the property tax and substituting other tax sources.
  34. A reorganized system of federal, state, and local taxation.
  35. The relation between the spending unit and the revenue-raising unit as a test of financial efficiency.
  36. Administrative reorganization as a prerequisite for intergovernmental fiscal reorganization.
  37. State control of local finance.
  38. Methods of revenue sharing between federal, state, and local government.
  39. The relation between federal, state, and local debt.
  40. Federal fiscal policy and the redistribution of income among the various states.
  41. The impact of the war on the fiscal relations between federal, state, and local government.
  42. War prosperity and the financial situation of the local governmental units.
  43. Trends in federal-local fiscal relations in Australia, Canada, and Great Britain.
  44. The relation between the federal debt and liquid assets.
  45. The relation between the public debt and the money supply.
  46. The public debt and the commercial banks.
  47. The relation between public debt retirement and the maintenance of private savings.
  48. The monetization of the debt.
  49. Interest-free financing proposals.
  50. Debt retirement and the “100 per cent money” proposal.
  51. Recent trend among some economists to emphasize monetary rather than fiscal policy.
  52. The inter-relations between monetary and fiscal policy.
  53. The effect of increased taxation on new enterprise.
  54. The effect of increased taxation on investment.
  55. The effect of increased taxation on consumption.
  56. The effect of modern progressive tax structures (England, Canada, U.S.) on income distribution.
  57. Comparison of the effects of:
    1. capital gains tax,
    2. inheritance tax,
    3. income tax,
      …on enterprise and investment.
  58. Comparison of postwar federal tax plans.
  59. The proposal to tax idle money.
  60. The proposal to underwrite private consumer expenditures.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Alvin Harvey Hansen. Lecture Notes and Other Course Material. Box 1 [might be box 3], Folder “Econs. 148”.

Image Source: Hansen (left), Williams (right). Harvard Class Album, 1942.

 

 

 

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Exam Questions Harvard Suggested Reading

Harvard. Readings, exams for business cycles. Hansen and Haberler, 1942-44

Materials from the 1941-42 course in business cycles co-taught by Gottfried Haberler and Alvin Hansen have been posted earlier. This post adds material for the same courses offered in the next two years.

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Enrollment, 1942-43

45a. [and 145a] (winter term) Professors Hansen and Haberler.—Business Cycles.

Total 45: 10 Graduates, 15 Seniors, 13 Juniors, 5 Sophomores, 1 Public Administration, 1 Other.

Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1942-43, pp. 47.

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SPECIFIC READING ASSIGNMENTS IN ECONOMICS 45a
1943

  1. Types of Cycles and Statistical Materials(about 3 weeks)
    1. Haberler: Prosperity and Depression, Chapters 1, 9, 10,11
    2. Hansen: Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Chapters 1,2
    3. Schumpeter: Business Cycles, pp. 325-351
    4. Schumpeter: “Analysis of Economic Change,” Review of Economic Statistics, May, 1935
    5. Kondratieff: “The Long Waves in Economic Life,” Review of Economic Statistics, November 1935
    6. Federal Reserve Chart Book (Available at the Coop. 50¢)
  2. General Theoretical Analysis
    1. Hansen: Full Recovery or Stagnation?, Chapters 1-2
    2. Haberler: Prosperity and Depression, Chapters 2-4: 7-8; 13
    3. Hansen: Business Cycle Theory, Chapter 4
    4. Hansen: Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Chapters 11,12
    5. Wilson, T., Fluctuations in Income and Employment, (Pitman) 1942.
    6. Hansen: Full Recovery or Stagnation?, Chapters 16-20
  3. Reading Period (Choose A or B):
    1. 1. Mitchell: “Business Cycles,Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Vol. 3, pp. 92-106.
      2. Hansen: Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Chs. 3-5; 16-17; 23-24.
    2. Clark, J.M.: Strategic Factors in Business Cycles (entire book).

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003, Box 3, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943 (2 of 2)”.

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DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
Reading Period
April 26-May 8, 1943

Economics 45a: Choose A or B:

A.

(1) Mitchell, “Business Cycles, Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, Vol. 3, pp. 92-106.
(2) Hansen, Fiscal Policy and Business Cycles, Chs. 3-5; 16-17; 23-24.

B. Clark, J.M., Strategic Factors in Business Cycles(entire book).

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003, Box 3, Folder “Economics, 1942-1943 (1 of 2)”.

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1942-43
HARVARD UNIVERSITY

ECONOMICS 45a
[Final examination, May 1943]

I
(Answer any four questions in Part I)

  1. If the downward movement is cumulative why should it ever come to an end short of zero employment?
  2. Discuss cycles of different length and their possible interrelation and causation. Say something about the literature and state your own opinion.
  3. How is the business cycle as a whole, or particular phases of it, likely to be influenced by the widespread existence of monopolies? State your own opinion and give your reasons for it and, if you like, report about other people’s views.
  4. Is it circular reasoning to say that consumption depends on investment as explained by the multiplier and that investment depends on consumption as stated by the acceleration principle?
  5. “The kind of wave-like movement, which we call the business cycle, is incident to industrial change and would be impossible in an economic world in which there are no industrial innovations and discoveries.” Discuss.
  6. Why is it that the production of durable goods shows wider percentage fluctuations than that of perishable goods? Is this a cause or consequence of the cycle? Suppose by social security payments or otherwise, consumer spending were kept on an even keel (constant or steadily rising), could fluctuations in output and employment then arise?

II
(Answer either A or B)

  1. Discuss the relation of population growth to the business cycle.
  2. What are Clark’s findings about the amplitude of fluctuation in various series? Are these useful in explaining the business cycle?

Source:Harvard University Archives. Final Examinations, 1853-2001. Box 7. Papers Printed for Final Examinations: History, History of Religions,…, Economic,…, Military Science, Naval Science. May, 1943.

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Enrollment, 1943-44

45a. (winter term) Professor Hansen.—Business Cycles.

Total 34: 4 Seniors, 6 Juniors, 2 Sophomores, 2 Freshmen 3 Public Administration, 6 Radcliffe, 9 Navy V-12, 2 ROTC.

145a. (winter term) Professor Hansen.—Business Cycles and Economic Forecasting.

Total 8: 4 Graduates, 3 Public Administration, 1 Other.

Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1943-44, pp. 56, 58.

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1943-44
HARVARD UNIVERSITY

ECONOMICS 45 and 145
[Final examination, February 1944]

  1. Discuss and compare the explanations of the cycle as developed by the following writers:
    1. Schumpeter
    2. Spiethoff
    3. Keynes
  2. Give a full discussion of the factors that bring about a termination of the boom—in short, an explanation of the upper turning point in the cycle. In this connection introduce the views of different cycle theorists, and consider the role of the acceleration principle.
  3. (Undergraduates should choose one of the following; graduates must write on )
    1. What are the strategic factors in business cycles according to Clark?
    2. With respect to Mitchell, discuss:
      1. “specific cycles” and “business cycles”
      2. The various phases of the business cycle.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Final Examinations, 1853-2001. Box 8. Papers Printed for Final Examinations: History, History of Religions,…, Economic,…, Military Science, Naval Science. February, 1944.

Image Source:  Alvin Hansen and Gottfried Haberler in the Harvard Class Album, 1942.

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Harvard. Final exam and possible reading list for mathematical business cycle theory. Goodwin, 1944.

 

The following reading list for what certainly appears to have been a course on business cycles was found in Joseph Schumpeter’s papers. The original typed copy (it is not a carbon copy) is four pages long and lacks a heading with a course name or number, date, or instructor’s name so we cannot even be 100% confident that it can be associated with any Harvard course. It is simply included in a folder with miscellaneous Schumpeter notes (above my pay-grade to extract any more than a random word or two per page from Schumpeter’s scribble cum shorthand).

One important fact is that the latest item on the reading list is an August 1942 Q.J.E. article by Samuelson. So my theory of the case leads me to assume that this artifact comes from a business cycle course taught at Harvard during the 1942-43 or perhaps 1943-44 academic year. I note that Schumpeter taught the courses “Economic of Socialism”, “History and Literature of Economics since 1776”, and “Advanced Economic Theory” in both those years. Neither of the first two titles is anywhere close to a dedicated course on business cycles. A look at the reading lists and exams for the 1941-42 version of “Advanced Economic Theory” finds that economic dynamics (both micro- and macrodynamics)  was one of several topics covered in the second semester, but nothing like the exclusive focus on the theory of business cycle as seen in the reading list below.

Alvin Hansen taught an undergraduate course “Business Cycles” (Economics 45a) and a graduate course “Business Cycles and Economic Forecasting” (Economics 145a), but a reading list with the title “Specific Reading Assignments in Economics 45a” for 1943 and the exams for both Economics 45a and 145a do not give multiplier-accelerator topics as much emphasis as seen in the reading list transcribed in this post.

The only other candidate (assuming that this reading list had been prepared for a Harvard economics course) appears to be the undergraduate course “Introduction to Mathematical Business Cycle Theory” that I believe was taught once and only once at Harvard by Richard M. Goodwin. I find that the “goodness of fit” of the final examination questions to the reading list sufficiently adequate to consider the following reading list and examination questions at least a tentative match for now.

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Reading list,
tentatively matched to Economics 46,
Mathematical Business Cycle Theory

  1. Over-All Picture of the Business Cycle.

Schumpeter, J.A., “The analysis of economic change,” R.E.S., XVII (May, 1935), pp. 2-10.

Knight, F.H., “The business cycle, interest, and money: a methodological approach,” R.E.C., XXIII (1941), pp. 53-67.

  1. Types of Cycles.

Kondratieff, N.D., “The long waves in economic life,” R.E.S., XVII (Nov., 1935), pp. 105-15.

Kitchin, J., “Cycles and trends in economic factors,” R.E.S., V (Jan., 1923), pp. 10-16.

Frickey, Edwin, “The problem of secular trend,” R.E.S., XVI (1934), pp. 199-206.

  1. Econometric Approach.

Tinbergen, J., “Econometric business cycle research,” R.Ec.Stud., VII (1940), pp. 73-90.

Keynes, J.M., “The statistical testing of business-cycle theories,” E.J., XLIX (Sept., 1939), pp. 558-68; and Tinbergen-Keynes, “On a method of statistical research,” E.J., L (March, 1940), pp. 141-156.

  1. Saving and Investment.

Lutz, F.A., “Outcome of the saving-investment discussion,” Q.J.E., LII (1937-38).

Lerner, A.P., “Saving and investment: definitions, assumptions, objectives,” Q.J.E., LIII (1938-39), pp. 611-19.

Lange, O., “Saving in process analysis,” ibid., pp. 620-22.

Ohlin, Bertil, “Some notes on the Stockholm theory of saving and investment,” E.J., XLVII (1937), pp. 53-69; 221-40.

  1. Keynesian Economics.

Hicks, J.R., “Mr. Keynes’s theory of employment,” E.J., XLVI (1936), pp. 238-53.

Lange, O., “The rate of interest and the optimum propensity to consume,” Economica, V (new series, 1938), pp. 12-32.

  1. Spending Policy and Multiplier.

Kahn, R.F., “The relation of home investment to unemployment,” E.J., XLI (1931), pp. 173-98.

Clark, J.M., “An appraisal of the workability of compensatory devices,” A.E.R., (1939, Suppl.), pp. 194-209.

Williams, J.H., “Deficit spending,” A.E.R., XXX (Feb., 1941, Suppl.), pp. 52-66.

Machlup, F. “Period analysis and multiplier theory,” Q.J.E., LIV (1939-40), pp. 1-27.

Samuelson, P.A., “Fiscal policy and income determination,” Q.J.E., LVI (Aug., 1942), pp. 575-605.

  1. Acceleration Principle.

Aftalion, A., “The theory of economic cycles based on the capitalistic technique of production,” R.E.S., IX (1927), pp. 165-70.

Clark, J.M., “Business acceleration and the law of demand: a technical factor in economic cycles,” J.P.E., Vol. 25 (March, 1917), pp. 217-35. Reprinted with additional note in Preface to Social Economics.

Tinbergen, J., “Statistical evidence on the acceleration principle,” Economica, V (1938, new series), pp. 164-176.

  1. Dynamic Models Involving Multiplier and Acceleration Principle.

Samuelson, P.A., “A synthesis of the principle of acceleration and the multiplier,” J.P.E., XLVII (1939), pp. [no pages given]

Kaldor, N., “Model of the trade cycle,” E.J., March, 1940.

  1. Monetary Theory of the Business Cycle.

Hawtrey, R.G., “The trade cycle,” Dutch Economist and reprinted in Trade and Credit, London, 1928, pp. 82-104.

Hayek, F.A., “Price expectations, monetary disturbances and malinvestments,” first published in German in Nationalökonomisk Tidskrift, Vol. 73, No. 3, 1935. Reprinted in Profits, Interest and Investment, London, 1939, pp. 135-57.

  1. Overconsumption Theory and Secular Stagnation Thesis.

Robertson, D.H., “A survey of modern monetary controversy,” Manchester School, 1938.

Hansen, A.H., “Progress and declining population,” A.E.R., XXIX (1939), pp. 1-15.

Neisser, Hans, “General overproduction,” J.P.E., XLII (1934), pp. 433-65.

Kaldor, N., “Stability and full employment,” E.J., XLVIII (1938), pp. 642-57.

Ellis, H.S., “Monetary policy and investment,” A.E.R., XXX (1940), pp. [no pages given]

  1. Harvest Cycles and Other Special Cycles.

Jevons, H.S., “The causes of fluctuations of industrial activity and the price level,” J.R.S.S., XCVI (1933), pp. 545-88. Discussion, ibid., pp. 588-605.

Derksen, J.B.D., “Long cycles in residential building, an explanation,” Econometrica, VIII (1940), p. 10.

Long, C.D., “Long cycles in the building industry,” Q.J.E., LIII (1938-39), pp. 371-403.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Joseph Schumpeter Papers. Lecture Notes Box 2, Folder “Notes”.

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Course Enrollment

[Economics] 46. (spring term) Dr. Goodwin.—Introduction to Mathematical Business Cycle Theory.

Total 4: 3 Navy V-12, 1 Radcliffe.

Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1943-44, p. 56.

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1943-44
HARVARD UNIVERSITY

ECONOMICS 46
Introduction to Mathematical Business Cycle Theory
[Final examination, June 1944]

Part I
Answer both questions.

  1. Suppose an economic system completely characterized by the multiplier and acceleration principles. Further suppose all data in annual terms and a one year lag in the expenditure of income. If the system shows oscillations with an 8.5 year period, and an amplitude increasing continuously at a .02 rate, what are the values of \alpha , the marginal propensity to consume, and of \gamma , the acceleration coefficient? Secondly, suppose, being a New Dealer with a difference, you desire to abolish economic cycles. If the values of \alpha and of \gamma were open to governmental control, state one pair of values for \alpha and \gamma , at which you might aim and why.
  2. Describe cursorily as many as possible types of ‘dynamization’ useful in business cycle theory and indicate, where you can, your evaluation of their relative importance.

 

Part II
Answer any two, or three, or four questions.

  1. Explain the economic meaning of the following terms: endogenous, initial conditions, phase constant (epoch), stationary, static, amplitude, dynamic, and over-damped.
  2. Discuss thoroughly the role of damping in quantitative cycle theories.
  3. Do you consider it a correct appraisal of Tinbergen’s statistical work to say: “The method is one neither of discovery nor of criticism”?
  4. What economic assumptions are involved in the use of second order, homogeneous, linear differential and difference equations with constant coefficients?
  5. “Is it possible that there could be a cyclical fluctuation in a system, all the ultimate independent determinants of which had fixed regression coefficients and were in linear correlation with their consequences, except in the case where one of the ultimate determinants is itself a periodic function of time (e.g. sun spots)? Where and how does the element of reversal come in?….I should like to know the answer?” How would you answer Lord Keynes? Be concrete.
  6. Give one example of how inventories may be introduced into cycle analysis and show the more important consequences.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Final Examinations, 1853-2001. Box 9. Papers Printed for Final Examinations: History, History of Religions,…, Economic,…, Military Science, Naval Science. June, 1944.

Image Source: Richard M. Goodwin, in the Harvard Album, 1946.