Besides documenting the figure of 5.8% of the MIT economics Ph.D.s granted during the period 1960-1972 going to women, the correspondence between the heads of the UCLA and MIT departments transcribed for this post indicates that there could be up to 14 other departmental responses to the UCLA request in 1972 regarding the gender breakdown of economics Ph.D.s. Can somebody check the UCLA archives for us?
_________________
UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90024
19 September 1972
Chairman
Department of Economics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139
Dear Sir:
The Administration of the University has requested that I obtain from the fifteen best Departments of Economics (as judged by the Roose-Anderson Report) data concerning women Ph.D.s. First, how many women Ph.D.s did you produce from 1960-65, 1965-70, and 1970-72? Second, our Administration wishes specific information on those women with Ph.D.s, or those nearing completion, whom you would recommend for academic appointments.
While it might appear that this Department is about to initiate a policy of discrimination in favor of women, I want to emphasize that we shall continue to select our faculty solely on the basis of merit. Therefore, this year, as in past years, we should very much appreciate information concerning all of your Ph.D.s available for employment in 1973-74.
Sincerely,
[signed]
J.C. La Force
Chairman
JCL:aa
[Note: Kenneth D. Roose and Charles J. Andersen, A Rating of Graduate Programs, American Council on Education, Washington, D.C. 1970.]
_________________
Carbon copy of E. Cary Brown’s response
September 28, 1972
Professor J. C. La Force
University of California, Los Angeles
Department of Economics
Los Angeles, California 90024
Dear Professor La Force:
The data you requested are as follows:
|
Ph.D. Awarded |
||
| Women |
Men |
|
| July 1, 1960—June 30, 1965 |
5 |
76 |
| July 1, 1965—June 30, 1970 |
7 |
95 |
| July 1, 1965—June 30, 1972 |
1 |
40 |
| [Total] |
13 |
211 |
We have not yet compiled a list of the potential supply of Ph.D.’s for next year. I will ask Professor Evsey Domar to call to your attention such women candidates as he would recommend to you. If the list is a sgood as last year’s, they could all be enthusiastically supported.
Very truly yours,
E. Cary Brown, Head
ECB/jfc
Source: M.I.T. Institute Archives. MIT Department of Economics Records, Box 2, Folder Ph.D. Program Statistics