Friend of Economics in the Rear-view Mirror, Karin Papp, has provided us a copy of this photo of Oskar Morgenstern (her father) and John von Neumann dressed for the beach. The history of economics is one digital artifact richer, thank you Karin!
I propose we give this snapshot the title “The Theory of Games: Beach Blanket Bingo edition”.
Incidentally, Oskar Morgenstern was named #38 in the Economists Wearing Bowties collection of this blog.
While searching for traces of Jacob Marschak in the digitized archives on-line for the New School for Social Research, I came across the following press release about a one-day conference on mathematization of the social sciences that featured R. Duncan Luce, William S. Vickrey, Tjalling C. Koopmans and Jacob Marschak among others. Perhaps papers or notes from the conference can be located by a fellow historian of social sciences?
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Conference on “The State of Mathematization of the Social Sciences”
Press release from The New School for Social ResearchTHE NEW SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL RESEARCH.
66 West Twelfth Street, New York 11, New YorkFrom: Agnes de Lima
Director of Information
Regon 5-2700FOR RELEASE
May 21, 1958
MAILED May 21 to city editors of dailies
Mathematical methods in the social sciences—in psychology, sociology and economics—will be discussed by nine leading scholars at an all-day conference to be held at the New School for Social Research, Sunday, May 25. Scholars drawn from Columbia, Harvard, Princeton and Yale will address the conference which meets at 10:30 A.M. and again at 2:30 P.M. Dr. Henry Margenau, Eugene Higgins Professor of Natural History and Physics at Yale, will preside.
Dr. William Gruen, associate professor of philosophy at New York University, will introduce the speakers. He described the conference, which bears the rather formidable title, “The State of Mathematization of the Social Sciences,” as in the nature of a progress report on the application of the game theory, and related theoretical techniques developed by the late distinguished mathematical physicist John von Neumann of Princeton University. Much of the conference, he said, will deal with the extension of the line of research begun by the epoch-making work of Drs. Von Neumann and Oscar Morgenstern, also of Princeton, on “The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior.”
Speakers at the morning session include Robert R. Bush, associate professor of applied mathematics, New York School for Social Work, Columbia; R. Duncan Luce, lecturer, Department of Social Relations, Harvard; and William S. Vickrey, associate professor of economics, Columbia. Carl G. Hempel, professor of philosophy, Princeton, will comment.
In the afternoon session addresses will be made by Tjalling C. Koopmans, professor of economics, Yale; Jacob Marschak, professor of economics, Yale; Paul F. Lazarsfeld, professor of sociology and chairman of the Department of Sociology, Columbia. Ernest Nagel, John Dewey Professor of Philosophy, Columbia, and Orville G. Brim, Russell Sage Foundation, will comment.
The meeting is sponsored by the Conference on Methods in Philosophy and the Sciences organized in 1957 by a group of top-ranking scholars from leading universities. This is the 43rd [sic, probably “3rd”] semi-annual gathering at the New School.
Dr. Margenau is chairman of the conference and Dr. Gruen is secretary-treasurer. Dr. Horace M. Kallen, research professor in social philosophy and professor emeritus of the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science of the New School, is honorary president.
Note to Editor: While next Sunday’s Conference on Methods in Philosophy and the Sciences is a scholar’s conference and some of the papers will be technical in nature your reporter can we believe gain some highly interesting material on the light thrown on human motivation and behavior by the application of mathematical methods in the fields of psychology, sociology and economics. Leading corporations in the country in recognition of this fact are increasingly employing mathematicians on their staffs. We suggest that your reporter get in touch with Dr. William Gruen at the conference.
Above “Note to Ed” added to copies of release for NY Times and Herald Trib.
Source: New School for Social Research (New York, N.Y.: 1919-1997). Announcement of a conference “The State of Mathematization of the Social Sciences“. May 21 1958. New School press release collection. New School Archives and Special Collections Digital Archive. Web. 07 Mar 2019.
Image Source: Exterior of 66 West 12th Street Building of The New School. 1930 – 1960. New School photograph collection; Buildings and campus (NS040101.SII). New School Archives and Special Collections Digital Archive. Web. 07 Mar 2019.