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Business Cycles Exam Questions Harvard Money and Banking Syllabus

Harvard. Exams and assigned reading for money, banking, commercial crises. Williams and Harris, 1938-1939

 

In the previous post, Economics 41, 938-39 (Paper topics), historians of modern economics will find a transcription of 31 typed pages of paper topics with suggested references for the Harvard undergraduate course “Money, Banking and Commercial Crises” taught by Professor John H. Williams and Associate Professor Seymour E. Harris in 1938-39.

Today’s post adds enrollment figures, course reading assignments (when found) and the final exams for that course.

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Course Material from a Few Other Years

1937-38
1940-41
1941-42

_________________________

Course Announcement

Economics 41. Money, Banking, and Commercial Crises

Mon., Wed., and (at the pleasure of the instructor) Fri., at 2. Professor Williams and Associate Professor Harris

Source: Harvard University Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Announcement of the Courses of Instruction during 1938-39 (second edition), p. 148.

_________________________

Course Enrollment

[Economics] 41. Professor Williams and Associate Professor Harris. — Money, Banking, and Commercial Crises.

Total 181: 1 Graduate, 37 Seniors, 106 Juniors, 32 Sophomores, 1 Freshman, 4 Others.

Source: Harvard University. Annual Report of the President of Harvard College, 1938-39, p. 98.

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First Term Reading List
[Note: First term reading list is identical to that for 1937-38]

ECONOMICS 41
Readings: First Term

  1. The Nature and Functions of Banking
    1. Dunbar, “Theory and History of Banking”, Chs. 1, 2, 3, 4, pp. 1-60
    2. White, “Money and Banking”, Ch. 16, pp. 349-372
  2. The Creation of Deposits
    1. Phillips, “Bank Credit”, Ch. 3, pp. 32-77
    2. Currie, “Supply and Control of Money in the U.S.” Chs. 5, 6, 7, pp. 46-63.
  3.  Note Issue
    1.  Dunbar, “Theory and History of Banking”, Ch. 5, pp. 60-81
    2. Currie, “Supply and Control”, Ch. 10, pp. 110-115
  1. Commercial Loan Theory
    1. Robertson, “Money”, Ch. 5, рр. 92-117
    2. Currie, “Supply and Control”, Ch. 4, pp. 34-46
  2. U.S. Banking History
    1. White, “Money and Banking”, Chs. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, pp. 387-529
  3. The Federal Reserve System
    1. Dunbar, “Theory and History”, Ch. 6, pp. 81-110
    2. Burgess, “Federal Reserve Banks and the Money Market”, pp. 1-327
    3. Federal Reserve Bulletin, July, 1935: “Supply and Use of Member Bank Reserve Funds”, pp. 419-428
    4. Currie, “Supply and Control”, etc., Chs. 8, 9, pp. 83-110
    5. Hardy, “Credit Policies of the Federal Reserve System”, Chs. 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, рр. 34-243
  4.  Recent Banking Changes
    1. White, “Banking”, Chs. 29, 30, pp. 670-738.
  5. Foreign Banking Systems
    1. Dunbar, “Theory and History”, Chs, 8, 9, 10, pp. 139-235
Reading Period
January 5-18, 1939

Economics 41: Read one of the following:

Hardy, Federal Reserve Policy.
Hawtrey, Art of Central Banking, pp. 116-303.
Keynes, Treatise on Money, Vol. II, Book VII.

Reading Period
May 8-31, 1939

Economics 41: Read one of the following:

  1. a. Robertson and Pigou, Economic Essays and Addresses, pp. 95-138.
    b. Robertson, Banking Policy and Price Level.
  2. Durbin, Problems of Credit Policy.
  3. Keynes, Tract on Monetary Reform.
  4. Keynes, Treatise on Money, Ch. 30 and Book VII.
  5. Committee on Finance and Industry (Macmillan Report), Report and Addenda 1 and 3.
  6. Wicksell, Interest and Prices.
  7. Hawtrey, Capital and Employment, Chs. 7-11 inclusive.
  8. Harrod, Trade Cycle.
  9. Marget, Theory of Prices, Chs. XI-XVI.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1895-2003.Box 2, Folder “Economics 1938-1939”.

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1938-39
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS 41
Money and Banking
[Mid-Year Examination]

  1. (One hour.) The Supply and Use of Member Bank Reserve Funds.
(In millions of dollars)
From June 1927
to Dec. 1927
From Dec. 1927
to June 1928
Bills discounted +132 +423
Bills bought +170 –163
U.S. Government securities +227 –391
Other Reserve Bank credit –11 –14
Monetary gold stock –204 –282
Treasury currency +3 +1
Money in circulation +238 –345
Treasury cash and deposits with Federal Reserve banks –12 –14
Non-member deposits –6 +1
Other Federal Reserve accounts +6 +21
Member Bank reserve balances +91 –89

(a) What is the meaning of each of the above items?

(b) Present, in the form of a balance, a statement indicating the effects of changes in the above items on member bank reserve balances for each of the two periods.

(c) What conclusions do you draw regarding (1) the condition of the money market, (2) member bank policy, (3) Federal Reserve policy?

  1. Write on one of the following questions.

(a) What is the “Commercial Loan Theory” of bank assets? Would banking policy, based on this theory, provide the right quality of bank assets? the right quantity of money?

(b) Discuss the functions of reserves in a modern banking system, distinguishing the case of member banks from that of central banks, and give your views on the various solutions that have been proposed for the reserve problem.

(c) What are the attributes of a good bank note? Give your critical opinion of the following: the national bank note, the Bank of England note, the Bank of France note, the Federal Reserve note.

  1. Trace

(a) the evolution of Federal Reserve objectives since the establishment of the system and indicate to what extent you think these objectives have been attained;

or

(b) the development of instruments of control of the Federal Reserve system, and evaluate their effectiveness.

  1. Discuss the banking weaknesses in the U.S. revealed by crises in the period (a) before the war, or (b) after the war.
  2. Write on one of the following: (Reading period.)

(a) Keynes: Compare the effectiveness of central bank control over the supply of money in England and the U.S.

(b) Hardy: Discuss Federal Reserve policy and speculation, 1927 to 1929.

(c) Hawtrey: Using historical illustrations, discuss the effect of the experience of the Bank of England on current central bank theory and practice.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Harvard University, Mid-year Examinations 1852-1943. Box 12.  Papers Printed for Mid-Year Examinations [in] History, History of Religions, … , Government, Economics, … , Naval Science (January-February, 1939) in the bound volume Mid-Year Examinations—1939.

1938-39
HARVARD UNIVERSITY
ECONOMICS 41
[Year-end Examination]

Answer Question 1 and two others.

  1. Reading Period
    Present and comment upon the views expressed in the reading period assignment on the relation between (a) money and prices or (b) money and economic fluctuations.
  2. Monetary authorities try increasingly to influence the rate of interest. Are they likely to be reasonably successful? If they are successful in controlling the rate of interest, are they likely to attain what you consider the proper objectives of monetary policy?
  3. Answer (a) or (b).
    1. Is it your view that the recent breakdown of the gold standard is to be explained by poor management or by fundamental economic factors?
    2. What advantages over the gold standard has a system of free or variable exchanges?
  4. Discuss one of the following:
    1. Under-consumption theories of the trade cycle
    2. Investment theories of the trade cycle
    3. Monetary theories of the trade cycle
  5. Compare the treatment of velocity in the Fisher and the Cambridge versions of the quantity theory.
  6. “Nowhere do conservative notions consider themselves more in place than in currency; yet nowhere is the need of innovation more urgent.” Discuss.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Harvard University. Final Examinations, 1853-2001. Box 4: Papers Printed for Final Examinations [in] History, History of Religions, … , Government, Economics, … , Naval Science (June, 1939).

Image Source: 1935 one U.S. dollar silver certificates.  From the United States Paper Money Currency webpage at the U.S. Paper Money website.

Categories
Business Cycles Harvard Macroeconomics Money and Banking Paper Topics Suggested Reading

Harvard. Suggested paper topics and references for money and banking. Williams and Harris, 1938-1939

Economics in the Rear-view Mirror is extremely proud to provide a comprehensive, granular set of references suggested for 137 possible topics for papers to be written in the undergraduate course “Money, Banking, and Commercial Crises” jointly taught by Professor John Henry Williams and Associate Professor Seymour Edwin Harris during the 1938-39 academic year at Harvard College. We have before us the vista of the breaking dawn of Keynesian macroeconomics as experienced by Harvard undergraduates(!).

Warning: I have encountered numerous misprints and I have corrected/edited when noticed. I have tried to transcribe accurately but the devil of typos is unlikely to be contained over 30 pages. Nonetheless I believe the value of the material transcribed below is hardly diminished by cooking and serving this document on the rare side. Certain items are included in many topics, giving an indication of their scope but also an indication of their importance in the eyes of the instructors.

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Course Material from the Other Years

1937-38
1940-41
1941-42

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Source: Harvard University Archives.

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Suggested Topics for Theses
in Economics 41
1938-39

I. COMMERCIAL BANKING AND THE MONEY MARKET [General References]

  1. Creation of Bank Deposits
  2. Growth of Bank Deposits since the War
  3. Guarantee of Bank Deposits
  4. Principles of Bank Note Regulation
  5. Role of Bank Notes in the U.S.
  6. Systems of Note Issue
  7. Velocity of Circulation
  8. Bank Assets from a Banker’s Viewpoint
  9. Bank Expenses
  10. Bank Failures
  11. Excess Reserves
  12. Member Bank Reserve Requirements
  13. 100% Reserve Plan
  14. The Banking Principle vs. the Currency Principle
  15. Competition of State and National Banks
  16. New York as International Financial Center
  17. Money Market in some one Year
  18. American Discount Market
  19. Agricultural Credit
  20. Eligible Paper
  21. Brokers’ Loans
  22. Collateral Loans vs. One Name Paper
  23. Interrelation of Rates of Interest
  24. Causes of Stock Market Crash
  25. Causes and Results of Bank Holiday
  26. Causes of Decline of Commercial Loans
  27. Banks and the Public Debt
  28. Federal Credit Agencies
  29. Bank Reform
  30. Nationalization of Banking
  31. Branch and Chain Banking
  32. Branch Banking in Britain
  33. Branch Banking in Canada
  34. Branch Banking in Russia
  35. Cunliffe Report on British Currency
  36. Monetary Developments in Some Countries Since the War

II. CENTRAL BANKING [General References]

  1. Development of Central Banking Functions
  2. Organization of Federal Reserve System
  3. Bank Act of 1933
  4. Bank Act of 1935
  5. Review of Federal Reserve Policy for Some Period
  6. Open Market Operations
  7. Varying Reserve Requirements
  8. Acceptance Market and the Federal Reserve System
  9. Industrial Advances of the Federal Reserve Banks
  10. Criteria of Monetary Policy
  11. Criteria of Federal Reserve Policy
  12. Neutral Money
  13. Price Stabilization: The Strong Bills
  14. Price vs. Economic Stabilization
  15. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Credit Control
  16. Central Bank Policy and Speculation
  17. Central Bank Policy and Agriculture
  18. Fiscal Function of Federal Reserve Board
  19. Bank Correspondent Relationship under Federal Reserve System
  20. Effectiveness of Central Bank Control
  21. Treasury Control of Monetary Policy
  22. Bank of England and London Money Market
  23. Central Banking in France
  24. Central Banking in Canada
  25. Cooperation of Central Banks

III. THE BUSINESS CYCLE — Analysis and Policy [General References]

  1. Causes of the Depression
  2. Critical Discussion of One Theory of the Business Cycle: Pigou / Robertson / Keynes / Hayek / Hawtrey / Mitchell
    Foster and Catchings / Schumpeter / Harrod
  3. Monetary Theory of the Trade Cycle
  4. Review of Warren and Person: Prices
  5. Period of Production and the Trade Cycle
  6. Review of Hayek: Prices and Production
  7. Theory of Forced Savings
  8. Theory of Bank Rates
  9. Installment Selling and the Business Cycle
  10. Underconsumption Theory of the Trade Cycle
  11. The Dilemma of Thrift
  12. Major Douglas’ Social Credit
  13. Fisher’s Compensated Dollar (Commodity Dollar)
  14. 100% Reserve Plan
  15. Public Expenditure and Prices
  16. The Theory of Public Works
  17. The Multiplier

78a Durable Consumer Goods and the Business Cycle
79b Construction and the Business Cycle
78c The Acceleration Principle
78d The Theory of the Long Waves

IV. MONETARY THEORY [General References]

  1. English Monetary Theory during the Napoleonic Wars
  2. Nominalistic vs. Metallistic Conception of Money
  3. Transaction vs. Cash Balances Approach to the Quantity Theory of Money
  4. Keynes’ Theory of Money
  5. Marshall as a Monetary Theorist
  6. Cannan as a Monetary Theorist
  7. Robertson’s Theory of Money
  8. Hawtrey’s Theory of Money
  9. Knapp’s Theory of Money
  10. Fisher’s Theory of Money
  11. Nature of Credit

V. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY RELATIONS AND POLICY [General References]

  1. Pre-War and Post-War Gold Standards
  2. Great Britain’s Return to the Gold Standard in 1925
  3. Stabilization of the Lira
  4. France and the Gold Standard
  5. The Gold Bloc
  6. Causes and Consequences of England’s Departure from Gold
  7. Methods of Return to the Gold Standard
  8. Present Outlook for the Gold Standard
  9. Gold Exchange Standard
  10. Gold Movements since the War
  11. Gold Distribution and the Depression
  12. Is there a Gold Shortage?
  13. Methods to economize Gold
  14. Exchange Depreciation and World Recovery
  15. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Japan
  16. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Sweden
  17. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Britain
  18. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Australia
  19. Exchange Depreciation Experience of U.S.
  20. Exchange Central
  21. Sterling-Dollar-Franc Triangle
  22. The “Gentlemen’s Agreement”
  23. British Equalization Fund
  24. Gold Buying Policy and Devaluation
  25. Recent Silver Policy of the United States
  26. Monetary Consequences of the Fall in the Price of Silver
  27. Flexible Parities
  28. Hot Money
  29. Exchange Rates Under Incontrovertible Paper
  30. Purchasing Power Parity vs. Balance of Payment Theory of the Determination of Exchange Rates
  31. International vs. National Objectives of Monetary Policy
  32. Measures of Over-valuation
  33. The International Transfer of Purchasing Power
  34. The Forward Exchange Market
  35. Spreading the Gold Points and Short Term Capital Movements
  36. American Export of Capital since the War
  37. International Short Term Balances and the Depression
  38. Tariff Policy and the Depression
  39. Bank of International Settlement

VI. MISCELLANEOUS [No General References]

  1. War Finance
  2. The Reparations Controversy
  3. War Debts
  4. Fall of Prices: 1873-96
  5. Rise of Prices: 1896-1913
  6. Price Movement since the War
  7. Probable Future Trend of Prices
  8. Changes in the Value of Money and the Distribution of Wealth
  9. Monetary and Financial Questions Raised by the Social Security Program

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

SUGGESTED TOPICS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
FOR COURSE THESES
IN ECONOMICS 41

I. COMMERCIAL BANKING AND THE MONEY MARKET

General References [Return]

Allen, A. M., et al. – Commercial Banking Legislation and Control

Westerfield, R. B. – Money, Credit and Banking

Thomas, R. G. – Modern Banking

Willis, H.P. and Chapman, J.M. – the Banking Situation: American Post-War Problems

Willis, H.P., Chapman, J.M., and Robey, R.W. – Contemporary Banking

Bogin, J.I., Foster, M.B., Nadler, M. – Money and Banking

  1. Creation of Bank Deposits [Return]

Phillips, C.A. – Bank Credit

  1. Growth of Bank Deposits since the War [Return]

Mills, F. C. – Economic Tendencies

– Memoranda on Commercial Banks

– Annual Publications

Goldschmidt, R.W. – The Changing Structure of American Banking

Phillips, C.A., McManus, T.F., – Banking and the Business Cycle

Currie, L. – The Economic Distribution of Demand Deposits – Journ. Amer. Stat. Assn., June 1938

Hartzel, E. – Time Deposits – Harvard Bus. Rev., October 1934

  1. Guarantee of Bank Deposits [Return]

Robb, T. B. – Guarantee of Bank Deposits (1921)

Blocker, J.G. – Guarantee of State Bank Deposits – Univ. of Kansas, Bur. of Bus. Research, Bull. 11, July 1929.

Emerson, Guy – Guarantee of Deposits under Banking Act of 1933, Quart. Journ. Econ., Feb. 1934

Association of Reserve City Bankers – Guarantee of Bank Deposits, 1933

American Banker’s Assn. – Economic Policy Committee – Guarantee or Bank Deposits 1933

Federal Reserve Bulletin – Oct., 1933

Business Week – April 1933

Bankers Magazine – June 1933

Hodgson, J. G. – Federal Control of Banking

Faust, M. L. – The Security of Public Deposits

Crowley, L. T. – Has Federal Deposit Insurance Strengthened the Banking System? – Banker’s Mag., Jan. 1938

Wilcox, V. – Vast Powers of the FDIC – Annalist Nov. 8,1935

Bradford, F. A. – Angell, The Behavior of Money, Quart. Journ. Econ., Feb. 1937

FDIC – Federal Reserve Bulletin – Oct., 1936

Woolsey, J. B. – The Permanent Plan for the Insurance of Bank Deposits, South. Econ. Jour. Apr. 1936

Fox, M.J. – Deposit Insurance as an Influence for Stabilizing the Banking Structure – Jour. Amer. Stat. Assn., Mar. 1936

Hoffman, C. W. – Federal Insurance of Deposits: The New Law and How it Works – Jour. of Ann. Ins. Assn., Nov. 1934

Kimmel, L.H. – Federal Deposit Insurance – Conf. Board Bull, July 10, 1934

Smith, A. A. – Guaranty of Bank Deposits – Social Science Quarterly, July 1934

Toggert, J.H. and Jennings, L.D. – The Insurance of Bank Deposits – Jour. Pol. Econ. August 1934

Emerson, G.– Guaranty of Deposits Under the Banking Act of 1933 – Quart. Journl. Econ., Feb.1934

  1. Principles of Bank Note Regulation [Return]

Simmons, E.C. – The Concept of Lawful Money – Journ. Pol. Econ. Feb. 1938

  1. Role of Bank Notes in the U. S. [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Conant, C. A. – History of Modern Banks of Issue

Dunbar, C. F. – History of National Bank Currency

Folwell, W.W. – Evolution of Paper Money in U.S.

Hepburn, A. B. – History of Currency in U.S.

Rawie, H. L. – Fed. Res. Notes

Sumner, A. B. – History of American Currency

Simmons, E. C. – Elasticity of Fed. Res. Note – Amer. Econ. Rev., Dec. 1936

Simmons, E. C. – The Concept of Lawful Money – Jour. Pol. Econ. Feb. 1938

Brinton, C. – History of Paper Money to the War – Journ. of Modern History, Sept. 1934

  1. Systems of Note Issue [Return]

Simmons, E.C. – The Concept of Lawful Money – Journ. Pol.Econ. Feb. 1938

  1. Velocity of Circulation [Return]

Steinar, W. H. – Money and Banking

Keynes, J.M – Treatise on Money

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Hawtrey, R. G. – Currency and Credit

Anderson, – Value of Money

Laughlin, J. L. – Principles of Money

Fisher, I. – Purchasing Power of Money

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Foster, W.F. and Catchings, W., – Money

Foster, W.F. and Catchings, W., – Profits

Marshall, A. – Money, Credit and Commerce

Burgess, W. R. – Jour. Am. Statis. Ass., Vol. 18, #2

Lounsbery, A. W. – Quart. Jour. Econ., Nov. 1931

Lounsbery, A. W. – Quart. Jour. Econ., May 1933

Marget, A. W. – Jour. Pol. Econ., June and Aug. 1932

Marget, A. W. – Quart. Jour. Econ., Nov. 1932

Marget, A. W. – Theory of Prices

Marget, A. W. – The Velocity of Circulation – Quart. Journ. Econ. May 1934

Working, H. – Quart. Jour. Econ., 1923

Ellis, H. S. – German Monetary Theory

Ellis, H. S. – Some Fundamentals in the Theory of Velocity – Quart. Jour. Econ., May 1938

Dahlberg, Arthur – When Capital Goes on Strike: How to Speed up Spending

Angell, J. W. – The Behavior of Money

Angell, J. W. – Components of the Circular Velocity of Money, Quart. Journ. Econ., Feb. 1937

Bradford, F. A. – Angell, The Behavior of Money – Quart. Jour. Econ., Feb. 1937

King, W. I. – Recent Monetary Experiments and Their Effect on the Theory of Money and Prices – Jour. Amer. Stat. Assn., Aug. 1935

Gilbert, J. C. – A Note in Banking Policy and the Income-Velocity of Circulation of Money – Economica, May 1934

  1. Bank Assets from a Banker’s Viewpoint [Return]

Natl. Indus. Conf. Board – Banking Situation in the U.S.

Mitchell, W. F. – Uses of Bank Funds

Ostrolenk, B. and Massie – How Banks Buy Bonds

Atkins, P. M. – Banks’ Secondary Reserves and Investment Policies

Bradford, F. A. – Banking

Moulton, H. G. – Financial Organization of Society

Langston and Whitney – Banking Practice

Goldschmidt, R. W. – The Changing Structure of American Banking

Foulke, R. A. – Commercial Paper in the Banking System – Banking, Feb. 1935

Carson, W. J. – Trends of Principal Earning Assets – Amer. Stat. Assn., June 1938

  1. Bank Expenses [Return]

Bradford, F. A. – Banking

Fed. Res. Bank – Annual Reports

Secrist, H. – Banking Ratios

Powlison, K. – Profits of Natl. Banks

Natl. Indus. Conf. Board – Banking Situation in the U.S.

Stark, W. L. – Bank Expenses

Thompson, D. S. – Trends of Bank Earnings and Expenses – Am Stat. Assn., June 1938

  1. Bank Failures [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Spahr, W. – Bank Failures in U.S.– Am. Econ. Rev. Suppl. 1932

Tebbutt, A. R. – Bank Failures in Natl. Banking System

Annals of Amer. Acad. Pol. and Soc. Science – Jan. 1933 – Bank Failures

Industrial Arts Index, 1935 and 1934

Goldschmidt, R. M. – The Changing Structure of American Banking

Anderson, T. J. – Federal and State Control of Banking

  1. Excess Reserves [Return]

Edie, L. D. – Easy Money

Guaranty Survey, Jan. 1936 – Problem of Excess Reserves and Business Recovery

  1. Member Bank Reserve Requirements [Return]

Report of Committee on Bank Reserves of Fed. Res. System

Currie, L. B. – Supply and Control of Money

Rodkey, R. G. – Legal Reserves in American Banking – Michigan Bus. Studies, Vol. VI, No. 5

Watkins, L. L. – The Variable Reserve Ratio – Journ. Pol. Econ., June 1936

  1. 100% Reserve Plan [Return]

Fisher, I. – 100% Money

Fisher, I. – 100% Money and Branch Banking – Northwestern Banker, March 1937

Fisher, I. – The Banker’s Interest in 100% Money – Banker’s Mag., Oct. 1936

Fisher, I. – 100% Money and the Public Debt – Econ. Forum, Apr., June, 1936

Robinson, G. B. – 100% Bank Reserves – Harv. Bus. Rev. Summer 1937

Neuman, A. M. – 100% Money – Manchester School, Vol. VIII, No. 1, 1937

Angell, J. W. – The 100% Reserve Plan – Quart. Jour. Ec. Nov. 1935.

Spahr, W.E. – Fallacies of Professor Irving Fisher’s 100% Money Proposal

Graham, F. D. – Reserve Money and the 100% Proposal – Amer. Econ. Rev., Sept. 1936

Lehmann, F. – 100% Money – Social Research, Feb. 1936

  1. The Banking Principle vs. the Currency Principle [Return]

Andreades, A. M. – History of Bank of England

Feaveryear, A. E. – The British Pound

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking, pp. 706-10

Keynes, J.M. – Treatise on Money p. 195

Laughlin, J.L.– Principles of Money

Levinsky, Money, Credit, and Prices

Viner, Jacob – Studies in the Theory of International Trade

Harris, S. E. – The Commercial Theory of Credit – Journ. Pol. Econ. Feb.1936

  1. Competition of State and National Banks [Return]

Hilderman, L. C. – National and State Banks

Tippetts, C. S. – State Banks and Federal Reserve System

Federal Reserve Bulletin – 1933, pp. 166-86

Pole, J. W. – Barrons, Sept. 19, 1932

Pole, J. W. – Proposed Unification of Banking, Bankers Mag. May 1932

Pole, J. W. – Washington Looks at State Banks, Am. Banker’s Assn. Journ., May 1932

Pole, J. W. – Symposium on Proposed Unification of Banking under Fed. Supervision: Trust Companies, Apr. and May 1932

Natl. Indus. Conf. Board – The Banking Situation in the U.S.

Barnett, – State Banks and Trust Companies since Natl. Banking Act – Nat. Monetary Comm.

Hammond, E. – Banks, States and Fed. Govt. – Am. Econ. Rev., Dec. 1933

  1. New York as International Financial Center [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money und Banking

Einzig, P. – Fight for Financial Supremacy

Harris, B.D.– Branch Banks und Foreign Trade

Madden, J. T. und Nadler, M. – International Money Markets

Phelps, C. W. – Foreign Expansion of American Banks

  1. Money Market in some one Year [Return]

Statistical Sources – Reserve Bank and Board Bulletins

  1. American Discount Market [Return]

Foulke, R. A. – Commercial Paper Market

Reade, L. M. – Story of Commercial Paper Market

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Phillips, C. A. – Bank Credit

Balubanis, H. P. – The American Discount Market

  1. Agricultural Credit [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Sparks, E. S. – History and Theory of Agricultural Credit in the U.S.

Holt, W. S. – Federal Farm Loan Bureau

Stockdyke, E. A. and West, C. H. – The Farm Board

Norman, J. B. – Farm Credits in U.S. and Canada

Benner, O. L. – Federal Intermediate Credit System

  1. Eligible Paper [Return]

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of Federal Reserve System

Dowrie, G. W. – American Monetary and Banking Policies

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Federal Reserve Policy

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Warburg, P. M. – Federal Res. System, Vol. I, p. 465

Goldenweisser, E. A. – Significance of the Lending Function of the Fed. Res. System – Journ. Amer. Stat. Assn. Mar. 1936

  1. Brokers’ Loans [Return]

Flynn, J. T. – Security Speculation

Hovey, L. H., Logan, L. S., and Gavens, H. S. – Brokers’ Loans

Rogers, J. H. – Stock Speculation and Money Market, Quart. Journ. Econ., May 1926

Eiteman, – Economics of Brokers’ Loans, Amer. Econ. Rev. March 1932

Eiteman, – Economic Significance of Brokers’ Loans and Bank Credit, Journ. Pol. Econ., Oct. 1932

Eiteman, – Regulation of Brokers’ Loans – Amer. Econ. Rev. Sept. 1933

Eiteman, – Speculation, Bank Liquidity, and Price – Amer. Econ. Rev., Dec. 1934

Hoover, C. B. – Bank Deposit and Brokers’ Loans, Jour. Pol. Econ. 1929

Anderson, B. M. – Brokers’ Loans and Bank Credit, Chase Econ. Bulletin, Oct. 1928

Thomas, W. – Credit in Security Speculation, Amer. Econ. Rev. Mar. 1933 and 1935

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Federal Reserve Policy

Ellis, H. S. – German Monetary Theory

20th Century Fund – The Security Markets

  1. Collateral Loans vs. One Name Paper [Return]

Westerfield, R. B. – Trend of Secured Loans – Journ. of Bus., 1932

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking, pp. 212-19 (ref. & biblio.)

Greef, A. O. – The Commercial Paper House in the U.S.

  1. Interrelation of Rates of Interest [Return]

Riefler, W. – Money Rates and Money Markets

Beckhart, B. H. – The New York Money Market

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Macauley, F. R. – Theoretical Problems Suggested by Movements of Interest Rates in U.S.

  1. Causes of Stock Market Crash [Return]

Fisher, I. – Stock Market Crash and After

Hawtrey, R. G.– Art of Central Banking

Cassel, (Univ. of Chicago, 1928)

Keynes, J.M. – Treatise on Money

Reed, H. L.– Fed. Res. Policy, 1921-1931

Hardy, C. O.– Credit Policy of the Fed. Res. System

Harris, S. E.– Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Ohlin, B. – Course and Phases of the World Econ. Depression

Robbins, L.– The Great Depression

Hayek, F. – Prices and Production

Hirst, T.M.– Wall St. and Lombard St.

McGregor, A. G. – Basic Cause of World Depression and Sound Remedy

Salter, Sir Arthur – Recovery, the Second Effort

  1. Causes and Results of Bank Holiday [Return]

Colt, C. O. and Keith – Twenty-eight Days, A History of Banking Crisis

Amer. Bankers’ Assn. – Econ. Pol. Assn. – Banking after the Crisis

Ayres – Lessons of Banking Disaster, Com. and Fin. Chronicle Mar. 15,1933

Economist, Mar. 4, 11, and 19, 1933, American Banking Crisis

  1. Causes of Decline of Commercial Loans [Return]

Currie, L. – Decline of Commercial Loan – Quart. Journ. Econ. Aug. 1931

Natl. Indus. Conf. Board – Availability of Bank Credit – 1933

Commercial Borrowing under Recovery Act – Am. Bankers’ Assn. Journal, Sept. 1933

Present Sources of Bank Income – Amer. Bankers’ Assn. Journ. May 1934

Why Banks Don’t Lend – Bankers’ Magazine, Feb. 1934

New Banking Problems – Amer. Banker’s Assn. Journ. Aug. 1934

What is a Sound Loan – Bankers’ Magazine, Nov. 1934

Stone, L. – Commercial Loans and Recovers – Barron’s Dec. 30, 1935

  1. Banks and the Public Debt [Return]

Willis, H. P. and Chapman, J. M. – The Banking Situation: American Post-War Problems

Cole, G. D. H. – What Everybody Wants to Know about Money

Smith, D. T. – Deficits and Depressions

Angell, J. W. – Fed. Finances and the Banking System, Amer. Stat. Suppl., March 1935

  1. Federal Credit Agencies [Return]

The Postal Savings System of the U.S. – Amer. Bankers’ Assn.

Survey of Government Banks – Banking, Jan. 1936

McDiarmid, J. – Govt. Corps and Federal Funds

Anderson, G. E. – Government Banking – Banking, Feb. 1936

  1. Bank Reform [Return]

Goldschmidt, R. W. – The Changing Structure of American Banking

Vanderlip, Frank A. – Tomorrow’s Money

Gephart, W. F. – Our Commercial Banking System – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. Mar. 1935

Hammond, R. – Long and Short Term Credit in Early Amer. Banking – Quart. Journ. Econ., Nov. 1934

Alling, N. D. – A Scientific Banking System – Bankers’ Mag. April 1935

Manuel, R. W. – Eliminating Bank Induced Inflation – Bankers’ Mag. Oct. 1937

Heilperin, M. A. – Economics of Banking Reform – Pol. Science Quarterly, Sept. 1935

  1. Nationalization of Banking [Return]

Currie, L. – Supply and Control of Money in the U.S.

Clark – Central Banking under Fed. Res. System

Sachse, O. – Socialization of Banking

White, A. B. – Nationalization of Banking (Eng.)

Proposal for Central Banking and Significance – Guaranty Survey, Sept. 1934

And Next – A Government Bank? – Rand McNally Bankers’ monthly, Nov. 1934

History Marks Boundary Between Govt. and Banking – Amer. Bankers’ Assn. Jour. May 1934

Essentials of American Banking Reform, etc. – Am. Bankers’ Assn. Journ., May 1933

Dodwell, D. W. – Treasuries and Central Banks

Goldschmidt, R. W. – Changing Structure of Amer. Banking

Moley, R. – Must Government Take over Banks? – Today, Feb. 3, 1934

Simons, H. C. – Positive Program for Laissez-Faire

Cole, G. D. H. – What Everybody Wants to Know about Money

Hubbard, Jos. B. – The Banks, The Budget, and Business

Govt. Ownership of the 12 Fed. Res. Banks – Ownership of the 12 Fed. Res. Banks – Hearings before the House Committee on Banking and Currency

Taylor, G. W. – The Case against the Nationalization of Banks – Journ. Canadian Bankers’ Assn., Oct. 1935

Rau, B. R. – The Nationalization of Money – Indian Jour. Econ., Oct. 1936

Paine, W. W. – Nationalizing the Bank – Bankers’ Ins. Manag. Mag., Sept. 1935

Socialization of the Banks – Bankers’ Ins. Manag. Mag., July 1934

Theodore, E. G. – Nationalization of Credit – Econ. Record, Dec. 1933

  1. Branch and Chain Banking [Return]

Annals of Am. Acad. Pol. And Soc. Science – Jan. 1934

Collins, C. W. – Branch Banking Question

Cartinhour, G. T. – Branch, Group and Chain Banking

Harr, L. A. – Branch Banking in England

Ostrolenk, B. – Economics of Branch Banking

Southworth, S. D. – Branch Banking in U.S.

Am. Bankers’ Assn. – A Study of Group and Chain Banking – Ec. Policy Com. 1929

Hearings on Branch, Group and Chain Banking – HR 141 – 1930

Chapman, J. M. – Concentration of Banking

Goldschmidt, R. W. – The Changing Structure of Am. Banking

Dowrie, G. W. – The Branch Banking Situation and Outlook – Harv. Bus. Rev., Summer 1938

Simpson, J. H. – Branch Banking in U.S. – Canadian Banker, Apr. 1938

Fisher, I. – 100% Money and Branch Banking – Northwestern Banker, Mar. 1937

Bradford, F. A. –Angell, The Behavior of Money – Quart. Jour. Econ. Feb. 1937

Galbraith, J. K. – Branch Banking and its Bearing on Agricultural Credit, Journ. Farm. Econ., April 1934

  1. Branch Banking in Britain [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking – 614-15 ref.

Sykes, J. – Amalgamation Movement in English Banking

Harr, L. A. – Branch Banking in England

Willis, H. P. and Beckhart – Foreign Banking Systems

Collins, C. W. – Branch Banking Question

  1. Branch Banking in Canada [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking, 614-15 ref.

Willis, H. P. and Beckhart, B. H. – Foreign Banking Systems

Collins, C. W. – Branch Banking Question

Holladay, J. – The Canadian Banking System

Dodds, J. – Banking in Canada – Jour. Canadian Bankers’ Assn., Jan. 1936

Addis, C. – Canada and Its Banks – Quart. Rev., July 1934

  1. Branch Banking in Russia [Return]

Arnold, A. Z. – Banks, Credit and Money in Modern Russia

Reddaway, W. B. – The Russian Financial System

Hubbard, L. E. – Soviet Money and Finance

Kellman, L. – Money and Banking in Russia – Harper’s Dec. 1936

Gourvitch, A. – Problem of Prices and Valuation in the Soviet System – Am. Econ. Rev. Suppl. [1936]

Nehru, S. S. – Controlled Currency and Credit – Some Russian Results – Indian Inst. Bankers’ Journ., Jan. 1935

  1. Cunliffe Report on British Currency [Return]

Cunliffe Report

War Period Literature

  1. Monetary Developments in Some Countries Since the War [Return]

Northrop, M. B. – Control Policies of the Reichsbank – 1924-33

Monetary Policy in the British Empire – Banker, Oct. 1935

League of Nations Reports

II. CENTRAL BANKING

General References [Return]

Westerfield, R. B. – Money, Credit and Banking

Thomas, R. G. – Modern Banking

Willis, H. P. and Chapman, J. H. – The Banking Situation: American Post-War Problems

Willis, H. P., Chapman, J. H. and Robey, R. W. – Contemporary Banking

Bogen, J. I., Foster, M. B., Nadler, M. – Money and Banking

  1. Development of Central Banking Functions [Return]

Smith, V. C. – The Rationale of Central Banking

Weyforth, W. O. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

Dodwell, D. W. – Treasuries and Central Banks, Especially in England and the U.S.

Anderson, J. – The Philosophy of the Fed. Res. Act. – Bankers’ Mag. Sept. 1935

  1. Organization of Federal Reserve System [Return]

Willis, H. P. and Edwards – Banking and Business

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Clark – Central Banking under Fed. Res. System

Warburg, P. M. – Fed. Res. System, Vol. I

Harding – Formative Period of Fed. Res. System

Strong, Benj. – Addresses and Speeches

Nat. Ind. Conf. Board – Banking Situation in U.S.

Willis, H. P. – Federal Reserve System

Weissman, R. L. – The New Federal Reserve System: The Board Assumes Control

Bopp, K. –The Agencies of Federal Reserve Policy

Weyforth, W. O. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

  1. Bank Act of 1933 [Return]

Fed. Res. Bulletin – June 1933

Brody – Act of 1933 and Emergency Act – Bankers’ Law Jour. 1933

Natl. City Bank Letter – July 1933

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Goodbar, J. E. – Managing People’s Money

Willis, H. P. – Federal Reserve System

Preston, J. J. – The New Federal Reserve System: The Board Assumes Control

Westerfield, R. B. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

  1. Bank Act of 1935 [Return]

Amer. Inst. of Banking – Banking Act of 1935

Goodbar, J. E. – Managing People’s Money

Bradford, F. A. – Banking Act of 1935 – Am. Ec. Rev., Dec. 1935

Gayer, A. D. – The Banking Act of 1935 – Quart. Jour. Econ., Nov. 1935

Gayer, A. D. – The U.S. Banking Act 1935 – Econ. Jour., Dec. 1935

Kress, H. J. – The Banking Act of 1935 – Michigan Law Rev. Dec. 1935

Preston, H. H. – Banking Act of 1935 – Jour. Pol. Econ. Dec. 1935

Crowder, W. F. – Evolution and Analysis of the Banking Act of 1935 – Journ. Bus. Univ. Chi., Jan 1936

Williams, J. H. – The Banking Act of 1935 – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. March 1936

Eccles, M. S. – The Banking Bill of 1935 – Barron’s May 27, 1935

  1. Review of Federal Reserve Policy for Some Period [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of Fed. Res. System

Dowrie, G. W. – American Monetary and Banking Policies

Goldenweiser, E. A. – Fed. Res. System in Operation

Reed, H. L. –Development of Fed. Res. Policy

Reed, H. L. – Fed. Res. Policy, 1921-1930

Currie, L. B. – Supply and Control of Money in U.S.

Annual Reports of Fed. Res. Board

Fed. Res. Bulletins

Paris, J. D. – Monetary Policies of the U.S. 1932-38

Willis, H. P. – The Theory and Practice of Central Banking

Clark, L. E. – Central Banking under the Fed. Res. System with special reference to the New York Fed. Res. Bank

Weyforth, W. O. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

Fisher, I. and Cohrssen, H. R. L. – Stable Money: A History of the Movement

Cole, G. D. H. – What Everybody Wants to Know About Money

Whitney, Caroline – Experiment in Credit Control: The Fed. Res. Sys.

Weissman, R. L. – The New Fed. Res. System: The Board Assumes Control.

Villard, H. H. – The Fed. Res. System’s Monetary Policy in 1931 and 1932 – Jour. Pol. Econ., Dec. 1937

Fed. Res. Policy –Economist – London, Jan. 16, 1937

Miller, A. C. – Fed. Res. Policies, 1927-29, Am. Ec. Rev., Sept. 1935

  1. Open Market Operations [Return]

Weyforth, W. O. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

Weissman, R. L. – The New Res. System: The Board Assumes Control

  1. Varying Reserve Requirements [Return]

[no references given for this item]

  1. Acceptance Market and the Federal Reserve System [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking, p. 309

Beckhart, B. H. – New York Money Market, Vol. III

Meech, S. P. – Journal of Business, Vol. II 1929

Riefler, W. – Money Rates and Money Markets

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of the Fed. Res. System

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Jacobs – Bank Acceptances – Nat. Monetary Comm.

Whitney, Caroline – Experiment in Credit Control

  1. Industrial Advances of the Federal Reserve Banks [Return]

Hardy, C. O. and Viner, J. – Report on Availability of Bank Credit in 7th Fed. Res. District

Anderson, G. E. – Govt. Banking – Banking, Feb. 1936

Industrial Advances by Fed. Res. Banks – Fed. Res. Bull. April 1935

  1. Criteria of Monetary Policy [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Econ. Stabilization. A Study of the Gold Standard

Slichter, S. H. – Towards Stability

Mills, R. C. and Walker, E. R. – Money

  1. Criteria of Federal Reserve Policy [Return]

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of the Fed. Res. System

Willis, H. P. – The Theory and Practice of Central Banking

Fisher, I. and Cohrssen, H. R. L. – Stable Money: A History of the Movement

Whitney, Caroline –Experiments in Credit Control

Weissman, R. L. – The New Fed. Res. System: The Board Assumes Control

Cassel, G. – Guiding Principles of Monetary Policy – Mysore Econ. Journ., July 1938

Eccles, M. S. – Credit and Monetary Policies of the Fed. Res. – Bankers’ Magazine, April 1937

  1. Neutral Money [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Econ. Stabilization: A Study of the Gold Standard

Armstrong, W. E. – Savings and Investment

Slichter, S. H. – Towards Stability

Barger, H. – Neutral Money and the Trade Cycle – Economica, Nov. 1935

Hayek, F. – Prices and Production

Hayek, F. – Monetary Theory and the Trade Cycle

Adarkar, B. P. – Hayek’s Neutral Money Doctrine – Ind. Jour. Econ. Jan. 1937

  1. Price Stabilization: The Strong Bills [Return]

Lawrence, – Stabilization of Prices

Keynes, J. M. – Monetary Reform

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Robertson, D. H. – Banking Policy and Price Level

Hayek, F. – Prices and Production

Haberler, G. – Essay in Gold and Monetary Stabilization

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of Fed. Res. System

Cassel, G. – Rate of Interest, Bank Rate, and Stabilization of Prices, Quart. Jour. Econ., Aug. 1928

Phillips, G. A., McManus, T. F., Nelson, W. – Banking and the Business Cycle

Commodity Prices and Stability – Economist, (London) Dec. 4, 1937

  1. Price vs. Economic Stabilization [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Econ. Stabilization: A Study of the Gold Standard

Phillips, C. A., McManus, T. F., Nelson, R. W. – Banking and the Business Cycle

Harrod, R. F. – The Expansion of Credit in an Advancing Community – Economica, Aug. 1934

Ohlin, B. – The Inadequacy of Price Stabilization-Index Dec. 1933

Egle, W. – Monetary Conditions of Economic Stability – Am. Ec. Rev. Sept. 1938

  1. Qualitative vs. Quantitative Credit Control [Return]

Robey, R. W. – Purchasing Power: An Introduction to Qualitative Credit Control

Dunkman, W. E. – Qualitative Credit Control

  1. Central Bank Policy and Speculation [Return]

Hardy, C. O. – Credit Policies of the Fed. Res. System

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy, Vol. II

Currie, L. – Supply and Control of Money in the U.S.

Williams, J. H. – Review of Keynes, Quart. Journ. Econ., Aug. 1931

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise, Ch. 15

Reed, H. L. – Fed. Res. Policy 1921-1930, pg. 168

Annual Report of Fed. Res. Board (especially 1929 and 1930)

Rogers, J. H. – Stock Speculation and Money Market, Quart. Journ. Ec. 1926

Hearings on Strong Bills (Cassel)

Anderson, B. M. – Chase Ec. Bulletin, May 1929 and Oct. 1928

Balogh, – Am. Ec. Rev., 1930

Hawtrey, R. G. – Stock Speculation and Wall St., Art of Central Banking

Machlup, F. – Boersenkredit, Industrielle Kredit und Kapitalbildung

Ohlin B. – Index #31, July 1928, Central Banking Policy and Prices

Burgess, W. R. – R.E.S. 1930

Hayek, F. – Economica, 1932, p. 38

Hoover, C. B. – Journ. Pol. Econ. 1929 – Brokers’ Loans and Bank Deposits

Eiteman, W. J. – Economics of Brokers’ Loans – Am. Ec. Rev., 1932, pp. 69-71

Hearings, –  Operation of Banking Systems 1931, p. 1024

Goodbar, J. E. – Managing People’s Money

Whitney, Caroline – Experiments in Credit Control: The Fed. Res. Sys.

Smith, D. T. – Deficits and Depressions

Thomas, W. – Credit in Security Speculation – Am. Ec. Rev. – Mar. 1935

The Banks and the Stock Market, Journ. Pol. Econ. – Dec. 1935

  1. Central Bank Policy and Agriculture [Return]

Black, J. – Provision of Agricultural Credit in the U.S. – Quart. Journ. Econ. 1928

Annual Reports of Fed. Farm Board

Lee, V. P – Principles of Agricultural Credit

James, F. C. – Economics of Money, Credit and Banking, ch. 25

Sparks, E. S. – History and Theory of Agricultural Credit in U.S.

  1. Fiscal Function of Federal Reserve Board [Return]

Chapman, J. M. – Fiscal Functions of Fed. Res. Banks

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Clark, L. E. – Central Banking Function under the Fed. Res. System

Smith, D. T. – Deficits and Depressions

  1. Bank Correspondent Relationship under Federal Reserve System [Return]

Clark, L. E. – Central Banking under fed. Res. System

Watkins, L. R. –  Bankers’ Balances

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking – p. 660

Hearings on Branch, Group and Chain Banking – 71st Congress

  1. Effectiveness of Central Bank Control [Return]

Hardy, D. O. – Credit Policy of Fed. Res. System

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money – Book VII

Robertson, D. H. – Banking Policy and Price Level

Currie, L. – Supply and Control of Money in the U.S.

Reed, H. L. – Fed. Res. Policy 1921-1931

Zorn, E. C. – Why our Easy Money Policy has Failed – Bankers’ Mag. July 1938

Alling, N. D. – Fed. Res. Sys. And Low Int. Rates – Bankers’ Mag. May 1937

Burgess, W. R. – Limitations of Fed. Res. Policy – Bankers’ Mag. Nov. 1936

Platt, E. –  The Limitations of Central Banking – Bankers’ Mag. Nov. 1936

Collins, E. H. – The Reserve Board Tests the Brakes – Banking Dec. 1935

Currie, L. – The Failure of Monetary Policy to Prevent the Depression of 1929-33, Jour. Pol. Econ., April 1934

Holladay, J. A. – Can Credit be Controlled? – Bankers Mag., May 1936

  1. Treasury Control of Monetary Policy [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Harding, W. P. G. – Formative Period of Fed. Res. System

Reed, H. L. – Fed. Res. Policy 1921-31

U.S. Chamber of Commerce – Banking and Currency Comm. Report & Suppl.

Dodwell, D.W. – Treasuries and Central Banks, Especially in England and the U.S.

Govts. And Central Banks – Economist, London, Mar. 28, 1936

Anderson, T. J. – Currency Powers of Congress – Bankers Mag., Jan. 1935

Powers of Congress over Banking – Bankers Mag., Feb. 1935

Bradford, F. A. – Political Banking Destroying the Reserve System – Annalist, Jan. 11, 1935

Ebersole, J. F. – The Money Management Powers of the Treas. and Fed. Res. Banks – Harv. Bus. Rev. Autumn 1936

Einzig, P. – Govt. Interference in Banking – Barron’s Nov. 18, 1935

  1. Bank of England and London Money Market [Return]

Andreades, A. M. – History of Bank of England

Spalding, – London Money Market

Strakes, – Money Market

Bagehot, W. – Lombard Street

Harris, S. E. – Monetary Problems of British Empire

Bisschop, – Rise of London Money Market

Thomas, S. E. –  British Banks and Finance of Industry

Sagers, R. S. – Bank of England Operations, 1890-1914

Truptil, R. J. – British Banks and the London Money Market

Madden, J. T. and Nadler, M. – The International Money Markets

Beach, W. E. – British International Gold Movements and Banking Policy

Biddulph, G. – The Bank of England’s Monetary Policy – Econ. Forum, Sept. – Oct. 1934

  1. Central Banking in France [Return]

Peel, G. – Economic Policy of France

Madden, J. T. and Nadler, M. – The International Money Markets

Boris, G. – Reforming the Bank of France – Foreign Affairs, Oct. 1936

  1. Central Banking in Canada [Return]

Holladay, J. – The Canadian Banking System

Cohen, J. C. – The Govt. and the Central Bank in Canada – Banker, London, Apr. 1934

Rhodes, E. N. – Canada’s Central Bank – Banking, Nov. 1934

Rogers, A. W. – The Bank of Canada – Journ. Canadian Bankers’ Assn. Oct. 1934

  1. Cooperation of Central Banks [Return]

Mlynarski, F. J. – Gold and Central Banks

Royal Inst. of Int. Affairs – International Gold Problem

Royal Inst. of Int. Affairs – Monetary Policy and Depression

League of Nations – Gold Report

MacMillan Report (Report of the Committee on Finance and Industry)

Hawtrey, H. G. – Art of Central Banking

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Goldstein, A. – Fed. Res. Aid to Foreign Central Banks, Rev. Econ. Stud., Feb. 1935

Goldstein, A. – International Aspects of Fed. Res. Policy – Rev. Ec. Stat., Aug. 1935

III. THE BUSINESS CYCLE – Analysis and Policy

General References [Return]

Gordon, R. A. – Bibliography on Business Cycles, Rev. of Econ. Statistics, Special Number, Feb. 1937

  1. Causes of the Depression [Return]

Robbins, L. – The Great Depression

Bratt, E. C. – Business Cycles and Forecasting

Haberler, G. – Prosperity and Depression

Dulles, E. L. – Depression and Reconstruction: A Study of Causes and Controls

  1. Critical Discussion of One Theory of the Business Cycle:
    Pigou / Robertson / Keynes / Hayek / Hawtrey / Mitchell
    Foster and Catchings / Schumpeter / Harrod [Return]

Bresciani-Turroni – Rev. of Money theory and Trade Cycle – Economica, Aug. 1934

Ellis, H. – German Monetary Theory

Hanson, H. H. – Rev. of Prices and Production, Am. Ec. Rev., June 1933

Hawtrey – Rev. of Prices and Production, Economica, Feb. 1932

Hawtrey – Capital and Employment

Hawtrey – Prof. Haberler on the Trade Cycle – Economica, Feb. 1938

Hayek, F. – Paradox of Saving, Economica, May 1931

Hayek, F. – Money and Capital, Ec. Journ. – June 1932

Hayek, F. – Capital and Industrial Fluctuations, Econometrica, April 1934

Hayek, F. – On Relationship between Investment and Output – Ec. Journ., June 1934

Hayek, F. – Monetary Theory and the Trade Cycle

Hayek, F. – The Fallacy of Artificial Price Raising – Barron’s March 12, 1934

Keynes, J. M. – On Hayek’s Review – Ec. Journ., Nov. 1931

Knight, F. H. – Hayek’s Theory of Investment, Ec. Journ. Mar. 1935

Sraffa, P. – Hayek on Money and Capital – Ec. Journ., March 1932

Marget, A. W. – Theory of Prices

Hansen, A. H. – Full Recovery or Stagnation

Shackle, G. L. S. –Expectations, Investments and Income

Munro, H. – Principles of Monetary Industrial Stability

Haberler, G. – Prosperity and Depression

Harrod, R. F. – The Trade Cycle

Durbin, E. F. M. – Problem of Credit Policy

Hayek, F. – Investment that Raises the Demand for Capital – Rev. Am. Stat., Nov. 1937

Neisser, H. – Investment Fluctuation as Cause of the Bus. Cycle – Social Research, Nov. 1937

Chand, G. – Keynes and the Trade Cycle – Indian Jour. Econ. Apr. 1938

Muniswamy, M. K. –Recent Trends in Trade Cycle Theory – Indian Jour. Ec. – April 1938

Mr. Keynes and Finance – Ec. Jour. June 1935

Mukherjee, B. – Trade Cycle and Its Remedies – Nature and Causes of Trade Cycles – Indian Jour. Econ. Apr. 1931

Robertson, D. H. – Trade Cycle – An Academic View – Lloyd’s Bank Monthly Rev., Sept. 1937

Population Cycles: A Cause of the Business Cycle – Quart. Journ. Ec., Jan. 1937

Adarkar, B. P. – Prof. Hayek’s Neutral Money Doctrine – Ind. Journ. Ec., Jan. 1937

  1. Monetary Theory of the Trade Cycle [Return]

Hayek, F. – Monetary Theory and the Trade Cycle

Haberler, G. – Prosperity and Depression

Weyforth, W. O. – The Fed. Res. Board: A Study of Fed. Res. Structure and Credit Control

Fisher, A. G. B. – Volume of Produce and Volume of Money – Am. Ec. Rev., June 1935

Shackle, G. L. S. – Some Notes on Monetary Theories of the Trade Cycle – Rev. Ec. Stud., Oct. 1933

Snyder, C. – Problem of Monetary and Econ. Stability – Quart. Journ. Econ., Feb. 1935

  1. Review of Warren and Person: Prices [Return]

Warren, G. and Pearson, F. A. – Prices

Warren, G. and Pearson, F. A. – World Prices and the Building Industry

Warren, G. and Pearson, F. A. – Monetary Policy and Prices – Journ. Farm. Econ., May 1935

Warren, G. – Some Statistics on the Gold Situation – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. March 1934

Spahr, W. – Monetary Theory of Warren and Pearson

Ransome and Mann – Future of Prices, Home and Abroad

Laughlin, J. L. – Principles of Money

Scott, – Money and Banking

Hardy, C. O. – The Warren-Pearson Price Theory

  1. Period of Production and the Trade Cycle [Return]

Hawtrey, R. G. – Capital and Employment

  1. Review of Hayek: “Prices and Production” [Return]

Hawtrey, R. G. – Capital and Employment

  1. Theory of Forced Savings [Return]

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Robertson, D. H. – Banking Policy and the Price Level

Economics of Saving – Amer. Econ. Rev., 1913

Egle, W. – Money and Production – Journ. Pol. Econ., June 1935

Durbin, E. F. M. – Purchasing Power and Trade Depression

  1. Theory of Bank Rates [Return]

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Keynes, J. M. – General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money

Harris, S. E. – Twenty Years of Fed. Res. Policy

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Hawtrey, R. G. – Currency and Credit

Hayek, F. – Prices and Production

Hayek, F. – Monetary Theory of the Trade Cycle

Wicksell, K. – Natural Rate of Interest, Quart. Journ. Ec., 1907

Macaulay, F. R. – Theoretical Problems Suggested by Movements of Interest Rates in the U.S.

Adarkar, B. P. – Theory of Monetary Policy

Edie, L. D. – Easy Money

Wicksell, K. – Interest and Price

Fleming, J. M. – Determination of the Rate of Interest, Economica, Aug. 1938

Melville, R. G. – The Theory of Interest – Econ. Record, June 1938

Bissell, R. M. – The Rate of Interest – Suppl. Am. Ec. Rev., Mar. 1938

Conning, J. B. – The Rate of Interest – Suppl. Am. Ec. Rev., Mar. 1938

Lange, O. – Rate of Interest and the Optimum Propensity to Consume, Economica, March 1938

Lange, O. – The Place of Interest in the Theory of Production, Rev. Econ. Stud., June 1936

Keynes, J. M. – The “Ex Ante” Theory of Interest Rate – Ec. Journ. Dec. 1937

Tahata, Y. – Determination of Rate of Interest – Kyoto Univ. Ec. Rev. – July 1937

Lerner, A. P. – Alternative Formulations of the Theory of Interest, Ec. Journ., June 1938

Millikan, M. – Liquidity Preference Theory of Interest – Am. Ec. Rev., June 1938

Riley, R. H. – Note on “A Break in Keynes Theory of Interest” – Am. Ec. Rev., June 1928

Ohlin, B., Robertson, D. H., and Hawtrey, R. G. – Alternative Theories of the Rate of Interest – Ec. Journ. September 1937

Keynes, J. M. – Alternative Theories of the Rate of Interest – Econ. Journ., June 1937

Ellsworth, P. T. – Mr. Keynes on the Rate of Interest – Journ. Pol. Ec., Dec. 1936

Jones, H. L. – Should Interest be Abolished? – Bankers Mag., May 1936

Hutton, D. G. – Recovery and the Rate of Interest – Lloyd’s Bank Rev., Feb., 1937

  1. Installment Selling and the Business Cycle [Return]

Currie, L. – Supply and Control of Money in U.S.

Moulton, H. G. – Financial Organization of Society

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Clark, Evans – Financing the Consumer

Seligman, E. R. A. – Economics of Installment Selling

Ayres, M. V. and Plummer, C. W. – Social and Economical Consequences of Buying on the Installment Plan – Annals of the Amer. Acad. of Pol. and Soc. Science, 1927 Suppl.

Phelps, C. W. – Controlled Installment Credit – Household Fin. Corp.

Babson, R. W. – Folly of Installment Buying

Cover, J. H. – Financing the Consumer

Douglas, P. F. – Consumer Credit

Goldman, J. – Prosperity and Consumer Credit

Foster, L. B. R. – Credit for Consumers

Zweig, F. – The Economics of Consumer Credit

Silberling, N. J. – Consumer Goods Financing and Investment Fluctuations – Amer. Ec. Rev., Sept. 1938

Schwartz, G. L. – Installment Finance – Economica – May 1936

Installment Finance – “Index”, N.Y. Trust Co., April 1937

Consumer Credit – Annals Amer. Acad. Pol. Science, March 1938

  1. Underconsumption Theory of the Trade Cycle [Return]

Munro, H. – Principles of Monetary-Industrial Stability

Haberler, G. – Prosperity and Depression

Phillips, C. A., et al. – Banking and the Business Cycle

Adams, A. B. – Analysis of Business Cycles

Foster, W. T. and Catchings, W. – Profits

Slichter, S. H. – Towards Stability

Durbin, E. F. M. – Purchasing Power and the Trade Depression

Hayek, F. – Prices and Production

Hobson, J. A. and Durbin, E. F. M. – Underconsumption – Economica, November 1933

  1. The Dilemma of Thrift [Return]

Foster, W. T. and Catchings, W. – Profits

Pigou and Robertson –  Review of Foster and Catchings

Hayek, F. – Paradox of Saving – Economica, May 1931

Mitchell, W. C. – Business Cycles

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

  1. Major Douglas’ Social Credit [Return]

Douglas, C. H. – Social Credit

Holter, E. S. – The ABC of Social Credit

Meade, J. E. – Consumers’ Credit and Unemployment

Hansen, A. H. – Full Recovery or Stagnation

Hawtrey R. G. – Capital and Employment

Dobb, M. – Social Credit Discredited

Strachey, J. – Social Credit

Larkin, J. C. – From Debt to Prosperity

Chase, H. S. – Fallacies of Social Credit – Am. Ec. Rev. Dec. 1935

Chase, H. S. – Social Credit: A Study of the New Economics – Bankers Magazine, April 1935

Robinson, G. B. – Where Social Credit Has Led Us – Annalist, Dec. 27, 1935

The Social Credit Doctrine – Barron’s Weekly, Oct. 28, 1935

Cordell, W. and K. – Alberta and Social Credit – No. Am. Rev. March 1936

  1. Fisher’s Compensated Dollar (Commodity Dollar) [Return]

Fisher, I. – Stabilizing the Dollar

U.S. House of Representatives – Committee on Banking and Currency – Hearings on Goldsborough Bill, H. R., 11788 – 1923

U.S. House of Representatives – Committee on Banking and Currency – Hearings on Goldsborough Bill, H. R., 424 – 1929J

Report on Fisher’s Plan to Stabilize the Dollar – Journ. Am. Bankers’ Assn, 1920

Anderson, B. M. – Fallacy oft he Stabilized Dollar, Journ. Am. Bankers‘ Assn, 1929

Taussig, F. W. – Plan for Compensated Dollar – Quart. Journ. Ec. 1913

Lawrence, – Stabilization of Prices

Gideonse, H. D. – The Commodity Dollar

Kemmerer, E. W. – Money

Slichter, S. H. – Towards Stability

Reed, H. L. – The Commodity Dollar

Rorty, M. C. – The Commodity Dollar – Harv. Bus. Rev., Winter, 1936

  1. 100% Reserve Plan [Return]

(See Title Number 13)

  1. Public Expenditure and Prices [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Public Works in Prosperity and Depression

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Econ. Stabilization

Clark, J. M. – Economics of Planning Public Works

Pigou, A. C. – Public Finance (or any standard text)

Pigou, A. C. – Theory of Unemployment

Keynes, J. M. – Means to Prosperity

Hawtrey, R. G. – Trade Depression and the Way Out

Foster, W. T. and Catchings – Profits

Harris, S. E. – Public Expenditure and Prices – Rev. Ec. Stat., Feb. 1935

Kahn, R. F. – Home Investment – Ec. Journ. 1931

Worming, J. – Financing of Public Works – Ec. Journ. 1932

Bowley, A. – Is Unemployment Inevitable?

Wolman, L. – Public Works

Hubbard, J. B. – Economics of Public Works

Boynton, P. H., et al. – Economics of Pump Priming

Slichter, S. H. – The Economics of Public Works – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. March 1934

Cole, G. D. H. – Economic Planning

Douglas, Paul – Controlling Depressions

  1. The Theory of Public Works [Return]

(See above Title and References)

  1. The Multiplier [Return]

Harrod, R. F. – Trade Cycle

Kahn, R. F. – Home Investment, Econ. Journ. 1931

Clark, Colin – Determination of the Multiplier from Natl. Income Statistics – Rev. Econ. Stat., May 1938

Bresciani-Turroni, C. – The Multiplier in Practice – Rev. Econ. Stat., May 1938

IV. MONETARY THEORY

General References

Gordon, R. A. – Bibliography on Business Cycles, Review of Economic Statistics, Special Number, Feb. 1937

  1. English Monetary Theory during the Napoleonic Wars [Return]

MacLeod, H. D. – Theory of Credit

Cannan, E. – Paper Pound

Thornton – Paper Credit of Great Britain

Report of Bullion Committee

Tracts on Bullion Committee Report

Ricardo, D. – Price of Gold

Keynes, J. M. – Essays in Biography, on Malthus

Andreades, A. M. – History of the Bank of England

Angell, J. – International Prices

Fisher, I. and Cohrsson, H. R. L. – Stable Money: A History of the Movement

  1. Nominalistic vs. Metallistic Conception of Money [Return]

Encyclopedia of Social Sciences

Knapp, – The State Theory of Money

Ellis, – German Monetary Theory

  1. Transaction vs. Cash Balances Approach to the Quantity Theory of Money [Return]

Marget, A. W. –

Ellis, – German Monetary Theory

  1. Keynes’ Theory of Money [Return]

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Keynes, J. M. – Theory of Employment, Interest and Money

Williams, J. H. – Review of Keynes – Quart. Journ. Ec., Aug. 1931

Robertson, D. H. – Review of Keynes – Ec. Journ. Sept. 1931

Robertson, D. H. – Mr. Keynes and “Finance” – Ec. Journ. Sept. 1938

Hayek F. – Review of Keynes – Economica, Aug. 1931, Feb. 1931 (see also Keynes’ rejoinders in Economica, Nov. 1931 and FF)

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Marget, A. W. – Theory of Prices

Curtis, Myra and Townsend, Hugh – Modern Money

Joy, D. – Keynes on Money – Banker (London) April 1936

  1. Marshall as a Monetary Theorist [Return]

Marshall, Alfred – Money, Credit and Commerce

Marshall, Alfred – Official Papers

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Angell, J. W. – Theory of International Prices

Memorial to Alfred Marshall, especially Keynes Essay

Robertson, D. H. – Economic Fragments

Pigou, A. C. and Robertson, D. H. – Economic Essay and Addresses

  1. Cannan as a Monetary Theorist [Return]

Cannan, E. – Modern Currency and Regulation of its Value

Cannan, E. – Economic Scares

Cannan, E. – Money (trace through 3rd to 6th editions)

Gregory, T. E – Professor Cannan’s Contemporary Monetary Theory – “London Essays on Economics”.

  1. Robertson’s Theory of Money [Return]

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Robertson, D. H. – Banking Policy and Price Level

Robertson, D. H. – Economic Fragments

Robertson, D. H. and Pigou, A. C. – Economic Essay and Addresses

  1. Hawtrey’s Theory of Money [Return]

Hawtrey, R. G. – Currency and Credit

Hawtrey, R. G. – Trade Depressions

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Cannan, E. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Gold Standard, Ec. Journ., Dec. 1927

Cannan, E. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Trade Depression, etc., Ec. Journ. Mar. 1932

Hardy, C. O. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Art of Central Banking, Am. Ec. Rev. June 1933

Harrod, R. F. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Currency and Credit, Ec. Journ., June 1929

Harrod, R. F. – Rev. of Trade Depression, etc., Ec. Journ. June, 1934

Keynes, J. M. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Currency and Credit, Ec. Journ., Sept. 1920

Marget, A. W. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Gold Standard, Quart. Journ. Ec. Nov. 1927

Pigou, A. C. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Trade and Credit, – Ec. Journ., June 1929

Robertson, D. H. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Monetary Reconstruction – Ec. Journ., June 1923

Young, A. A. – Rev. of Hawtrey, Currency and Credit, Quart. Journ. Ec. May 1920

  1. Knapp’s Theory of Money [Return]

(Consult Library Card Catalog)

  1. Fisher’s Theory of Money [Return]

(Consult Library Card Catalog)

  1. Nature of Credit [Return]

MacLeod, H. D. – Theory of Credit

Mill, J. S. – Chapters on Credit

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Prendergast and Steiner – Credit and its Uses

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Phillips, C. A. – Bank Credit

Currie, L. – Supply and Control of Money in the U.S.

V. INTERNATIONAL MONETARY RELATIONS AND POLICY

General References [Return]

Young, J. P. – International Trade and Finance

Westerfield, R. B. – Money, Credit and Banking

Thomas, R. G. – Modern Banking

Madden, J. T. and Nadler, M. – The International Money Market

Einzig, Paul – World Finance, 1914-35

  1. Pre-War and Post-War Gold Standards [Return]

Irons, W. H. – A Study of the Causes Underlying the International Gold Crisis

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Economic Stabilization: A Study of the Gold Standard

Cassel, G. – Downfall of the Gold Standard

Morgan-Webb, Charles – The Rise and Fall of the Gold Standard

Puxley, H. L. – A Critique of the Gold Standard

  1. Great Britain’s Return to the Gold Standard in 1925 [Return]

Keynes, J. M. – Monetary Reform

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Report of the Committee on Finance and Industry (MacMillan)

Cunliffe Report on British Currency

Hawtrey, R. G. – Gold Standard and Monetary Reconstruction

Gregory, T. E. – Gold Standard

Brown, W. A. – England and New Gold Standard

McVey, F. L. – Financial History of Great Britain, 1914-20

Bogart, E. L. – Direct and Indirect Costs of World War

Litman, S. – Prices and Price Control in Great Britain and the United States during the World War

Fraser, H. F. – Great Britain and Gold Standard

Benham, F. – British Monetary Policy

Harris, S. E. – Monetary Problems of the British Empire

Pethick-Lawrence, F. W. – This Gold Crisis

  1. Stabilization of the Lira [Return]

[No references given]

  1. France and the Gold Standard [Return]

Hawtrey, R. G. – French Monetary Policy

Hawtrey, R. G. – Art of Central Banking

Rogers, J. H. R. – Process of Inflation in France

Rogers, J. H. R. – America Weighs Her Gold

Final Gold Report of the League of Nations

Sollohub, W. A. – Depression in France – Harv. Bus. Rev., July 1933

Miller, H. E. – The Franc in War and Reconstruction – Quart. Journ. Ec. 1929

Dulles, E. – The French Franc, 1914-1929

Vineberg, P. F – The French Franc and the Gold Standard, 1926-36

The Franc in 1926 and 1927 – Economist (London) Oct. 8, 1937

Wynne, W. H. – France and the Franc – Canadian Banker, Oct. 1936

Readjustment of the Franc – Lloyd’s Bank Rev., Oct. 1936

  1. The Gold Bloc [Return]

[No references given]

  1. Causes and Consequences of England’s Departure from Gold [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Monetary Problems of the British Empire

Fraser, H. F. – Great Britain and the Gold Standard

League of Nations – Gold Reports

Royal Institute of International Affairs – Monetary Policy

Irons, W. H. – A Study of the Causes Underlying the International Gold Crisis

Cassel, G. – Downfall of the Gold Standard

  1. Methods of Return to the Gold Standard [Return]

Cassel, G. – Post-War Monetary Stabilization

Hawtrey, R. G. – Monetary Reconstruction

League of Nations – Genoa Conference and other annual publications

Gregory, T. E. – Gold Standard and Future

Fraser, H. F. – Great Britain and Gold Standard

International Labor Review – Great Britain and Gold Standard

Gregory – Barron’s Weekly, Aug. 28, 1933

Gold Reports of League of Nations

Sprague, O. M. W. – Pre-requisites to Monetary Stabilization – Foreign Affairs 1937

  1. Present Outlook for the Gold Standard [Return]

Einzig, P. – Will Gold Depreciate?

Einzig, P. – The Future of Gold

Gregory, T. E. – The Gold Standard and Its Future

Hansen, A. H. – Situation of Gold Today in Relation to World Currencies – American Ec. Rev., Suppl., Mar. 1937

Jones, J. H. – The Gold Standard – Econ. Journ., Dec. 1933

  1. Gold Exchange Standard [Return]

Edie, L. D. – Money, Bank Credit and Prices

Gold Reports of League of Nations

McMillan Report

Hawtrey, R. G. – Gold Standard

Hawtrey, R. G. – Monetary Reconstruction

Hawtrey, R. G. – Currency and Credit

Gregory, T. E. – First Year of Gold Standard

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Kemmerer, E. W. – Money

  1. Gold Movements Since the War [Return]

Royal Institute of Int. Affairs – Int. Gold Problems (bibliog)

League of Nations – Final Gold Report; other publications

Brown, W. A. – England and the Gold Standard

Reports of Director of Mint – U.S.

Federal Reserve Bulletins

Cassel, G. – Crisis in World’s Monetary System, 1932

Young, J. P. – European Currency and Finance, Commission of Gold and Silver Inquiry, U.S. Senate

Warren, G. F. – Some Statistics on the Gold Situation – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl., Mar. 1934

  1. Gold Distribution and the Depression [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Economic Stabilization

Phillips, C. A. – Banking and the Business Cycle

Bowen, H. – Gold Maldistribution – Am.Econ.Rev., Dec. 1936

  1. Is there a Gold Shortage? [Return]

Royal Institute of International Affairs – Monetary Policy and Depression

Gregory, T. E. – Gold Standard and its Future

League of Nations – Gold Reports

Mlynarski, F. J. – Gold and Central Banks

Rist – In “Current Economic Policies”

Warren and Pearson – Prices

Hardy, C. O. – Is There Enough Gold

Keynes, J. M. – The Supply of Gold – Econ. Journ., Sept. 1936

  1. Methods to Economize Gold [Return]

Niemeyer, O. – International Gold Problem (How to Economize Gold)

Gold Reports of League of Nations – Final and Interim

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money

Hawtrey, R. G. – Monetary Reconstruction – Genoa Conference

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Economic Stabilization

  1. Exchange Depreciation and World Recovery [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Exchange Depreciation

Eder, G. J. – Effect of Gold Price Changes on Prices for Other Commodities – Journ. Royal Stat. Assn., p. I, 1938

Malenbaum, W. – Power of Undervalued Currency – Rev. Ec.Stud., Feb. 1938

Edelberg, V. – Measuring Power of Under-valued Currency to Stimulate Exports – Rev.Ec.Studies, Oct. 1937

  1. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Japan [Return]

[No references given]

  1. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Sweden [Return]

[No references given]

  1. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Britain [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Exchange Depreciation

  1. Exchange Depreciation Experience of Australia [Return]

Copland, D. – Australia and the World Crisis, 1929-33

  1. Exchange Depreciation Experience of U.S. [Return]

Harris, S. E. – Exchange Depreciation

  1. Exchange Central [Return]

Exchange Restrictions in European Countries – circ. #421, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce

Einzig, P. – Exchange Control

Ohlin, B. – Mechanisms and Objectives of Exchange Control – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl., March 1937

Williams, J. H. – Adequacy of Existing Currency Mechanisms – Am.Econ.Rev. Suppl., March 1937

  1. Sterling-Dollar-Franc Triangle [Return]

New York Times

Current Articles

  1. The “Gentlemen’s Agreement” [Return]

Spahr, W. E. – Tripartite Agreement – Annalist, Nov. 13, 1936

Warren, R. B. – The Gentlemen’s Agreement – Annalist, Nov. 13, 1936

  1. British Equalization Fund [Return]

Hall, N. F. – The Exchange Equalization Account

Harris, S. E. – Exchange Depreciation

The British Exchange Equalization Fund – 1935-7 – Economica, Aug. 1937

Crump, N. – Development of Exchange Funds – Lloyd’s Rank Monthly Rev., Jan. 1937

Paish, F. W. – The British Exchange Equalization Fund – Economica, Feb. 1935

Paish, F. W. – The British Exchange Equalization Fund – Economica, Feb. 1936

Comstock, A. – British Exchange Equalization Account – Am. Ec. Rev. Dec. 1933

  1. Gold Buying Policy and Devaluation [Return]

Fifty-cent dollars, etc. – Commercial and Finan. Chronicle, June 1, 1932

Incidence of Devaluation – Commercial and Finan. Chronicle, June 8, 1932

Hacker, L. M. – Short History of New Deal

Brown, et al. – Ec. of Recovery Program

Hubbard, J. B. – Current Economic Policy

Hardy, C. O. – Devaluation of the Dollar

Harris, S. E. – British and American Exchange Policy – Quart. Journ. Ec., May & Aug., 1934

Graham, F. O. – Journ. Amer. Statis. Assn., Sup. 1935, March

Edie, L. D. – Easy Money

Harris, S. E. – Exchange Depreciation

Eder, G. J. – Effect of Gold Price Change on Prices of Other Commodities, Jour. Royal Stat. Soc., part I, 1938

Woolfson, A. P. – Our Gold Policy and the Commodity Price Outlook – Bankers Mag., Aug. 1937

Whittlesey, C. R. – The Gold Dilemma – Quart. Journ. Ec., Aug. 1937

Silverstein, A. L. – American Devaluation: Prices and Export Trade – Am. Econ. Rev., June 1937

  1. Recent Silver Policy of the United States [Return]

Gregory, T. E. – Silver Situation, etc.

London Monetary and Economic Conference – agreements

Foreign Policy Assn. – Silver, its International Aspects (1931)

Deterding, H. W. A. – Silver and Foreign Debt Payments

Smith, G. A., Jr. – On Silver – Harv. Bus. Review 1934

Kreps – Silver and Chinese Purchasing Power

Leong, Y. S. – Silver (Brookings – 1934)

Elliston, H. – The Silver Problem – Foreign Affairs, April 1931

Willis, H. P. – Silver – New Republic, March 11, 1931

Westerfield, R. B. – Our Silver Debacle

Barbour, P. E. – America’s Silver Policy – Annalist Dec. 13, 1935

Berridge, W. A. – Some Facts Bearing on the Silver Program – Rev. Econ. Stat., Nov. 1934

Smith, G. A. – Silver: Its Status and Outlook – Harv. Bus. Rev., Oct. 1934

  1. Monetary Consequences of the Fall in the Price of Silver [Return]

Seyd – Fall in the Price of Silver

Nogaro – Modern Monetary Systems

Westerfield, R. B. – Our Silver Debacle

Leavens, D. H. – American Silver Policy in China – Harv. Bus. Rev. Autumn, 1935

Leavens, D. H. – Distribution of the World’s Silver – Rev. Ec. Stat. Nov. 1935

Wu, L. T. K. – China’s Monetary Dilemma – Far East Survey, Dec. 4, 1935

Spalding, W. F. – The Silver Problem as it Affects Mexico – Bankers’ Ins. Manag. Mag., June 1935

Berridge, W. A. – Some Facts Bearing on the Silver Program, Rev. Ec. Stat., Nov. 1934

Deterding, H. W. A. – Silver: Its International Position – Econ. Forum, June-July 1934

Kreps, T. J. – The Price of Silver and Chinese Purchasing Power – Quart. Journ. Ec. – Feb. 1934

  1. Flexible Parities [Return]

Meade, J. E. – Introduction to Economic Analysis and Policy

Hayek, F. – Monetary Nationalism and International Stability

British Monetary Policy – Economist (London) Oct. 24, 1936

Henderson, H. D. – Case Against Returning to Gold – Lloyd’s Bank Monthly Review – June 1935

Graham, F. D. and Whittlesey, C. R. – Fluctuating Exchange Rates, Foreign Trade and the Price Level – Am. Econ. Rev. – Sept. 1934

Whale, P. B. – Theory of International Trade – Economica – Feb. 1936

Williams, J. H. – Adequacy of Existing Currency Mechanisms, Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. – March 1937

  1. Hot Money [Return]

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short Term Capital Movements

Feiler, A. – International Movement of Capital – Amer. Econ. Rev. Suppl., Mar. 1935

  1. Exchange Rates Under Incontrovertible Paper [Return]

Cassel, G. – Money and Foreign Exchange After 1914

Angell, J. – Theory of International Prices

Nogaro – Modern Monetary Systems

Taussig, F. W. – International Trade

Whitaker – Foreign Exchange

Viner, J. – Studies in the Theory of International Trade

  1. Purchasing Power Parity vs. Balance of Payment Theory of the Determination of Exchange Rates [Return]

Cassel, G. – Econ. Journ., March 1916

Cassel, G. – Econ. Journ., Sept. 1916

Cassel, G. – Econ. Journ., Dec. 1918

Cassel, G. – Annals of Amer. Acad. Of Pol. And Soc. Science, Vol. 89, May 1920

Cassel, G. – Money and Foreign Exchange after 1914

Ellis – German Monetary Theory

Keynes, J. M. – Monetary Reform, p. 87 ff

Keynes, J. M. – Treatise on Money, ch. 5

Keilhau – Econ. Journ., 1925, pp. 221 ff

Angell, J. – Theory of International Prices

Nogaro – Modern Monetary System

Taussig, F. W. – International Trade

Bogen, J. I. – Money and Banking

Viner, J. – Studies in the Theory of International Trade

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short Term Capital Movements

Graham, F. D. – Recent Movements in International Price Levels, and the Doctrine of Purchasing Power Parity – Journ. Am. Stat. Assn., Suppl., Mar. 1935

  1. International vs. National Objectives of Monetary Policy [Return]

Gayer, A. D. – Monetary Policy and Economic Stabilization

Hayek, F. – Monetary Nationalism and International Stability

  1. Measures of Over-valuation [Return]

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short-Term Capital Movements

Whale, P. B. – Theory of International Trade – Economica, Feb. 1936

  1. The International Transfer of Purchasing Power [Return]

Einzig, P. – Foreign Balances

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short-Term Capital Movements

Ohlin, B. – International and Interregional Trade

Taussig, F. W. – International Trade

Feiler, A. – International Movement of Capital – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. March 1935

Cassel, G. – International Payments under a System of Paper Currencies – Skon Kredit Quart. Rept., Oct. 1934

  1. The Forward Exchange Market [Return]

Einzig, P. – The Theory of Forward Exchange

Einzig, P. – Some Theoretico-Technical Aspects of Official Forward Exchange Operations – Econ. Journ. June 1938

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short-Term Capital Movements

Keynes, J. M. – Tract of Monetary Reform

  1. Spreading the Gold Points and Short Term Capital Movements [Return]

[No references given]

  1. American Export of Capital since the War [Return]

League of Nations – Course and Phases of World Econ. Depression

Hansen, A. H. – Econ. Stabilization in Unbalanced World

Young, J. P. – International Financial Position of U.S.

Moon, P. T. – America as a Creditor Nation

Angell, J. – Financial Foreign Policies of U.S.

Angell, J. – Balance of Payments in U.S.

Taussig, F. W. – International Trade

League of Nations –Report of Gold Delegation

League of Nations – Stat. Yearbook

U.S. Dept. of Commerce – American Underwriting of Foreign Securities in 1929

Haberler, G. – International Trade

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short-Term Capital Movements

Feiler, A. – International Movement of Capital – Am. Ec. Rev. Suppl. March 1935

  1. International Short Term Balances and the Depression [Return]

Einzig, P. – Foreign Balance

Kindleberger, C. P. – International Short-Term Capital Movements

  1. Tariff Policy and the Depression [Return]

Report of Committee of Inquiry into National Policy in International Economic Relations

  1. Bank of International Settlements [Return]

Dulles, E. L. – B. I. S. at work (1932)

Einzig, P. – Bank of International Settlement

Gideonse, H. R. – The International Bank

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Bank of International Settlement – Annual Reports

Traylor, M. – Bank of International Settlement Documents – First Natl. Bank, Chicago

Dulles, E. L. – Bank of International Settlement – Am. Ec. Rev. June 1938

Fraser, L. – The International Bank and Its Future – Foreign Affairs, April 1936

Keynes, J. M. – Report of the Bank of International Settlement – Econ. Journ., Sept. 1934

De Clery, A. R. – The Bank of International Settlement and the World Economic Crisis, Interparliamentary Bulletin, Nov. 1934

VI. MISCELLANEOUS

  1. War Finance [Return]

American Econ. Assn. – Report of Committee on War Finance

League of Nations –Currencies after the War

U.S. Senate – Comm. of Gold and Silver – Inquiry – European Currencies and Exchange

Grady, H. F. – British War Finance, 1914-1919

Nicholson, J. S. – War Finance

Harris, S. E. – Monetary Problems of British Empire

Graham, F. D. – Exchange, Prices and Production in Hyperinflation in Germany, 1920-23

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking

Hollander, J. B. – War Borrowing

Bogart, E. L. – War Costs and their Financing

Pigou, A. C. – Political Econom. of War

Smith, D. T. – Treasury Operations and Money Market

Hawtrey, R. G. – Currency and Credit

  1. The Reparations Controversy [Return]

Moulton, H. G. and Pasvolsky – War Debts and World Prosperity

Myers, D. P. – The Reparation Settlement

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking – 902 ff

Young, J. P. – International Trade and Finance

  1. War Debts [Return]

(same as No. 130)

  1. Fall of Prices: 1873-96 [Return]

Layton – Intro. To Study of Prices

Price, L. L. –Money and its Relation to Prices

Ransome and Mann – Future of Prices at Home and Abroad

Warren and Pearson – Prices

Kuznets, S. – Secular Movements in Production and Prices

League of Nations – Gold Reports

Peterson, J. and Peterson, O. S. – An Analysis of Price Behavior During Period 1855-1913

Mills, F. C. – Prices in Recession and Recovery

  1. Rise of Prices: 1896-1913 [Return]

(see no. 132)

Ashley, Gold and Prices (1912)

  1. Price Movement since the War [Return]

Mills, F. C. – Prices in Recession and Recovery

  1. Probable Future Trend of Prices [Return]

Ransome and Mann – Future of Prices at Home and Abroad

Warren and Pearson – Prices

Hayek, F. – Prod. and Prices

League of Nations – Gold Reports

Journal of Farm Econ., Jan. 1932 – Future of General Price Level

  1. Changes in the Value of Money and the Distribution of Wealth [Return]

Keynes, J. M. – Monetary Reform

Edie, L. D. – Money, Bank Credit and Prices

Fisher, I. – Stabilizing the Dollar

Robertson, D. H. – Money

Steiner, W. H. – Money and Banking (786-795)

Willis, H. P. – The Economics of Inflation

  1. Monetary and Financial Questions Raised by the Social Security Program [Return]

Hansen, A. H. and Murray, H. G. – A New Plan for Unemployment Reserves

Hansen, A. H. – Full Recovery or Stagnation

Hansen, A. H. et al. – Program for Unemployment Insurance Relief in U.S.

Beveridge, W. H. – Causes and Cures of Unemployment

Wolfenden, H. H. – Unemployment Funds: A Survey and Proposal

Woll, M. – Labor, Industry and Govt.

Achsner, E. H. – Social Ins. And Econ. Security

Heyman [?], E. – Unemployment Preventions and Relief

Douglas, P. H. and Director, A. – Problem of Unemployment

Slichter, S. H. – Making Booms Bear the Burden of Relief

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Additional Thesis Subjects — Economics 41
  1. Monetary policy of neutral countries in war.
  2. War finance in Germany (Great Britain, France).
  3. Problems of war finance.
  4. Exchange rates and war.
  5. The international money proposal.
  6. Business cycle policy under the National Banking System.
  7. The Peel Banking Act of 1844.
  8. The crisis of 1837 (1857, 1873, 1897, 1907).
  9. War debts and reparations.
  10. Monetary aspects of the demand for colonies.
  11. Monetary aspects of recovery policy in Australia.
  12. Monetary controls in Germany (Sweden, Canada, Great Britain).

Image Source: Portraits of John Henry Williams and Seymour Edwin Harris from Harvard Class Album 1939. Enhanced by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.

Categories
Economists Harvard

Harvard. Economics Ph.D. alumnus, Seymour Edwin Harris. 1926

While this post still needs the course transcript from the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard to be complete, there is enough information about the 1926 Harvard economics Ph.D. Seymour Edwin Harris for it to be added to our series “Meet an economics Ph.D. alumnus/alumna”.

_______________________

Biographical/Historical Note

Seymour Edwin Harris was born September 8, 1897 in New York City. He received an A.B. in 1920 and a Ph.D. in 1926 from Harvard University. From 1922 to 1964, Dr. Harris taught economics at Harvard University, where he received a full professorship in 1954, and served as the chairman of the department of economics from 1955 to 1959. During World War II, Dr. Harris was involved in several wartime planning projects. From 1954 to 1956, Dr. Harris became chief economic advisor to Adlai Stevenson. He then served Senator John F. Kennedy in the same capacity and was chosen as a member of President Kennedy’s task force on the economy. In 1961, Dr. Harris was named as chief economic consultant to Douglas Dillon, Secretary of the Treasury. During the Kennedy administration. Dr. Harris, a proponent of Keynesian economics, was a member of Walter W. Heller’s New Frontiersmen, which persuaded President Kennedy that the stimulation of the economy was more important than a balanced budget and tax cuts and government spending could counter threats of a recession. In 1963, Dr. Harris became the chairman of the department of economics at the University of California at La Jolla. At the same time, he served as a chief economic advisor to the Johnson administration.

Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Archives. Guide to the Seymour E. Harris Personal Papers.

_______________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Application for Candidacy for the Degree of Ph.D.

[Note: Boldface used to indicate printed text of the application; italics used to indicate the handwritten entries]

I. Full Name, with date and place of birth.

Seymour Edwin Harris.  Sept. 8, 1897; Brooklyn, N.Y.

II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)

C.C.N.Y. – 1916-18. Harvard A.B. 1918-20.
Princeton – Instructor of Economics 1920-2.
Harvard – Tutor 1922-4.

III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)

A.B. Harvard. 1920.

IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your undergraduate studies in History, Economics, Government, and in such other fields as Ancient and Modern Languages, Philosophy, etc. In case you are a candidate for the degree in History, state the number of years you have studied preparatory and college Latin.)

Economics A, 3, 5, 11, 33
History 1, 12, 32b
Government 1, 17B.
Latin2 years at college. Greek1 year. French2 years (college). German1 year.

V. Department of Study. (Do you propose to offer yourself for the Ph.D., “History,” in “Economics,” or in “Political Science”?)

Economics.

VI. Choice of Subjects for the General Examination. (State briefly the nature of your preparation in each subject, as by Harvard courses, courses taken elsewhere, private reading, teaching the subject, etc., etc.)

  1. Economic Theory & History.
    Economics A, 11as undergraduate14, 15
  2. Money and Banking.
    Economics 38
    Two half courses at Princeton Grad. School. (Currency Reform & Monetary Histor of the U.S.)
  3. Statistics.
    Economics 41
  4. Public Finance
    Economics 31
  5. American History.
    History 32b (as Undergraduate)
    & Private reading
  6. [Left blank]

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

Money and Banking with International Trade as a substitute field [committee: Professors Young (chairman), Taussig, Gay, and Monroe]

VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)

Subject? [The Assignat]
Professor Young.

IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)

May 15, 1924
[March (early), 1926]

X. Remarks

I have not decided on any subject. At present, I expect to write in Theory, and I hope under Professor Young.

Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.

Allyn A. Young

*   *   *   [Last page of application] *   *   *

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: S. E. Harris

Approved: April 2, 1924

Ability to use French certified by C. J. Bullock, 10 May 1923.

Ability to use German certified by C. J. Bullock, 10 May 1923.

Date of general examination April 29, 1924. Passed A.A.Y.

Thesis received March 5, 1926

Read by [left blank]

Approved [left blank]

Date of special examination [left blank]

Recommended for the Doctorate [left blank]

Degree conferred  [left blank]

Remarks.  [left blank]

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

Certification of reading knowledge
of French and German for Ph.D.

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 10, 1923

This is to certify that I have examined Mr. S.E. Harris and have found that he has such a knowledge of French and German as we require of candidates for the Ph.D. degree.

Very truly yours
[signed]
C. J. Bullock [K]

Dean D. H. Haskins

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

Passed General Examination

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

Cambridge, Massachusetts
April 30, 1924

Dear Dean Haskins:

As Chairman of the Committee to conduct the general examination of S. E. Harris for the degree of Ph.D., I beg to report that Mr. Harris passed the examination. It was the opinion of the Committee that Mr. Harris’ showing was distinctly good, “better than the average”.

Yours sincerely,
[signed]
Allyn A. Young

Dean C. H. Haskins

[Note: The exam was held Tuesday, 29 April at 4 p.m. in Widener D. Committee: Professors Young, Crum, Bullock, Williams and Dr. Merk with Professor Persons substituting for Professor Crum at the examination.]

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

Passed Special Examination

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

Cambridge, Massachusetts
March 12, 1926

To the Division of History, Government and Economics:

As chairman of the committee appointed to conduct the special examination of Mr. S. E. Harris for the degree of Ph.D. in Economics I beg to report that Mr. Harris passed a very creditable examination.

[signed]
Allyn A. Young

Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government & Economics, Ph.D. Degrees Conferred 1929-30. (UA V 453.270), Box 6.

Image Source: This particular portrait of Seymour E. Harris has been cropped from the 1934 Harvard Album. The identical portrait can be found already in the 1925 Harvard Album.

 

Categories
Economists Harvard

Harvard. Application for PhD candidacy. Edward S. Mason, 1923

Below you will find a transcription of the paper trail of Edward Sagendorph Mason that documents the satisfaction of the requirements for his Ph.D. in economics (Harvard, 1925). 

Understatement is almost an art form in the hands of the chairman (Professor Frank W. Taussig) of Mason’s final doctoral examination  that followed acceptance of his dissertation: “His showing was highly creditable, even brilliant”.

_______________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DIVISION OF HISTORY, GOVERNMENT, AND ECONOMICS

Application for Candidacy for the Degree of Ph.D.

[Note: Boldface used to indicate printed text of the application; italics used to indicate the handwritten entries]

I. Full Name, with date and place of birth.

Edward Sagendorph Mason, Clinton, Iowa. Feb. 22, 1899.

II. Academic Career: (Mention, with dates inclusive, colleges or other higher institutions of learning attended; and teaching positions held.)

University of Kansas 1916-’19
Harvard (graduate school) one year 1919-’20
Oxford University (Lincoln College) 1920-’23

III. Degrees already attained. (Mention institutions and dates.)

A.B. Kansas 1919
M.A. Harvard 1920
B. Litt. Oxford 1923

IV. General Preparation. (Indicate briefly the range and character of your undergraduate studies in History, Economics, Government, and in such other fields as Ancient and Modern Languages, Philosophy, etc.)

30-40 hours in Economics (Theory – Econ. Hist. – Banking – Hist. of Theory)
Political theory – American government.
English History – Modern French History.
French – 3 years.
English literature – 20-30 hours.

V. Department of Study. (Do you propose to offer yourself for the Ph.D., “History,” in “Economics,” or in “Political Science”?)

Economics

VI. Choice of Subjects for the General Examination. (State briefly the nature of your preparation in each subject, as by Harvard courses, courses taken elsewhere, private reading, teaching the subject, etc., etc.)

  1. Economic Theory. – Econ 11 at Harvard. Elementary and advanced courses at Kansas. – Reading and lectures in England and Germany.
    History of Theory (from Plato & Aristotle). Elementary course at Kansas – Reading and lectures at Oxford
  2. Statistics. – Graduate course at Harvard. Additional Reading.
  3. Public Finance. – Graduate course at Harvard.
  4. Economic History of England and the United States. – Elementary course in U.S. Econ. History at Kansas. Lectures and reading at Oxford.
  5. American Government and Constitutional Law. – Elementary course in Am. Gov. at Kansas. Graduate course in Const. Law at Harvard. Additional reading.
  6. International Trade

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

International Trade

VIII. Thesis Subject. (State the subject and mention the instructor who knows most about your work upon it.)

Dumping – A Study of Certain International Trade Practices. England, Germany and the United States (B. Litt. Dissertation at Oxford in this subject. May submit same at Harvard.)
Professor Taussig.

IX. Examinations. (Indicate any preferences as to the time of the general and special examinations.)

General Examination. June 10th or after.
Special Examination. Next year.

X. Remarks

Attendance at Oxford makes it impossible for me to present myself before June 10th at the earliest.

Signature of a member of the Division certifying approval of the above outline of subjects.

[signed] F. W. Taussig

*   *   *   [Last page of application] *   *   *

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: Edward S. Mason

Approved: May 28, 1923

Ability to use French certified by C. J. Bullock. Oct 3, 1923.

Ability to use German certified by  C. J. Bullock. Oct. 3, 1923.

Date of general examination November 27, 1923. Passed. F.W. Taussig, ch[airman]

Thesis received 22 December 1924.

Read by Professors Taussig, Young, Williams.

Approved 14 January 1925.

Date of special examination 22 January 1925. Passed F.W.T.

Recommended for the Doctorate [left blank]

Degree conferred 24 February 1925

Remarks.  [left blank]

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

Record of E. S. Mason in the
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

1919-20
Economics 11
[Economic Theory. Prof. Taussig]
A
Economics 31
[Public Finance, Prof. Bullock]
A minus
Economics 41
[Statistics: Theory and Analysis, Asst. Prof. Day]
B plus
Government 19
[American Constitutional Law,
Mr. MacLeish]
A
A.M.  1920

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

Dean not amused by late application

28 April 1923

My dear Mr. Mason:

Your application requesting for arrangements for a general examination this year has just been received. I am rather surprised that you should hand it in at such a late date and expect us to meke such arrangements. The list of examinations has been scheduled and printed for some weeks, and we cannot guarantee examinations for anyone after the first of June as it is exceedingly difficult to secure the presence of all the members of the examining comittee in Cambridge on the same day after the close of the lecture period. If you will indicate definitely the date of your return, which you mention vaguely in your letter, we shall try, however to arrange a committee for you at that time. Nothing can be promised, but we shall try to do what we can. I appreciate the convenience to you of taking the general examination this year, but I beg to remind you that due notice should be given of your plan of study and of your application for a general examination.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned carbon copy]

Edward S. Mason

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

Mason responds to the Dean regarding an early date for his general examination

Lincoln College,
Oxford.

May 9, 1923.

Dean C. H. Haskins,
Harvard University.

My dear Sir –

If it is convenient for you and for the examiners I should like to take the Ph.D. general examination (Economics) on June 12th. I am writing to Professor Bullock, my examiner in French and German, asking to be allowed to present myself June 11th for the language examinations.

May I emphasize again that if it causes the slightest inconvenience to yourself or the examiners, I should very much like to have the examination postponed till October or November, since I intend to be at Harvard next year in any case.

Thanking you for the trouble you have taken.

I am,

Very Truly Yours,
[signed] Edward S. Mason

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

Division Memo Regarding Planned General Examination (undated)

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
(INTER-DEPARTMENTAL CORRESPONDENCE SHEET)

Cambridge, Massachusetts

Edward S. Mason

June 10, or after.

  1. [Taussig] Economic Theory
  2. [Bullock] History of Theory (from Plato to Aristotle)
  3. [Crum] Statistics
  4. [Burbank] Public Finance
  5. [Usher] Economic History of England and the United States
  6. [Holcombe] American Government and Constitutional Law.

Special field: International Trade

Thesis being done with Professor Taussig.
Professor Taussig has signed the application.

French and German not certified.

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

22 May 1923

My dear Mr. Mason;

In view of the difficulty of arranging an examination so late in the year, and also in view of the fact that you have not satisfied your French and Gorman requirement, I think it would be better if the examination went over till fall. There will be no difficulty in arranging an examination for you early in October, if you so desire.

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

Certification of reading knowledge
of French and German

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

Cambridge, Massachusetts
October 3, 1923.

Dear Haskins:

I have examined Mr. E. S. Mason, and find that he has such a knowledge of French and German as we require of candidates for the doctor’s degree.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

General exam postponed

21 November 1925

My dear Mr. Mason:

I am sorry to have to tell you that I have just now received a telegram from Professor Taussig from Yonkers, New York, saying that he has been detained by the sudden death of his brother, and that your examination would have to be postponed. I will let you know as soon as I hear anything further from him,

Very truly yours,
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. E. S. Mason

[Note: Frank Taussig’s brother, mayor Walter Morris Taussig of Yonkers, New York, committed suicide on Nov. 21, 1923.]

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

New Date for General Examination

23 November 1923

My dear Mr. Mason:

Your general examination is to be held on Tuesday, 27 November, at 4 p.m., in Upper Massachusette Hall.

Very truly yours.
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. E. S. Mason

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

General examination passed

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

Cambridge, Massachusetts
November 30, 1923.

Dear Haskins:

As Chairman of the Committee appointed to conduct the general examination of Edward S. Mason, I have to report that Mr. Mason passed the examination by unanimous vote of the Committee.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
F. W. Taussig

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

Thesis accepted, but…

15 January 1925

My dear Mr. Mason:

I am happy to inform you that your thesis has been accepted. Under ordinary circumstances we should be glad to arrange your special examination as soon as practicable, but I cannot guarantee presence of a committee during the midyear examination period and the time is now too short to arrange
an examination in the next few days. Moreover, I do not see how you can be admitted to the final examination until you present suitable evidence of your graduate study elsewhere and you have been accepted by the authorities of the Graduate School as a candidate for the Doctorate. I understand from Dr. Robinson that the papers which you were to submit in support of your application for the Ph.D. have not yet been filed.

Sincerely yours,
[Initialed] C. H. H.

Mr. E. S. Mason

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

Papers in order, so special examination
can take place

16 January 1925

My dear Mr. Mason:

Since you have now straightened out the matter concerning which Professor Haskins wrote you yesterday, we are arranging your special examination for Thursday, 22 January, at 4 p.m. The committee will consist of Professors Taussig (chairman), Young, Williams, and Persons. I trust that this will be convenient for you. I will let you know about the place later.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned carbon copy]
Secretary of the Division.

Dr. E. S. Mason

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

Date and committee
for special examination

19 January 1925

My dear Mr. Mason:

This is to remind you that your special examination for the Ph.D. in Economics is to be held on Thursday, 22 January, at 4 p.m., in Widener U. The committee will consist of Professors Taussig (chairman), Young, Williams, and Persons.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned carbon copy]
Secretary of the Division.

Dr. E. S. Mason

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

Special examination passed

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

Cambridge, Massachusetts
January 27, 1925.

Dear Haskins:

I have to report that Edward S. Mason passed his special examination for the Ph.D. degree on Thursday, January 22, by unanimous vote of the Committee. His showing was highly creditable, even brilliant.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
F. W. Taussig

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

Source: Harvard University Archives. Division of History, Government & Economics. PhD. Examinations, Box 6: 1924-26.

Image Source: Portrait of Edward S. Mason included in the Harvard Class Album 1932.

Categories
Columbia Economist Market Economists Harvard

Harvard and Columbia. President of Harvard headhunting conversation regarding economists. Mitchell and Mills, 1936

The following typed notes were based on a conversation that took place on February 21, 1936 regarding possible future hires for the Harvard economics department. President James B. Conant (or someone on his behalf) met with Columbia university professors Wesley C. Mitchell and his NBER sidekick, Frederick C. Mills. This artifact comes from President Conant’s administrative records in the Harvard Archives.

In the memo we find a few frank impressions of members of the Harvard economics departments together with head-hunting tips for established and up-and-coming economists of the day.

An observation that jumps from the paper is the identification pinned to the name Arthur F. Burns, namely, “(Jew)”. Interestingly enough this was not added to Arthur William Marget (see the earlier post Harvard Alumnus. A.W. Marget. Too Jewish for Chicago? 1927.) nor to Seymour Harris.  

________________________

[stamp] FEB 25, 1936

ECONOMICS

Confidential Memorandum of a Conversation on Friday, February 21, with Wesley [Clair] Mitchell and his colleague, Professor [Frederick Cecil] Mills (?) of Columbia

General impression is that the Department of Economics at Harvard is in a better state today than these gentlemen would have thought possible a few years ago. The group from 35-50 which now faces the future is about as good as any in the country. [Edward Hastings] Chamberlin, [John Henry] Williams,[Gottfried] Haberler and Schlichter [sic, [Sumner Slichter] are certainly quite outstanding. Very little known about [Edward Sagendorph] Mason;  he seems to have made a favorable impression but no writings. [Seymour EdwinHarris slightly known, favorable but not exciting.

[John Ulric] Neff admitted to be the best man in economic history if we could get him. Names of other people in this country mentioned included:

[Robert Alexander] Brady — University of California, now working on Carnegie grant on bureaucracy; under 40.

Arthur [F.] Burns at Rutgers (Jew) now working with the Bureau of Economic Research and not available for 3 or 4 years. Said by them to be excellent.

Henry Schultz of Chicago, about in Chamberlin’s class and age, or perhaps a little better.

[Arthur William] Marget of Minnesota, Harvard Ph.D., I believe; well known, perhaps better than Chamberlin. Flashy and perhaps unsound. (Mitchell and Mills disagree to some extent on their estimate of his permanent value but agree on his present high visibility).

Winfield Riffler [sic, Winfield William Riefler], recently called to the Institute of Advanced Study at Princeton, probably one of the most if not the most outstanding of the younger men.

Morris [Albert] Copeland of Washington; good man but not so good as Chamberlin.

Giddons [sic, Harry David Gideonse?] of Chicago, very highly thought of by Chicago people but has not written a great deal; supposed to be an excellent organizer.

C. E. [Clarence Edwin] Ayres, University of Texas, about 40; in N.R.A. at Washington. Mitchell thinks very highly of him.

England

[Theodore Emmanuel Gugenheim] Gregory, at London School of Economics, about 50, same field as Williams but not so good. Mills more favorable than Mitchell.

Other outstanding young Englishmen:

[Richard F.] Kahn, Kings College, Cambridge

F. Colin [sic, Colin Grant] Clark, of Cambridge

Lionel Robins [sic, Lionel Charles Robbins] of London, age 35, rated very highly by both Mills and Mitchell

F. A. Hayek, another Viennese now in London; spoken of very highly by both Mills and Mitchell.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Records of President James B. Conant, Box 54, Folder Economics, “1935-1936”.

Image Sources: Wesley Clair Mitchell (left) from the “Original Founders” page at the website of the Foundation for the Study of Business Cycles; Frederick C. Mills (right) from the Columbia Daily Spectator, Vol. CVIII, No. 68, 11 February 1964.

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.

Categories
Economist Market Economists Harvard

Harvard. Memo to Provost supporting Galbraith appointment. Black, 1947

 

As surprising as it might sound, the Harvard economics department couldn’t always get whom they wanted (Theodore Schultz). As a consequence we are able to observe an aggressive strategy employed by a member of one side in the departmental hiring dispute.  Professor John D. Black attempted to play the rebound in re-pleading his case for John Kenneth Galbraith’s appointment to a newly established professorship. Indeed by writing directly to the Provost, Black could have been charged with at least an additional count of “working the ref”. The episode is well summarized in Richard Parker’s biography of Galbraith (John Kenneth Galbraith: his life, his politics, his economics, pp. 226-227). Still, there is nothing quite like the pleasure of watching sharp elbows at work in the service of intradepartmental politics as revealed in the complete letter posted below.  Black was not afraid to push nativist buttons in referring to anti-Galbrathians among his colleagues: “European clique” (cf. Haberler in 1948 on Galbraith vs Samuelson), “the monetary-fiscal policy axis” and “gaudy Keynesian trappings”.

A cynical nose can detect more than a whiff of a self-serving plea to strengthen the prospects of Black’s own field and style of research. 

Archival note: Parker refers to a copy of the letter in Black’s papers with the Wisconsin Historical Society, this post is based on a copy of the letter I found in Galbraith’s papers at the JFK Presidential Library.

Economics in the Rear-view Mirror provides the outlines and exams for Black’s courses on the marketing of agricultural commodities from 1947-48).

____________________

December 22, 1947

Provost Paul Buck
University Hall
Cambridge, Massachusetts

Dear Provost Buck:

As you are no doubt aware, it was I who last year nominated Galbraith for the joint professorship to the School of Public Administration and in the Department of Economics. It was my judgment at that time that in view of his experience in public affairs and acknowledged great ability he surely should be considered for this position. The voting last year confirmed my judgment surprisingly. Excluding Schultz, to whom the appointment was offered, and Tinbergen from the Netherlands, he ran neck and neck with Yntema for top place in all of the balloting, with Samuelson next, and Smithies in seventh place. Tinbergen owed his strength to the European clique in the Department of Economics (by no means all European born), who have a European idea of the function of a university, und would have been a misfit in this appointment.

The voting of course reflected in large measure the conceptions of the voting members as to the needs of the appointment. A majority of my colleagues in the Department of Economics thought of it in terms simply of getting another high-grade technical economist, with little thought for the needs of the School of Public Administration. To meet this situation, I prepared and read at one of last year’s joint meetings on the appointment, the following statement, which I now I now submit anew, as still describing the conditions of the appointment:

The decision as to an appointment in economics at this time raises the whole question of the future of the Graduate School of Public Administration and its meaning for the Departments of Economics and Government.

The first point to make under this head is that the two departments named, without the Graduate School of Public Administration, are destined to become conventional departments in these fields, not distinguishable from similar departments in other universities, except for probably having better faculties than most of them. Even the latter distinction could easily fade in the next decade or two. With the Graduate School of Public Administration working with them, they both have possibilities of becoming super-graduate departments, by building on top of the usual graduate offerings in these fields a type of advanced graduate instruction that deals with problems of the sort that arise in the higher levels of policy-making in government. The seminars now given are well worth while from this point of view, but they fell much sort of realizing their possibilities. The two departments therefore very much need the Graduate School of Public Administration. It offers them a real opportunity to achieve greatness and become important influences in our national life. On the other hand, the School can get nowhere without the regular graduate work of the two departments as a foundation. The School and the two departments should therefore work closely together, each helping the others at each step in their advancement.

This means looking at a problem, such as that of the new appointment, as a common problem, and asking the question what kind of an appointment now will promote best the progress of the departments and the School?

Before answering this question, we need to go back and consider the basis on which the School was conceived. Those who formulated the program for the School finally settled down on training in policy-making as the great opportunity for a school of public administration at a university like Harvard. They exhibited a kind of prescience and inner wisdom in so doing that would almost seem like a miracle except for the fact that it did grow almost inevitably out of the situation.

In the two or three years following the founding of the School, much actual headway was made in realizing the objective of training for policy-making. The program of the School and it method made a strong impression in government circles and in the world of education. Since then, the School has lost considerable of the advantage of such a splendid start. If it does not take hold with vigor again and press forward along the lines laid out, it will lose it entirely in five or ten more years and become nothing more than a minor adjunct of the two conventional departments of the University. This the departments themselves cannot afford to let happen. Neither can Harvard University.

Looking at the present problem in this light, there can be no doubt that the great weakness in our present situation is in persons qualified to train advanced graduate students in policy-making, who have the aptitude for it as well as the background. The interests of the departments are in such an appointment at this time. The training in policy-making, comparatively speaking, is not suffering now, and will not suffer for several years, because of deficiencies in the preliminary graduate training needed as a foundation for it.

Also needing to be considered are important and somewhat similar relations to other departments of Harvard University, particularly to the Graduate School of Business Administration, to the Law School, and to the new Department of Social Relations. The School can add something of high importance to each of these if its seminars in the policy-making function are adequately developed; and in turn its contribution will be much enriched by what workers in these fields have to offer.

An appointment at this time of one new professor qualified as indicated will not of course take us far alone the way we need to go. But it will make a good start. We shall need mainly two things in addition: A. Additional research funds for the different seminars — to be used in employing research associates, financing field work, statistical laboratory work, etc., B. Some appointments wholly on the faculty of the School. Funds for both of these, especially the first, can be obtained if sought in earnest.

In conclusion, it should be stated that the School has made a start exactly along the right lines. It does not need in the least to back up and take a fresh start, but instead only to pick up what it has and go forward with it.

You, Provost Buck, do not need to be told that since I made this statement, the School has done exactly what I was hoping for. Almost certainly now at least three of the major seminars of the School will have research projects combined with them, each with small staffs of research associates. Steps are being taken to bring the School into effective working relations with the Law school and the Department of Social Relations. The need for an appointment that will strengthen its instruction in the policy-making function has in consequence become even more urgent then it was a year ago.

When it came time to offer nominations again this year, I felt that in view of the strong vote for Galbraith last year, surely he should be considered again. The third men in the top three this year, Smithies, has been substituted for Samuelson by those who supported Samuelson last year, apparently for two reasons: one, they now admit Samuelson’s shortcomings in the policy role, and consider Smithies a better candidate from this point of view; two, they expect to have Samuelson appointed to the full professorship now vacant in the Department of Economics. There seems to be more general acceptance than year ago of my conception of the needs of the appointment.

It has been necessary for me to make this last statement because it is the basis for the most important factor in the whole situation as it now develops, namely, that to appoint both Smithies and Samuelson at this time would further unbalance the work in economics at Harvard in the direction of the monetary-fiscal policy axis, since both of these men work mainly along these lines. The simple fact of the matter is that the men working in money and banking, fiscal policy and international trade, plus a few (in theory mostly) who vote with them on appointments, already constitute a voting majority in the Department of Economics. (You will remember that they did their utmost to prevent Dunlop’s appointment two years ago.) To add one more to this axis at this time would be highly unfortunate. It is, of course, not their voting which is most important — it is the narrowing effect which they have on the teaching and research in economics at Harvard. Those two appointments would contribute more than usual to such narrowing, since they are Keynesians in addition.

Of course none of these in this axis considers that he is narrow. In their discussions, to be sure, they draw in all phases of the economy. But they organize it all in terms of a single framework of reference. They pour it all, as it were, through one narrow funnel, and do some sieving in the process. As to how much they may mislead themselves in so doing, — and unfortunately some of the policy-makers of the nation; we have had abundant evidence in the past two years.

We can be reasonably certain that within ten or fifteen years, the Keynesian system of economic thinking will have been pretty well taken in stride. It would be unfortunate if at that time Harvard found itself with a faculty in economics too largely clothed in outworn habiliments. The economies of that day will have a different cast then the pre-Keynesian; but it will have lost much of its gaudy Keynesian trappings.

One of the first stories told me about Harvard when I arrived in 1927 was of President Eliot’s having been asked why Harvard University’s Department of Psychology had never developed a “school” of thought in that field, as had the Departments of Cornell and Columbia, and of his having answered that if he had discovered that his Department of Psychology was becoming dominated by one school of thought he would have hastened to appoint the strongest man he could find of an opposing school.

Of course this last point is no argument for the appointment of Galbraith. It is merely an argument against appointing Smithies if Samuelson is going to be appointed to the Department of Economics — and the pressure for Samuelson’s appointment is very strong in the Department of Economics.

I do not propose to present any strong affirmative arguments in support of Galbraith’s appointment. I nominated him because I believed that he should at least be considered. It has been the votes of my colleagues that has put him in the running, and I prefer that they tell you their reasons. I would not want him appointed if in their judgment, and that of the ad hoc committee, he is not the strongest man for this joint appointment.

I say this even though I would hope that if Galbraith were appointed he could spare a small fraction of his time to helping me give the two year courses which I now give in Commodity Distribution and Prices (ordinarily called Marketing.) Even though I am now giving these two courses, with the help of one-fifth of the time of an annual instructor, in addition to three full year courses in the Economies of Agricultura (with help of part of the time of one visiting lecturer) besides supervising a score of doctor’s theses, I shall manage somehow if I can get some other regular help with the three courses in the Economics of Agriculture.1

____________

  1. The undergraduate course in marketing had 90 students in the fall term, and the graduate course had 12 plus 8 auditors. This course was offered to Harvard undergraduate in 1946-47 for the first time, except for sone special instruction in food marketing given to armed service prospects during the war. The graduate course has been given since 1933.

    ____________

It may also be of interest that 12 of the 120 Ph.D’s reported as conferred in Economics in the United States in 1946-47 (12 months) were to candidates writing theses under my direction. (See September 1947 American Economic Review.)

There have, however, been some statements made about Galbraith in faculty discussions that must be commented upon in the interest of truth and sound decision. It has been said of him that he is “not a highly competent technical economist.” All this means is that he has published no articles in which he has applied methods of statistical and mathematical analysis, to the development of refinements of economic and monetary theory. I have no doubt of Galbraith’s ability to do this when this is the important thing for him to do. The simple truth is that a man of his breadth of comprehension is likely to find himself mainly absorbed in dealing with broad fundamental economic relationships; and this is especially true in times as disturbed as those in which he has been doing his writing. When asked, in the summer of 1947, to read a paper on the current economic situation, I entitled this paper “Fundamental Elements in the Current Agricultural Situation,” and I wrote as follows:

“The day and the hour seem to call for analysis in terms of broad fundamentals. This is no occasion for the refinements of theory and their application; but rather for over-simplification and over-emphasis on a few vital elements. Something of accuracy is lost in consequence; but this is not relatively important in the emergency that confronts us. There are wild horses loose in the world and the first task is to bring them to leash. Later we can break them to the plow and the cart.”

This statement is truer today than it was in 1942. If any economist of today is turning out articles or books presenting analysis of refinements, he is doing it because he lacks real power of analysis of the larger issues of the day, or as a by-product of such analysis, or as relaxation from the steady grind of his regular job. No doubt some of Smithies’ articles fit into these latter descriptions. Galbraith’s writings of the past ten years have covered the larger aspects of a very broad range of subjects.

Another criticism has been that he is not a good speaker. It is true that he often speaks haltingly when extemporizing. He needs time to find the exact word he wants. But he writes excellent papers, and reads them very effectively. (John Williams reported at a recent faculty meeting that his paper and Ed Mason’s were the outstanding papers at a full meeting in Philadelphia. His paper at the Atlantic City meeting in December 1946 was an outstanding performance.) In fact, he has become a very effective writer. To have a man in the Graduate School of Public Administration who can write as effectively as Galbraith on public questions of the day will be a highly valuable asset.

It needs to be added that he is effective in the classroom in spite of halting for a word now and then. The secret of this is that he has an uncanny sense for the vital points in a classroom discussion the same in analyzing public issues, and for putting these in their proper perspective. He is also a very stimulating influence among students in private discussion.

Rating higher in my scale of values than in those of many other academicians is capacity. Some of my colleagues do twice as much teaching, research and writing as some others, and do it fully as well or better. Galbraith has demonstrated a high order of capacity.

The other adverse report concerning Galbraith is not so easy to analyze. It is that he does not handle public relations well, nor even his relations with colleagues and subordinates. Surely a man of Galbraith’s type needed a man of different sort to work alongside him and handle the difficult public relations of OPA. And surely Leon Henderson was not that man. He was less apt at it even than Galbraith. The public relations man for OPA had to say “No” very often; and Galbraith does not have the ease of manner for such an assignment. Given time enough to plan for it in advance, he is able to differ with his colleagues and associates in a pleasant and gracious manner; but not in haste and under pressure, and especially when some body is trying to “put something over”.

No doubt a factor in his relations with others has been his urge to get on with the job and not waste too much time talking about it. I must confess a kinship with him in this respect. He no more than I should be assigned task a with many administrative decisions.

On this point, I am ready to predict without any hesitancy that Galbraith’s relations with his colleagues in the School and in the Department of Economics, should he receive this appointment, would be more congenial by a wide margin then those now generally prevailing in these departments; also that in the role of a Harvard professor, his relations with the public and with government officials would be unusually cooperative and friendly.

Perhaps a word is in order as to why I did not vote for Yntema. Most of all, I do not want to take a chance on either of two things (1) that he will prefer to continue with his present job, thus postponing our filling this appointment for another year: (2) that he will accept the appointment, but will want to continue a tie-us with CED that will remain his main interest. We cannot afford any more such tie-ups. Second, he seems to be so well fitted to his present assignment that I do not believe he would fit ours.

Very truly yours,

John D. Black

Source: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. John Kenneth Galbraith Papers. Box 519. Series 5. Harvard University File, 1949-1990. Folder: “Correspondence Re: Appointment of JKG as Professor of Economics. 12/22/47—3/22/50”.

Image Source:  Professor John D. Black in Harvard Class Album 1945.

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Economics Programs Harvard

Harvard. Meeting of the Visiting Committee with the Economics Department. January 1944

 

Maybe attending to the routine business of the Harvard economics department was seen as a welcome respite amidst the Sturm und Drang of the Second World War. Maybe the consensus was simply shared that the transistory shock of the war would soon be over and it was time to worry again about the core missions of Harvard and its economics department. In any event, the following report outlines a “Research Program for the Department of Economics” presented to the visiting committee by the chair of the department’s Committee on Research Program, Professor John D. Black. 

____________________________

Visiting Committee Reports available at Economics in the Rear-view Mirror

Visiting Committee Report 1915

Visiting Committee Report 1974

____________________________

Meeting of the Visiting Committee of the Department of Economics with the Department, on Monday, January 10, 1944.

The Visiting Committee of the Department of Economics met with the Department at seven o’clock on Monday, January 10, 1944, at the Harvard Club in Boston. There were present for the Visiting Committee: Roger N. Baldwin, Albert F. Bigelow, Paul M. Herzog, George Rublee (chairman), Charles E. Spencer, and Orrin G. Wood. For the Department: John D. Black, H. H. Burbank, W. L. Crum, John T. Dunlop, Edwin Frickey, Seymour E. Harris, Arthur E. Monroe, Wassily Leontief, Abbott P. Usher, John H. Williams, and Edwin B. Wilson. Mr. Rublee presided.

 

Mr. Rublee called on Professor Burbank, the chairman of the Department of Economics, to make an opening statement.

Professor Burbank said that in previous years we had at these dinners talked about our teaching difficulties, especially those connected with the junior staff. Last year we discussed Professor Slichter’s experiment with the labor-union representatives. This year the Department had suggested to Mr. Rublee that we consider our most pressing problem of the present, as well as the immediate and long-run future. Fundamentally, this problem is concerned with the Department’s research. We must have a vigorous and effective program of research if we are to have a dominant Department of Economic in the University or, indeed, if the University itself is to maintain its high standing. The Department of Economics has recently appointed a Committee on Research Program. Professor Black is the chairman of this committee.

Professor Black then presented the following report:

RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

A department of economics in a large university has three functions to perform:

  1. To teach and train students,
  2. To contribute to an understanding of the current problems of private enterprise and public affairs,
  3. To help develop the science of economics.

In a small college a good job of teaching is about all that can be expected of a department of economics. In a great university the second and third functions are as important as the first.

Fortunately those three functions not only need not interfere with each other, but in a large university can be performed in such a way that each strengthens the other. This does not mean that all can be performed in the same time, but rather that each is better done if the other two are also being strongly carried. As a matter of fact, however, much time and energy is saved if all three are combined. Thus what is learned from the study of current problems can be used very effectively in the classroom and at the same time furnishes needed and valuable inductive material for the development of economic science. One’s teaching, in turn, especially one’s graduate instruction, is a constant source of ideas and suggestions to be developed in research. Only, therefore, if the staff of a department of economics is large enough and well enough financed so that it can work along all three of these lines, is it able to yield a large return upon the investment in it. Only if thus set up and thus functioning is it able to realize the possible economies of combination of these functions.

The Department of Economics of Harvard University has been performing on all of these fronts ever since it was organized. But in the period while the members of this committee have been associated with it, it has by no means measured up to its opportunities on the last two of them, and what is more important, unless some action is taken in the near future, it will miss out still more on its opportunities after the war. It will not only do less well the job it has been trying to do, for reasons to be indicated presently, but also will not reach out and encompass the larger needs of the years ahead. Needless to state, society and the nation are going to be faced with major tasks of adjustment in the years just ahead and over the next decade or two and likewise breath-taking possibilities for social advancement. So important is the role of economies in these developments that if the Department of Economies of Harvard University does not contribute its part to them, this alone will almost be enough to shrink Harvard University in toto into a second- rate institution. This, therefore, is a moment for stock-taking and laying out plans.

It is not part of the assignment of this committee to consider the teaching function of the Department. But some reference must be made to it for the reasons just given. the present course offerings and methods of instruction are not well fitted to the present and the impending future. The function of teaching in a field like ours is primarily to train students to apply economics, and the methods of economic analysis, to the situations which confront them after they leave college. For Harvard undergraduates, most of these situations are situations in private enterprise, although having important public relations. A limited proportion are assignments in the public service itself. The program of teaching needs to be organized in anticipation of the kinds of jobs, mostly private, that the graduates of Harvard University get to do. The graduate teaching program needs to envisage e wide range of working assignments, a large fraction of them in the public service. Training teachers of economics is only one of the functions of graduate teaching. Because the teaching is not organized as needed, there are some large gaps in the present program, and these gaps, it will appear presently, coincide with gaps in the research activities of the department.

The other two functions, contributing directly to an understanding of current situations, and developing economic science, are orginarily considered as research. There is considerably more to the first of these than just research, but since good research is basic to it, we will here consider them both as research and treat them under one head from this point on.

The deficiencies in the research activities of the Department of Economics, considered especially from the standpoint of the postwar can be designated under the following heads:

  1. Not enough research is being done
  2. There are gaps in it
  3. Some of it is not of enough significance.

The reasons for these deficiencies are as follows:

  1. Lack of resources to carry on the needed volume of research.
  2. This includes resources in research personnel as well as in the expenses of clerical assistants, field study, publication, and the like.
  3. Inadequate staff, or none at all, in some important fields.
  4. Very little in the way of leadership. Staff not organized in such a way as to promote research.

Let us now consider briefly these four reasons. When an economist does not have financial resources with which to do significant research, he may put in his spare energy on library work on the writings of his predecessors, the Congressional Record, and the like. For this he needs only someone to type his manuscript. If in addition, he has a little money to hire a computer, he may go to work on the census records and other official statistics. Those two descriptions about cover all the research now being done by the Harvard Department of Economics as such.

Lacking funds for anything more, two developments have followed. First, a goodly number of the staff members have taken on research or related assignments with other agencies. Merely to list these agencies tells the story. (We are purposely omitting the wartime agencies), the Treasury Department, the State Department, the Department of Agriculture, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve Board, the National Resources Planning Board, the Food and Nutrition Board, the Bureau of Economic Research, the League of Nations, the Twentieth Century Fund, the National Planning Association, the National Industrial Conference Board, etc. While most of those assignments are important, to have as many of them disorganizes the research and teaching of the Department. Also the Department as such does not get adequate recognition for work done under other auspices. Finally, there is great need for having research done that is largely independent of government agencies. This point cannot be too strongly emphasized.

The second development has been that several members of the Department have started projects that they have not been able to complete thus far. They have learned by sad experience that they cannot swing ambitious projects without the help of trained younger associates who can direct the detail of the analysis and help with the writing. As a result, a number of important projects are now left suspended.

If the Department is to have a vigorous research program of its own, there must be funds with which to employ a dozen or two of these younger research associates, as well as funds for computers, clerical help, drafting, travel and field study.

The Committee is also disposed to think that a clearer recognition should be given to research duties in the total program of the Department. It would suggest that consideration be given to a plan which would differentiate teaching loads according to research carried. Staff members who do very little research, because not inclined that way, or having small capacity for it, would handle more classes under such a plan.

The nature of the gaps in the present program may be judged from a following incomplete survey of fields of research and teaching and the needs of each.

  1. Money and credit. Staff ample, but research associates, clerical and other help much needed. High time that a research showing be made.
  2. Business cycles. Staff ample. Funds to continue the program that was under way before the war.
  3. International economic relationship. Staff probably not entirely adequate and great need of developing a well-rounded research program suited to the postwar world. This program should include work on Inter-American relationships, development of resources of Latin America, international food supply and distribution and related population problems. Research associates and other financial help.
  4. Public finance. Staff ample. Research associates and other help needed.
  5. Economic history. A teaching as well as research associate needed. One professor now working alone in the field.
  6. Labor and industrial relations. The principle problem is to develop a workable program for using the research funds now available.
  7. Agriculture. A teaching associate needed, and probably two research associates with necessary supplementary funds.
  8. Commodity distribution. Needs complete staffing. An undergraduate and a graduate course are now being given on a makeshift basis. No research under way.
  9. Production economics. Courses now bracketed. Needs complete staffing.
  10. Forestry economies. A slight beginning has been made on a program in this field in collaboration with the Harvard Forest. An opportunity for an important contribution here. Needs a man to develop teaching and research with such financial support as required.
  11. Concerning the several other present fields of teaching and research in the Department, no statement is being made at this time.

The present research funds available for the Department are:

  1. A share with three other departments in the remnants of grant that will expire in June 1946. (About $40,000 left, most of which must be reserved for publication expenses.)
  2. Remnants of three other small grants, totaling about $6000, for special projects.
  3. The Wertheim fund, yielding about $3000 a year, for research in industrial relations, to be shared with other divisions of the University.

The committee suggests as a method of approach to the situation outlined that the Department set up a committee to draft a research program for the Department, and another one to develop a procedure for securing the necessary support for the program.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Professor Black added that in the natural sciences the idea of large laboratories is well established. In Economics also we need extensive laboratories and personnel therefor. Further, we need funds for field workers and for traveling expenses.

Mr. Bigelow asked whether there were any project being worked on in the School of Public Administration which could be coordinated with the research of the Economics Department. Professor Black answered that the idea of combining has already been carried as far as possible. The School of Public Administration funds are sufficient only to take care of the assembling of materials and other routine connected with the seminars.

Mr. Baldwin asked what the Department did with its research funds in the past when such funds were available. Professor Black answered that we made small grants to individual professors to help them finish projects in which they were engaged. These grants covered such activities as preliminary research, computing, and typing, but in general not much was available for field work or for traveling. Some eight or ten books have been published as a result of these projects. The publication of these books, as well as the research behind them, depended largely on research grants. Our research funds are now almost exhausted; we have very little money available for the future.

Professor Usher pointed out that in these earlier grants the modes and procedures were laid down by the donors. The Department did not have a free hand in organizing and planning research.

Mr. Baldwin asked whether the Economics Department today has a claim for research funds superior to that of other departments. Professor Burbank urged that a very strong case can be made out for such a position.

Professor Wilson observed that in days gone by great emphasis was laid on “inter-disciplinary” research. A second-rate “interdisciplinary” project would be given preference over a first-rate piece of restricted research. Professor Wilson further remarked that the research programs of the natural sciences were well set up thirty or forty years ago. Our social sciences, on the other hand, were for a long time treated as mere teaching departments. The movement away from this stand received a great impetus from an article by the late Professor Charles J. Bullock, in the Harvard Graduates’ Magazine for June 1915. This article called attention to the need of more generous and systematic provision for economic research. Our research program for Economics needs to be extended to a scale comparable with that of the natural sciences—unless, indeed, the United States government is to handle all the economic research in this country!

There was some discussion regarding the relation of university research in Economics to governmental research. Professor Usher pointed out that university research can be the basis for developing techniques of analysis which government bureaus can later put into “mass production.” Mr. Bigelow suggested that the development of techniques is more difficult in the social sciences than in the natural sciences. Professor Leontief predicted that the Economies Department’s research will set the direction for larger-scale governmental or “foundation” research, and emphasized that independent research, especially in its earlier stages, can never be reproduced in the “rough and tumble” conditions of governmental work. Dean Williams supported this view: a situation has been developing for some time—not just in connection with the War emergency—in which men are pulled out of university work to become mere administrators, to “run” projects; furthermore, working under governmental supervision may mean a certain loss of independence of thought, for consciously or unconsciously a men may be affected by considerations of “official policy.” Dr. Dunlop declared that you simply cannot do fundamental research under governmental auspices, there are always too many pressing current problems.

Mr. Herzog urged that the Department’s next step is to present cogent arguments to support its contentions regarding research needs. In this connection, it will be quite important to show people what contributions the Department has made in the past with the research grants allotted to it—what, for example, has resulted for practical use of the Government. Professor Burbank responded that we might take as an example the history of the statistical work on the Balance of International Payments. At the end of the last war the government and business men were vitally interested in this subject. Dean Williams was a pioneer in the field. Dean Williams briefly outlined the record. He began with an examination of the balance of payments for Argentina. Then, under the auspices of the Harvard Economics Society he, together with Professor Bullock and Mr. Tucker, made and presented a historical study of the Balance of Payments of the United States from 1789 to 1920. He kept this study up to date for several years and then turned it over to the Department of Commerce, working with them for a transition period of one year. The Department of Commerce has subsequently carried on the study currently.

As a suggestion regarding further possibilities of this sort, Professor Burbank referred to the problems connected with the incidence of taxation; these are most certainly current issues of the utmost importance. The country needs evidence for the formulation of governmental policy. We have in the Department a young man of high ability who has made a start on the investigation of these problems. We have no funds to help him, not even money for clerical and mechanical assistance.

Professor Burbank indicated that the Department would work a report along the lines of Mr. Herzog’s suggestion.

Mr. Wood urged that the Department visualize its projects and lay them out fully, with an indication of minimum and maximum amounts of money needed. Very little will be gained by talking in generalizations; the program must be concrete. Incidentally, with the Federal tax situation as it is, the present is a propitious time to obtain money for research—with reference both to individuals and to corporations.

Mr. Rublee raised question as to the exact significance of the title “Research Associate.” Professor Black answered that we have something in mind beyond a mere statistical clerk. Between the man in charge of a project and those doing the mechanical work, we need trained young economists who can assume the burden of direct supervision and also can help in writing up the results. Other Research Associates are needed to do traveling and field work. Professor Leontief suggested that the appointment of Research Associates is important for still another reason. Many of the young men thus appointed will become leaders in the economic developments of the future. The experience gained on our projects will be extremely valuable to them.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

Mr. Rublee asked Dr. Dunlop to say a few words about the progress of the trade-union experiment which was described by Professor Slichter in this meeting last year. Dr. Dunlop said that this year we have gone ahead with the program, although of necessity on a reduced scale because of man power shortage in the various unions. We have six union representatives who, on the whole, are superior to the group we had last year. We have continued the development of techniques of instruction and we have widened our range of contacts with the unions. The unions are supporting the program and we are establishing new connections with certain important unions. In spite of the fact that the teaching staff has been somewhat depleted and we have had to furnish instruction on the basis of special arrangements, we feel that the year has been decidedly profitable and worth while, both for the union representatives and for us.

Mr. Herzog urged that by all means the work should continue, even though it had to be on a reduced scale. It is much easier to keep on with a going concern than to start afresh. He confirmed Dr. Dunlop’s impressions as to the high quality of the union personnel. He also reported the sincere testimony of a leading member of the labor-union group that the work at Harvard was felt to be highly worth while—to be a vital and crucial experience.

*  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *  *

The meeting closed with general expressions of appreciation for Mr. Rublee’s work as chairman of the visiting Committee during the past few years and of the deep indebtedness which the Department feels to him for this work.

 

Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers 1930-1961 (UAV 349.11). Box 25. Folder: “Visiting Committee Correspondence, 1943-45.”

Image Source: Cropped image of  John D. Black (1938). Harvard Library, Digital Collections.

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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).

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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).

Categories
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.