This artifact provides us a glimpse into the demand side of the market for assistant professors of economics in the United States as seen from one of the mid-1960’s peak departments. The chairperson of the M.I.T. economics department at the time, E. Cary Brown, apparently conducted a quick survey of fellow department heads and packed his results into a memo for his colleagues who in one capacity or the other would be attending the annual meeting of the American Economic Association held in New York City in the days following the Christmas holidays of December 1965. The absence of Harvard names in the memo probably only indicates that Brown presumed his colleagues were well aware of any potential candidates coming from farther up the Charles River.
From Brown’s memo, Duncan Foley (Yale) and Miguel Sidrauski (Chicago) ended up on the M.I.T. faculty as assistant professors for the 1966-67 academic year. John Williamson was a visiting assistant professor that year too.
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Dating the Memo
The folder label in the M.I.T. archives incorrectly gives the date Dec. 28-30, 1969, where the 1969 has been added in pencil.
Two keys for dating the memo. Brown’s comment to John Williamson (York): “Wants a semester here, Jan.-June 1967″. “Solow is hearing paper at meetings” (Conlisk of Stanford) who presented in the invited doctoral dissertation session “The Analysis and Testing of the Asymptotic Behavior of Aggregate Growth Models” (affiliation given as Rice University (Ph.D., Stanford University) where Solow was listed as a discussant. AEA’s 78th Annual Meeting was held in New York City at the end of December 1965.
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Memo from E. Cary Brown to M.I.T. faculty going to Dec. 1965 AEA meeting
[Pencil note: “Put in beginning of 1966-7”]
Memorandum Regarding Personnel Interviews in New York
To: Department Members Attending AEA Convention
From: E. C. Brown
University of Chicago
Sidrauski, Miguel (26). International Trade, Monetary Theory, Economic Growth, Mathematical Economics
Thesis—“Studies in the Theory of Growth and Inflation” under Uzawa
References: Harberger, Johnson, Lewis
[He came here a year ago to ask about a short-term appointment before he returned to Argentina. Griliches believes him to be tops. Had him in class myself and he was first rate. Called him on phone last week and he still wants to be had.]
Thornber, Edgar H. (24). [H. = Hodson] Econometrics, Mathematical Methods, Computers
Thesis—“A Distributed Lag Model: Bayes vs. Sampling Theory Analyses” under Telser
References: Griliches, Zellner
[Supposed to be equal of Sidrauski. Heavily computer oriented. Doesn’t sound interesting for us, but we should talk to him.]
Treadway, Arthur. Mathematical Economist
Thesis on the investment function
[A younger man who, according to Svi [sic], regards himself as the equal of the above. Stronger in mathematics, and very high grades. Wasn’t on market because thesis didn’t appear as completable. Now it seems that it will be and he wants consideration.]
Evenson, Robert E. (31). Agricultural Economics and Economic Growth, Public Finance
Thesis—“Contribution of Agricultural Experiment Station Research to Agricultural Production” under Schultz
References: Gale Johnson, Berg
[He is just slightly below the others. Mature and very solid and combines agriculture and economic growth where we need strength.]
Gould, John (26).
(Ph.D. in Business School)
[Bud Fackler mentioned him as their best. Uzawa and Griliches are trying to get the Econ. Dept. to hire him. Franco knows him and is after him.]
Princeton
Klevorick, Alvin (22). Mathematical Economics, Econometrics, Economic Theory
Thesis: “Mathematical Programming and the Problem of Capital Budgeting under Uncertainty” (Quandt)
References: Baumol, Kuhn
[Apparently the best they have had for some time. Young and very brash.]
Monsma, George N. (24). Labor Economics, Economics of Medical Care, Public Finance
Thesis: Supply and Demand for Medical Personnel” (Harbison)
References: Patterson, Machlup
[Dick Lester was high on him. While not a traditional labor economist, he works that field.]
Silber, William L. (23). Monetary Economics, Public Finance, Econometrics
Thesis: “Structure of Interest Rates” (Chandler)
References: Goldfeld, Musgrave, Quandt
[One of their best four. Not sure he sounds like what we want in fields, however.]
Grabowski, Henry G. (25). Research and Development, Econometrics, Mathematical Economics
Thesis: “Determinants and Profitability of Industrial Research and Development” (Quandt)
References: Morgenstern, Baumol
[Lester says he is good all around man. His field makes him especially interesting.]
Stanford
Conlisk [John]— Economic growth and development
[Arrow has written about him, recommending him highly. His field should be interesting. Solow is hearing paper at meetings.]
Bradford [David Frantz]— Public finance
[Has been interviewed up here, but more should see him who wish to.]
Yale
Foley [Duncan Karl] (Probably not at meetings. Best Tobin’s had.]
Bryant [Ralph Clement] (Now at Federal Reserve Board. Number 2 for Tobin]
York
Williamson, John
[Wants a semester here, Jan.-June 1967. Alan Peacock at meetings.]
Johns Hopkins
[Ask Bill Oakland]
University of California, Berkeley
[Ask Aaron Gordon or Tibor Scitovsky.]
Cornell
Bridge [John L.] — Econometrics, Foreign Trade
Lindert [Peter]— International Economics
[Their two best as indicated in their letter to Department Chairman.]
Buffalo
Mathis, E.J. [Ask Mitch Horwitz if it’s worth pursuing.]
Columbia U.
[Ask Bill Vickrey]
Pittsburgh
Miller, Norman C. (26). International Economics; Money, Macro, Micro and Math Economics
Thesis: “Capital Flows and International Trade Theory” (Whitman)
References: Marina Whitman, Jacob Cohen, Peter Kenen, Graeme Dorrance
[Letter to Evsey Domar from Mark Perlman (Chm.) recommending him to us for further training.]
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute Archives and Special Collections. MIT Department of Economics records, Box 1, Folder “AEA Chairmen MEETING—Dec. 28-30, 1969 (sic)”.
Image Sources: Duncan Foley (left) from his home page. Miguel Sidrauski (right) from the History of Economic Thought website.