Author: Irwin Collier

Categories
Chicago Economists Yale

Chicago. Meet Ph.D. alumnus, Charles E. Lindblom, 1945

Charles Edward Lindblom (1917-2018!) was a Chicago economics Ph.D. (1945) who ultimately climbed as far up the Yale ranks as you could get – a Sterling Professorship of Political Science and Economics. He was working on his 1977 book Politics and Markets when I took a course with him in the Spring semester of 1973. His lectures have left no real mark on me, but I recall my impression of watching a thinker in real time who would dare to attempt to think things through while lecturing. I guess it should come as no surprise that someone who attained fame through an article with the title “The Science of ‘Muddling Through’” (1959), talked the talk the way he perceived policymakers to walk the walk (incrementally).

In a different course (Democracy and its Critics) I experienced his long-time colleague and collaborator Robert Dahl as the opposite model of an equally content-rich but silky smooth lecture style. I am glad to have sat at the feet of both when I was still of an impressionable age.

_____________________

From: The Yale Banner of 1960

Associate Professor of Economics CHARLES E. LINDBLOM came to Yale in 1946, after receiving his B.A. at Stanford and his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago. Mr Lindblom has always had an interest in the fields where economics and political science converge, and thus he is active in both areas. In 1951 he held a Guggenheim Fellowship and later he was a fellow at the Center for Advance Studies in the Behavorial Sciences. Mr. Lindblom also assisted former Connecticut Governor Bowles [Fun fact: Gov. Chester Bowles was economist Sam Bowles‘ father.] on the problems of housing and compensation legislation. At present, Professor Lindblom is on a committee on Latin American economics for the Twentieth Century Fund, a consultant for the RAND Corporation, and a consultant to a United States Senate subcommittee. On the Yale scene, he is an advisor to the Political Union and has written Politics, Economics and Welfare with Mr. [Robert] Dahl and Unions and Capitalism; he is working on several books now. What time he can salvage from this busy schedule is devoted to woodworking and sculpting. Next year he will be a Ford Faculty Fellow in economics.

Source: The Yale Banner 1960, p. 39.

Categories
Economists Yale

Yale. Meet an assistant professor of economics. Montias, 1960

One of the first professors to lead me into the field of comparative economic systems was John Michael Montias (1928-2005). He provided me an early exposure to the economic theory behind the indexes of comparative productivity computed by Abram Bergson (see Chapter 6 by Bergson and also Chapter 7 by Evsey Domar published in Alexander Eckstein (ed.), Comparison of Economic Systems: Theoretical and Methodological Approaches. U. of California Press, 1971).

The portrait shows Mike Montias in his early thirties, a beaming assistant professor at Yale. I include the short biographical clip from The Yale Banner of 1960 that accompanied the portrait. I can confirm that he was very much “a genial person” and will add a “a very learned scholar.”

____________________

From: The Yale Banner of 1960

An authority on Soviet economics, JOHN M. MONTIAS, Assistant Professor of Economics, came to Yale in 1958 after extensive study at Columbia. As an undergraduate, Professor Montias studied both Russian and economics and decided to combine them in his later career. After serving three years as an economic analyst for the United Nations in Geneva, Beirut, and New York, Mr. Montias traveled extensively in central Europe, working as a consultant for the Ford Foundation on the Polish Fellowship Program and holding several fellowships and grants for research. In addition to co-authoring a book on the Polish economy, Professor Montias has written for numerous professional magazines. Mr. Montias likes to play chess, study languages and travel. A genial person, Mr. Montias is well liked in his undergraduate course on the Soviet economy and his graduate course on central planning.

Source: The Yale Banner 1960, p. 35.

Categories
Education Harvard Labor Suggested Reading Syllabus

Harvard. Reading list for economics of education and technology. Bowles, 1967-68

The following reading list comes from a Harvard course on the economics of education and technology offered by assistant professor Samuel S. Bowles in the spring semester of the 1967-68 academic year. Bowles was 28 years young then. Here is a link to his Santa Fe Institute webpage.

Only the pages of the syllabus with the reading lists were submitted to the Harvard library for the purpose of putting books on reserve. Not included were the couple of paragraphs of motivation/description for each of the seven sections of the course. I had to insert approximate titles for sections IV and VII and have put those words between square brackets.

__________________________

Most likely spot to find more course content

Samuel Bowles, Planning Educational Systems for Economic Growth. Harvard University Press, 1969.

[When you get an account with archive.org, it is like having an old fashioned library card and you will have access to this book for an hour at a time when it is not being borrowed by another user.]

__________________________

Course Announcement

Economics 151 (formerly Economics 177). Economics of Education and Technology (Offered jointly with the Graduate School of Education)
Half course (spring term). M., W., F., at 9. Assistant Professor S. S. Bowles

Attention will be given to the economics of the education process, the theory and implications of innovation, the effects of education and technological change on the distribution of income and the role of education and technological change in economic growth. Relevant case studies and current policy issues related to the United States and underdeveloped countries will be considered.

Source: Harvard University. Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Courses of Instruction, Harvard and Radcliffe, 1967-68, p. 124.

__________________________

Reading list
Ec. 151
Sam Bowles

I. THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME — RECENT U.S. EXPERIENCE

A. Batchelder, “Decline in the Relative Income of Negro Men,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, November, 1964, pp. 525-48.

*H. Miller, Rich Man, Poor Man, chapters 1, 2, 4-6, pp. 54-134.

I. Kravis, “Relative Income Shares in Fact and Theory,” American Economic Review, 1959, pp. 917-947.

R. Lampman, The Share of Top Wealth-Holders in National Wealth, chapter 1, pp. 1-26; also Table 97, p. 209.

(Supplementary)

*G. Kolko, Wealth and Power in America.

H. Miller, Distribution of Income in the United States.

II. EDUCATION AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME
  1. Education and Earnings

*H. Miller, Rich Man, Poor Man, Chapters 8 and 9, pp. 148-194.

  1. Education as Investment

I. Fisher, The Theory of Interest, Chapters 4, 7, 10, and 11, pp. 61-98, 159-177, and 231-287.

T. Ribich, Poverty and Education, Chapter I, pp. 1-17 and 23-32, mimeo.

G. Becker, Human Capital, Chapters 1-5; 7 and 8, pp. 1-123; 136-159.

  1. Equality of Educational Opportunity

J. Coleman, “Equal Schools or Equal Students,” in The Public Interest, Summer, 1966, pp. 70-75.

*P. Sexton, Education and Income, pp. 58-69.

(Supplementary)

*Harlem Youth Opportunities Unlimited (HARYOU), Youth in the Ghetto: A Study in the Consequences of Powerlessness, Chapter 7.

*J. Conant, Slums and Suburbs, Chapters 1, 2, and 3.

*P.  Sexton, “City Schools,” in The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, March 1964, reprinted in L. Ferman, et al., eds., Poverty in America.

  1. A Model of Education and the Distribution of Earnings

G. Becker, “Human Capital and the Personal Distribution of Income: An Analytical Approach,” mimeo, 59 pp.

  1. Education and the War on Poverty

B. Weisbrod, “Preventing High School Dropouts,” in R. Dorfman, (*) Measuring the Benefits of Government Investments, pp. 117-148.

J. K. Folger and C. B. Nam, Education of the American Population (U.S. Department of Commerce).

(Supplementary)

O. Lewis, “The Culture of Poverty,” Scientific American, October, 1966, pp. 19-25.

*Haryou, Youth in the Ghetto, Chapter 12.

C. A. Anderson, “A Skeptical Note on Education and Mobility,” in H. Halsey, J. Floud, C. Anderson, (*) Education Economy and Society.

III. TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE AND THE DISTRIBUTION OF INCOME
  1. The Theory of Production and Distribution

M. Brown, On the Theory and Measurement of Technological Change, chapter 2, pp. 9-28.

*J. Meade, Efficiency, Equality and the Ownership of Property, Chapter 1, pp. 11-26.

J. Hicks, Theory of Wages, Chapter VI, pp. 112-135.

  1. Commentaries, Past and Present

A. Smith, The Wealth of Nations, Book I, Chapter 1.

D. Ricardo, The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation, Chapter 31, “On Machinery.”

K. Marx, Capital, Volume I, Chapter XV, sections 3, 5 and 6, pp. 430-456; 466-488. (Pages refer to Modern Library edition.)

P. Sweezy, The Theory of Capitalist Development, Chapter 5, pp. 75-95.

R. Solow, “Technology and Unemployment,” The Public Interest, Fall, 1965, pp. 17-26.

(Supplementary)

R. Eckaus, “The Factor Proportions Problem in Underdeveloped Areas.” American Economic Review, September, 1955, reprinted in A. Agarwala and S. P. Singh; (*) The Economics of Underdevelopment, pp. 348-78.

  1. Making the Most Out of Technological Change

*J. Meade, Efficiency, Equality and the Ownership of Property, Chapters 2-7, pp. 27-77.

*National Commission on Technology, Automation, and Economic Progress, Technology and the American Economy, Vol. 1, chapters 1-4, pp. 1-58.

IV. [ECONOMIC GROWTH: MEASUREMENT, THEORY, PRODUCTIVITY]
  1. The Measurement and Characteristics of Economic Growth

S. Kuznets, Postwar Economic Growth, Lecture II, “Characteristics of Modern Economic Growth,” pp. 36-68.

*C. Cipolla, The Economic History of World Population, Chapters 1 and 2, pp. 15-58.

*E. Denison, The Sources of Economic Growth in the United States, Chapters 1, 2, and 3, pp. 3-22.

(Supplementary)

M. Abramovitz, “The Welfare Interpretation of Secular Trends in National Income and Product,” Abramovitz, et al. (*) The Allocation of Economic Resources, pp. 1-22.

*S. Kuznets, Modern Economic Growth.

*O. Morgenstern, On the Accuracy of Economic Observations, Chapters 1 and 2.

  1. Theories of Economic Growth

G. Winston, “The Power Growth Model,” mimeo, 18 pp.

*J. Schumpeter, The Theory of Economic Development, Chapters 1 to 4, pp. 3-156.

*J. Meade, A Neoclassical Theory of Economic Growth, Chapters 1 and 2, pp. 1-18.

  1. The Advance of Productivity in the U.S. Economy

J. Kendrick, Productivity Trends in the United States, pp. 3-12, 59-77.

(Supplementary)

M. Abramovitz, “Resource and Output Trends in the U.S. Since 1870,” American Economic Review, 1956.

R. Solow, “Technical Change and the Aggregate Production Function,” Review of Economics and Statistics, 1957.

V. EDUCATION AND GROWTH

T. Schultz, The Economic Value of Education, pp. 1-70.

S. Strumilin, “The Economic Significance of National Education,” in J. Vaizey and E. A. G. Robinson, The Economics of Education, pp. 276-323.

B. Weisbrod, “Education and Investment in Human Capital,” Journal of Political Economy Supplement, October, 1962, pp. 106-123.

W. Bowen, Economic Aspects of Education, Essay I, “Assessing the Economic Contribution of Education,” pp. 3-38.

*E. Denison, The Sources of Economic Growth in the U.S. and the Alternatives Before Us, pp. 23-46; 66-80; 84-87.

T. Schultz, “Investing in Farm People,” in T. Schultz, (*) Transforming Traditional Agriculture, pp. 175-206.

(Supplementary)

T. Schultz, “Investment in Human Capital,” American Economic Review, December, 1961.

W. Bowman, “The Human Investment Revolution in Economic Thought,” Sociology of Education, Vol. 39, No. 2, Spring, 1966, pp. 112-137.

*B. Weisbrod, The External Benefits of Public Education.

A. Harberger, “Investment in Men vs. Investment in Machines: The Case of India,” in M. Bowman and C. A. Anderson, Education and Economic Development, pp. 11-33.

Carl Shoup, et al., The Fiscal System of Venezuela, pp. 406-409.

M. Bowman and C. Anderson, “Concerning the Role of Education in Development,” in C. Geertz, Old Societies and New States, pp. 247-279.

S. Bowles, “Sources of Growth in the Greek Economy,” mimeo.

VI. TECHNOLOGY AND GROWTH
  1. The Production of New Technologies

J. Enos, “Invention and Innovation in the Petroleum Industry,” in National Bureau of Economic Research, The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity, pp. 299-322.

H. Dickenson, “The Steam-Engine to 1830,” in Charles Singer et al. A History of Technology, Volume IV, pp. 168-198.

(Supplementary)

Articles by Peck, Mueller and Nelson, in National Bureau of Economic Research, The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity.

R. Nelson, “The Economics of Invention: A Survey of the Literature,” in Journal of Business, April, 1959, pp. 101-127.

J. Schmookler, Invention and Economic Growth, Chapters 6 and 7.

  1. The Spread of New Technologies

W. E. G. Salter, Productivity and Technical Change, Chapters 4, 5, 6 and appendix to Chapter 7, pp. 48-82, 95-99.

Z. Griliches, “Hybrid Corn and the Economics of Innovation,” Science, July 29, 1960, Vol. 132, pp. 275-280.

(Supplementary)

J. Habakkuk, American and British Technology.

  1. Technology and Growth

E. Denison, The Sources of Economic Growth in the United States, pp. 154-255.

Z. Griliches, “Research Costs and Social Returns: Hybrid Corn and Related Innovations,” Journal of Political Economy, October, 1958, pp. 419-431.

  1. Efficiency of Resource Allocation in Research and Development

R. Nelson, “The Simple Economics of Basic Scientific Research,” in Journal of Political Economy, June, 1959, pp. 297-306.

(Supplementary)

K. Arrow, “Economic Welfare and the Allocation of Resources for Invention,” in National Bureau of Economic Research, The Rate and Direction of Inventive Activity, pp. 609-625.

VII. [ECONOMICS OF EDUCATION]
  1. The Concept of Efficiency in Education

H. Johnson, “Economics and Education,” in School Review, Autumn, 1957, pp. 260-269.

(Supplementary)

Project Talent, Studies of the American High School, Cooperative Research Project 226, U.S. Office of Education. Chapters 6, 9, and 10.

J. Coleman, Equality of Educational Opportunity, U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Office of Education.

  1. The Market for Educated Labor

H. Leibenstein, “Shortages and Surpluses in Education in Underdeveloped Countries,” in M. J. Bowman and C A. Anderson, Education and Economic Development, pp. 51-62.

K. Arrow and W. Capron, “Dynamic Shortages and Price Rises, The Engineer-Scientist Case,” Quarterly Journal of Economics, May, 1959, pp. 292-308.

  1. Market Solutions to the Problem of Efficient Resource Allocation in Education

M. Friedman, “The Role of Government in Education,” in R. Solo, Economics and the Public Interest, pp. 123-144.

A. Daniere, Higher Education in the American Economy, chapters 2 and 4-5 pp. 13-19, 33-55.

(Supplementary)

C. Jencks, “Is the Public School Obsolete?” in The Public Interest.

  1. Educational Planning

M. Blaug, “Conflicting Approaches to Educational Planning,” mimeo, 34 pp.

H. Johnson, “The Economics of the Brain Drain,” Minerva, 1965.

A. Daniere, “Rate of Return and Manpower Approach in Educational Planning” in Harvard Graduate School of Public Administration, Public Policy, 1965, pp. 162-200.

(Supplementary)

F. Harbison and C. Myers, Education, Manpower and Economic Growth.

J. Tinbergen, et al., Econometric Models of Education, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, 1965; An Experiment in Planning by Six Countries, 1966.

H. Parnés, Forecasting Education Needs for Economic and Social Development, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris, 1962.

R. Hollister, A Technical Evaluation of the First Stage of the Mediterranean Regional Project, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, 1966.

R. Eckaus, “Economic Criteria for Education and Training,” Review of Economics and Statistics, (May, 1964), pp. 181-190.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Syllabi, course outlines and reading lists in Economics, 1967-1968, Box 9. Folder “Economics, 1967-68”.

Image Source: The Boston Globe (December 5, 1969), p. 15.

Categories
Econometrics Harvard Statistics Suggested Reading Syllabus

Harvard. Syllabus and partial reading list for graduate time-series econometrics. Sims, 1968-1969

Christopher A. Sims, portrait from his senior year

 

Future economics Nobel laureate (2011) Christopher A. Sims was a 26 year old assistant professor at Harvard tasked in the fall term of 1968 to teach a graduate level introduction to time-series econometrics. He had been awarded a Harvard economics Ph.D. earlier that year. His dissertation supervisor was Hendrik Houthakker.

A copy of Sims’ initial list of reading assignments and topics can be found in the papers of Zvi Griliches in the Harvard Archives. Sims does appear to have offered a rather heavy dose of time-series econometrics for that time. Perhaps it was too much of a good thing, at least too much to swallow for most of the department’s graduate students. In any event Econometric Methods I was transferred to / taken over by Zvi Griliches in the following years when the topic of time series was reduced to an amuse-bouche of serial correlation.

In the previous year the course had been taught by Marc Nerlove (Yale University) with the following brief description provided in the course catalogue:  “An introduction to the construction and testing of econometric models with special emphasis on the analysis of economic time series.” 

_______________________

Course Announcement
Fall Term, 1968

Economics 224a. Econometric Methods

Half course (fall term). Tu., Th., S., at 9. Assistant Professor C. A. Sims

The theory of stochastic processes with applications to the construction and testing of dynamic economic models. Analysis in the time domain and in the frequency domain, in discrete time and in continuous time.

Prerequisite: Economics 221b [Multiple regression and the analysis of variance with economic applications] or equivalent preparation in statistics.

Source: Harvard University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. Courses of Instruction, 1968-69, p. 133.

_______________________

Fall 1968
Economics 224a
Asst. Prof. C. Sims

Course Description

            The accompanying Course Outline gives a detailed description of topics 0 through III which will (hopefully) occupy the first third of the semester. These topics include most of the mathematical tools which will be given econometric application in the later sections. The list of topics in the outline, even under the main headings 0 through III, is not exhaustive; and the topics listed are not all of equivalent importance.

            Many of the references listed overlap substantially. In the first, theoretical, section of the course (except for Section 0) the references are chosen to duplicate as nearly as possible what will be covered in lectures. They should provide alternative explanations when you find the lectures obscure or, in some cases, provide more elegant and rigorous discussion when you find the lectures too pedestrian.

            The primary emphasis of this course will be on the stationarity, or linear process, approach to dynamic models. The Markov process, control theory, or state space approach which is currently prominent in the engineering literature will be discussed briefly under topics V and VII.

            The latter parts of the course will apply the theory developed in the first parts to formulating and testing dynamic economic models or hypotheses. Some background in economics is therefore essential to participation in the course. The mathematical prerequisites are a solid grasp of calculus, a course in statistics, and an ability to absorb new mathematical notions fairly quickly.

            The course text is Spectral Methods in Econometrics by Gilbert Fishman. Spectral Analysis by Gwilyn M. Jenkins and Donald G. Watts is more complete in some respects, but it is less thorough in its treatment of some points important in econometrics and it costs three times what Fishman costs. A list of other texts which may be referred to in the accompanying course outline or in future outlines and reading assignments follows. Some of these texts are at a higher mathematical level than is required for this course or cover topics we will not cover in detail. Those texts which should be on library reserve are marked with a “*”, and those which are priced below the usual high prices for technical texts are marked with a “$”.

List of Text References

* Ahlfors, Lars, Complex Analysis, McGraw-Hill, New York, 1953.

Acki, Max., Optimization of Stochastic Systems, Academic Press, 1967.

* Deutsch, Ralph, Estimation Theory, Prentice Hall, 1965.

* Fellner, et.al., Ten Economic Studies in the Tradition of Irving Fisher, Wiley, 1967.

* Freeman, H., Introduction to Statistical Inference, Addison-Wesley, 1963.

Granger, C.W.J., and M. Hatanaka, Spectral Analysis of Economic Time Series, Princeton University Press, 1964.

Grenander, U., and M. Rosenblatt, Statistical Analysis of Stationary Time Series, Wiley, 1957.

Grenander, U., and G. Szego, Toeplitz Forms and Their Applications, University of California Press, 1958.

*$ Hannan, E.J., Time Series Analysis, Methuen, London, 1960.

$ Lighthill, Introduction to Fourier Analysis and Generalized Functions, Cambridge University Press.

Rozanov, Yu. A., Stationary Random Processes, Holden-Day, 1967.

*$ Whittle, P., Prediction and Regulation by Linear Least-Square Methods, English Universities Press, 1963.

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

Preliminary Course Outline
Fall 1968
Economics 224a
Asst. Prof. C. Sims

0. Elementary Preliminaries.

Complex numbers and analytic functions, definitions and elementary facts. Manipulation of multi-dimensional probability distributions.

The material in this section will not be covered in lectures. A set of exercises aimed at testing your facility in these areas (for your information and mine) will be handed out at the first meeting.

References: Ahlfors, I.1, I.2.1-2.4, II.1; Jenkins and Watts, Chapters 3 and 4 or the sections on probability in a mathematical statistics text, e.g. Freeman, part I.

I. Stochastic Processes: Fundamental definitions and properties.
  1. Definitions:

stochastic process;
normal (stochastic) process;
stationary process;
linear process; — autoregressive and moving average processes;
covariance stationary process.
autocovariance and autocorrelation functions
stochastic convergence — in probability, almost sure, and in the (quadratic) mean or mean square;
ergodic process — n’th order ergodicity, sufficient conditions for first and second order ergodicity.
process with stationary n’th difference
Markov process

  1. Extensions to multivariate case.

References: Fishman, 2.1-2.5; Jenkins and Watts, 5.1-5.2.

II. Background from Mathematical Analysis
  1. Function spaces.
  2. Linear operator on function spaces; their interpretation as limits of sequences of ordinary weighted averages.
  3. Convolution of functions with functions, of operators with functions; discrete versus continuous time.
  4. Measure functions; Lebesgue-Stieltjes measures on the real line.
  5. Integration; the Lebesgue integral, the Cauchy-Riemann integral, and the Cauchy principal value; inverting the order of integration.
  6. Fourier transforms; of functions; of operators; continuous, discrete, and finite-discrete time parameters; the inverse transform and Parseval’s theorem.
  7. Applications to some simple deterministic models.

References: Jenkins and Watts, Chapter 2. For more rigor, see Lighthill. No reference I know of covers topics 4 and 5 in as brief and heuristic a way as we shall.

III. The spectral representation of covariance-stationary processes and its theoretical applications.
  1. Random measures; the random spectral measure of a covariance stationary process; characteristics of the random spectral measure in the normal and non-normal cases.
  2. The spectral density; relation to autocovariance function; positive definiteness.
  3. Wold’s decomposition; regular, mixed, and linearly deterministic processes; discrete and continuous component in the spectral measure; example of non-linearly deterministic process; the criterion for regularity with continuous spectral density.
  4. The moving average representation; criteria for existence of autoregressive representation.
  5. Optimal least squares forecasting and filtering.
  6. Generalized random processes.
  7. The multivariate case; cross spectra.
  8. Applications to econometric models.

References: Fishman, 2.6-2.30; Jenkins and Watts, 6.2 and 8.3: For a much more abstract approach, see Rozanov, chapters I – III.

IV. Statistical analysis using spectral and cross-spectral techniques.

V. Regression in time series.

VI. Seasonality.

VII. Estimation in distributed lag models.

Source: Harvard University Archives. Papers of Zvi Griliches, Box 123. Folder “Econometric Methods 1968-1982.”

Image Source: Christopher A. Sims ’63 in Harvard Class Album 1963. From the Harvard Crimson article “Harvard and the Atomic Bomb,” by Matt B. Hoisch and Luke W. Xu (March 22, 2018). Sims was a member of the Harvard/Radcliffe group “Tocsin” that advocated nuclear disarmament.

Categories
Economists Harvard

Harvard. Some biographical backstory for Evsey Domar up through 1943

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

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

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

_________________

Evsey Domar
Timeline

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

_________________

From a note written for a relative

EVSEY D. DOMAR

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

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

_________________

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

CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL

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

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

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

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

_________________

No. 78493

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

DECLARATION OF INTENTION

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

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

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

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

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

[signed]
Evsey (Joshua) Domashevitsky

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

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

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

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

OFFICE OF THE DEAN

June 14, 1941

Dear Mr. Conant:

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

[…]

Teaching Fellows in Economics

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

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

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

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

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

October 27, 1941

Dear Mr. Greene:

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

[…]

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

[…]

Very truly yours,
[signed]
W. S Ferguson

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

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

June 5, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

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

[…]

Teaching Fellow in Economics

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

[…]

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

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

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

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS

E. H. CHAMBERLIN, CHAIRMAN

M-8 LITTAUER CENTER

CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

June 6, 1942

Dear Dean Buck:

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

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
E. H. Chamberlin

Dean Paul H. Buck

[Stamped date: “June 8, 1942”]

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

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

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

October 2, 1942

Dear Mr. Conant:

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

[…]

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

[…]

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

President J. B. Conant
Massachusetts Hall

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

_________________

No. 243932

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION

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

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

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

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

[Table without entries omitted here]

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

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

Evsey David Domar.

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

[signed]
Evsey David Domashevitsky
Evsey David Domar

AFFIDAVIT OF WITNESSES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Deps.

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

OATH OF ALLEGIANCE

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

[signed] Evsey David Domar…Evsey David Domashevitsky

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

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

_________________

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS

FACULTY OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

5 UNIVERSITY HALL

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

January 27, 1943

Dear Mr. Greene:

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

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

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

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

Mr. J. D. Greene
Massachusetts Hall

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

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

Categories
Agricultural Economics Exam Questions Harvard

Harvard. Exam questions for agricultural economics. Carver, 1905-1906

In 1911 Harvard economics professor Thomas Nixon Carver published a textbook Principles of Rural Economics  that undoubtedly encompassed the content of his course on agricutural economics first taught in 1903-04. Somewhat unusually the book is prefaced with an eight page bibliography. The eight question final exam for this semester course from 1905-06 is found below.

___________________________

From a previous year

ca. 1904 Problem set

1903-04 Final exam

___________________________

Course Enrollment
1905-06

Economics 23 2hf. Professor Carver. — Economics of Agriculture, with special reference to American Conditions.

Total 42: 4 Graduates, 10 Seniors, 11 Juniors, 14 Sophomores, 1 Freshman, 2 Others.

Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1904-1905, p. 73.

___________________________

ECONOMICS 23
Year-end Examination, 1905-06

  1. Describe the two principal stages in the development of commercial agriculture.
  2. Describe the methods by which a citizen could acquire a title to government land at the following dates: 1850, 1870, 1890.
  3. What are the chief advantages of large-scale farming and of small-scale farming? Which system has the United States government favored, and by what means?
  4. What are the advantages of diversified farming, and under what conditions is it practicable?
  5. What experiments are being carried on under the direction of the United States Department of Agriculture in the breeding of animals?
  6. Describe three types of farm management as practiced in the United States.
  7. Name, in the order of their value, the five leading crops of the United States, and if any of them are grown in special regions or belts, state approximately their limits.
  8. What are the principal factors tending, at the present time, to affect the character of the rural population of the United States?

Source: Harvard University Archives. Harvard University, Examination Papers 1873-1915. Box 8, Bound volume: Examination Papers, 1906-07;  Papers Set for Final Examinations in History, Government, Economics,…,Music in Harvard College (June, 1906), p. 46.

Image Source: “The American farmer – where he has to sell, and where he has to buy,” print by Louis Dalrymple in Puck, v. 35, no. 910 (August 15, 1894). Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.

Print shows Uncle Sam as an American farmer trying to sell his products labeled “Pork, Wheat, Butter, Beef, Oats”, and corn overseas where there is stiff “Open Competition” at the “Market of the World” represented by John Bull labeled “England” and “Germany, Russia, South America, [and] Australia”. In a vignette, Uncle Sam is shown at “The McKinley Home Market and High Prices” looking at the merchandise for sale, where all the items that he needs have been “Marked Up” 35% to 45%; McKinley offers him a new coat that has been “Marked Up 35%”.

 

Categories
Chicago Economist Market Economists Gender

Chicago. Notes on conversation with U Chicago president Colwell by T.W. Schultz, 1946

Biblical Greek Scholar/Theologian Ernest Cadman Colwell served under Chancellor Robert M. Hutchins as the president of the University of Chicago from 1945 to 1951. Theodore W. Schultz was the relatively new head of the Department of Economics who met with Colwell in late September 1946 to brief the president on developments in the economics department, especially with respect to efforts being made in pursuit of several economists needed to fill the gaps left by Henry Simons’ death (1946), Chester W. Wright’s retirement (1944), resignations by Jacob Viner (1946) and Simeon E. Leland (1946), and Oskar Lange’s leave of absence (1945-).

We see in the memorandum of conversation transcribed below that John and Ursula Hicks posed a spousal hire issue needing a creative solution before an actual offer could be made and that sixty year old Frank Knight was due some sort of a “senatorial courtesy” to get him on board with the majority of the department who badly wanted to extend an offer to thirty-one year old Paul Samuelson. 

_________________________

Chicago Economics in 1946

Mitch, David. “A Year of Transition: Faculty Recruiting at Chicago in 1946.” Journal of Political Economy 124, no. 6 (2016): 1714–34. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26549915. Especially the online supplemental materials, where the following memo is quoted in part.

_________________________

More on the Pursuit of Samuelson
by Chicago

Harro Maas, “Making Things Technical: Samuelson at MIT” in E. Roy Weintraub (ed.) MIT and the Transformation of American Economics (Durham: Duke University Press, 2014), pp. 272-294.

Roger Backhouse. Founder of Modern Economics: Paul A. Samuelson. Vol. I: Becoming Samuelson, 1915-1948 (Oxford University Press, 2017), Chapter 28 “Commitment to MIT.”

_________________________

Discussion with Ernest C. Colwell
(25 September 1946)

This discussion with President Colwell was highly satisfactory in that we considered in some detail and carefully, a number of important developments affecting the Department of Economics as follows:

1. I indicated to Mr. Colwell that the role of the Department of Economics at the University of Chicago should be reviewed, with the view of achieving a better division of labor among universities within the U. S. and internationally. An increasing number of universities can do creditable undergraduate work in economics, and also satisfactory graduate work up to and beyond the master’s. There are upwards of two score of such institutions in the U. S. Meanwhile, the number of students seeking training at the undergraduate level, and also in graduate work, has increased rapidly, and the post war promises further growth in numbers. Meanwhile, many Western countries are looking to the U.S. for some of their advanced education in other fields as well as in economics), this along with the development that is taking place within the U. S., suggests that the time has come for the University of Chicago to allocate its resources even more largely to the most advanced reaches of economics. I proposed that we examine carefully the implications of this kind of refocusing of our program. I was pleased that Mr. Colwell found himself drawn to the kind of analysis I was presenting. He made several contributions to it and concurred with the analysis itself. He very cordially urged the Department to examine this thesis and reconstitute itself to serve more effectively, taking full account of the division of labor within American academic institutions.

2. I reviewed in some detail the state of the Department, pointing out the losses that have come as the result of the death of Simons, the retirement of Wright, the resignations of Viner and Leland, and the leave of absence of Lange. I expressed our pleasure in achieving the appointment of Friedman and Blough, and reaffirmed my confidence in our judgment in seeking these appointments.

With regard to additional appointments, the following individuals were discussed.

(1) Mr. and Mrs. Hicks. I reviewed the agreements we had with Mr. Hutchins, which were the foundation of negotiations last spring. I indicated that the Hicks would arrive this week to be with us the fore-part of the fall quarter. If as a result of this opportunity of being together during part of the fall quarter, the Hicks see a real opportunity for their professional efforts at the University of Chicago, and we continue to be genuinely interested in bringing them to this University, would we be permitted to offer Mr. and Mrs. Hicks the salaries and positions that we had discussed last spring realizing we might have to go higher in the case of Mr. Hicks, for I was convinced his standing warranted our paying the maximum. Mr. Colwell said he was willing to authorize an offer of $10,000 to Mr. Hicks, and probed with me for a while the merit of making it higher instead of offering a position to both individuals. It was my judgment that our bargaining power would be at a maximum if we would offer both individuals a position, but that we could escape the liability of dual membership in one family by making the offer to Mrs. Hicks a term appointment — perhaps that of a Lecturer or Research Associate, say for three years at $3,000, and then reconsider at the end of three years, where she would have the privilege of withdrawing or redefining her relationship, and the Department would likewise have that privilege. Thus, the commitment would be permanent in the case of Mr. Hicks, but meaningful in terms of time turned into professional task to Mrs. Hicks and yet allowing flexibility in her case. Mr. Colwell accepted my proposal to proceed with an offer to both Mr. and Mrs. Hicks along the lines I have outlined.

(2) I reported Mr. Viner’s observations that it was not likely Mr. Robbins would leave the London School of Economics, and that, at least for a year, there was no point in making an indirect approach again to see whether or not he might feel free to accept an appointment in this country. Mr. Colwell fully concurred.

(3) I reviewed our offer to Mr. Colin Clark to come to the University of Chicago as guest professor for a year. I also pointed out we had included in the offer $1000 for travel expenses. I Indicated further that several of my colleagues were disposed to feel that we should now make an offer of a permanent appointment to Mr. Clark, since he is not able to obtain leave of absence to come as visiting professor. I then indicated why I felt, although tentatively, that it was unwise to make this move for a permanent relationship with the Department until we had a chance to become personally acquainted with Mr. Clark, although I continue to have a high regard for his professional work as evidenced by his major writings. Mr. Colwell concurred with the view I expressed, namely, we should not make an appointment on a permanent basis, but should try to get Mr. Clark to come as a visiting professor, if not this year, perhaps next year.

(4) I reviewed the case of Albert G. Hart, indicating that he had accepted a position at Columbia before we could approach him with an offer, and that it was important to his own growth to take the position at Columbia for a year. My plan is to approach him at the end of the year, let him weigh alternatives, including the opportunities as he sees them at Columbia. My proposal to Mr. Colwell was that we approach Hart along in February or March in order to induce him to come to Chicago. We discussed Hart’s background in some detail, Mr. Colwell concurred in the procedure I outlined to him.

(5) I then outlined at some length the case of Paul Samuelson of M.I.T. Mr. Colwell had not had the privilege of visiting with Samuelson at the time he was here. Samuelson visited with Hutchins and Gustavson, as far as Central Administration was concerned. I stated it was my judgment that Samuelson is one of the younger men in economics who has a high probability of achieving a distinguished career as an economist, and that in this respect his promise is most outstanding; that I had no doubt of the merits of the case intellectually and would press for an appointment, were that the only consideration, without delay, but that I had to achieve, however, an acceptance of Mr. Samuelson in the Department, not that a majority was lacking; a mandate existed satisfying the University administrative requirements. But the obstacle lies in what in substance is a matter of “senatorial courtesy” in behalf of the most distinguished and senior member of the Department, Professor Frank Knight. I expressed the hope it would be possible to have Professor Knight concur in the appointment and feel it was being made without any discourtesy to him and his professional role and standing in this University and in the profession. I felt this end must and could be achieved and that I was going to give a great deal of effort to it in the coming months. Pending the full exploration of what can be done in this connection I wanted to reserve decision as to whether or not to recommend the appointment of Mr. Samuelson. Mr. Colwell discussed at some length his own appraisal of the problem I had presented. He seemed to be pleased with the approach that was implicit in what I was relating to him. He made the point, and made it explicitly, that if the intellectual stature of Samuelson is as high as my judgment indicated, that it was exceedingly important the University move toward an appointment. I felt sure, though, that he was disposed to await the wishes of the Department, weighing carefully the factors I had tried to describe to him.

  1. At this point Mr. Colwell took me back to my general thesis, namely, the refocusing of the goals of the Department and the use of its resources, urging me to give active attention to this task. Whereupon I suggested the achievement of this role might well mean the setting up of 5 to 7 positions in the Department for individuals to spend 2 to 5 years at this university in what would be essentially a post-doctoral role as scholars, then accept positions elsewhere consistent with their accomplishments and promise. Mr. Colwell was drawn to the proposal as I had put it and referred briefly to similar planning and developments in other fields.

T. W. Schultz.

Source: University of Chicago Archives. Department of Economics, Records. Box 42, Folder “3”.

Categories
Economics Programs Economists Harvard

Harvard. Application for PhD candidacy. Frank D. Graham, 1917

Frank Dunstone Graham (1890-1949) taught at Princeton from 1921 up to his premature death in 1949. The portrait above however comes from the Dartmouth yearbook for the class of 1922. Graham was briefly an assistant professor of economics there for the 1920-21 academic year. Previous to that, from 1917-19 while working on his Harvard Ph.D. he worked as an instructor in economics at Rutgers.

Graham’s records in the files of the Division of History, Government, and Economics of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at Harvard have been transcribed for this post. From his transcript we now know exactly which courses he attended as a graduate student at Harvard (and his grades) and from his application to candidacy to the Ph.D. we learn a little bit about his undergraduate preparation at Dalhousie University.

_______________________

AER obituary for Frank D. Graham

In Memoriam: Frank Dunstone Graham 1890-1949, American Economic Review,Vol. 40, No. 2, Papers and Proceedings of the Sixty-second Annual Meeting of the American Economic Asociation (May, 1950), pp. 585-587.

_______________________

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.

Frank Dunstone Graham. Dec 31st 1889, Halifax, N.S.

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

Dalhousie University 1906-07: 1910-13
Dalhousie Law School 1913-15
Harvard University 1915-17
Tutor in Classics Dalhousie University 1913-14
Assistant in Political Science Rutgers Univ. 1917-18

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

A.B. Dalhousie Univ. (Halifax N.S.) 1913
LL.B. Ibid 1915

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.)

Two courses in English History.
Elementary Economics. Additional Economics for the degree with distinction. Work covered included Gide’s Principles, Hobson’s Evolution of Modern Capitalism and parts of J. S. Mill and Nicholoson’s on Taxation.
No Government studied in undergraduate work but in my Law course was included. Consitutional and International Law and Consitutional History.
Ancient Languages included 4 years work in Latin and 3 in Greek
Modern Languages I did not study until I came to my graduate work. In Philosophy I took two undergraduate courses one of them devoted to psychology.

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 7 and Econ 11 at Harvard. Private reading on the history of economic theory.
  2. Economic History. Econ. 2a and 2b at Harvard. Work read for degree of AB with distinction in Economics, Dalhousie Univ. including English Economic History.
  3. Public Finance. Econ 31. Harvard.
    Course in Economics at Dalhousie included Nicholson’s treatment of Taxation
  4. Sociology. Econ 8, 18a, 18b at Harvard. A considerable amount of private reading
  5. Political Theory. Gov. 6a, 6b Harvard. Degree of LL.B. covers an allied field
  6. International Trade and Tariffs. Econ 33, Econ 20a at Harvard

VII. Special Subject for the special examination.

International Trade and Tariffs

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

International Trade of the United States in the Greenbak Period

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

For general exams. The beginning of the session 1917-18.
For special exam same time toward the close of the session 1917-18.

X. Remarks

[Left blank]

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

[signed] Charles J. Bullock

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

[Not to be filled out by the applicant]

Name: F. D. Graham

Approved: May 25, 1917

Ability to use French certified by C. J. Bullock. 20 May 1917.

Ability to use German certified by  C. J. Bullock. 31 May 1918. [D.N.]

Date of general examination June 3, 1918. Passed [D.N.]

Thesis received December 26, 1919.

Read by Professors Taussig, Persons, Day.

Approved January 22, 1920.

Date of special examination February 4, 1920. Passed. [D.T.]

Recommended for the Doctorate January 21, 1920.

Degree conferred  [left blank]

Remarks.  [left blank]

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

Record of FRANK DUNSTONE GRAHAM in the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

1915-16
Economics 7a1 [half course]
[Economic Theory. Prof. Taussig]		 A
Economics 81 [half course]
[Principles of Sociology, Prof. Carver]		 A
Economics 18a2 [half course]
[Analytical Sociology, Asst. Prof. Anderson]		 B+
Economics 332 [half course]
[International Trade and Tariff Problems. Prof. Taussig]		 B
French A abs.
Government 6a1 [half course]
[History of Political Theories. Asst. Prof. Holcombe]		 A
Government 6b2 [half course]
[Political Theories of Modern Times. Asst. Prof. Holcombe]		 A
Government 20a
[Selected Topics in Municipal Government. Prof. Munro]		 B
1916-17
Economics 2a1 [half course]
[European Industry and Commerce in the Nineteenth Century. Prof. Gay]		 no return
Economics 2b2 [half course]
[Economic History of the United States. Prof. Gay]		 B
Economics 11
[Economic Theory. Asst. Prof. Day]		 B+
Economics 18b2 [half course]
[Historical Sociology. Asst. Prof. Anderson]		 B
Economics 20a [half course]
[Research course: Economic Theory, also International Trade and Tariff Problems. Prof. Taussig]		 B
Economics 31
[Public Finance. Prof. Bullock]		 B+
German A C
Social Ethics 151 [half course]
[Recent Theories of Social Reform. Asst. Prof. Foerster]		 A

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

Certification of reading knowledge
of French

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 28, 1917.

Dear Haskins:

This is to certify that I have examined Mr. Graham and found that he has a suitable reading knowledge of French. I understand that he needs this certificate in connection with his candidacy for the master’s degree, but it may cover the French part of the language requirement if he later comes up for the doctor’s degree.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

Postponing General Examination Date

Camp Aloha Summer School
Lake Asquam
Ashland, N.H.

Sept 10th 1917

Mr. Geo. M. Robinson
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robinson

After conferring with Professor Bullock and on his advice, I have decided to postpone the date for my General examinations until the Spring rather than this Fall as I requested in my application for the exams for the Ph.D. degree. Will you be so good as to make the necessary alterations?

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

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

Ph.D. study plan approved
[Carbon copy]

29 May 1917

Dear Mr. Graham:

At its meeting on Friday, May 25, the Division of History, Government, and Economics voted to approve your plan of study for the Ph.D. in Economics.

Very truly yours,
[unsigned]

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

Postponing General Examination Date

Camp Aloha Summer School
Lake Asquam
Ashland, N.H.

Sept 10th 1917

Mr. Geo. M. Robinson
Harvard University,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Robinson

After conferring with Professor Bullock and on his advice, I have decided to postpone the date for my General examinations until the Spring rather than this Fall as I requested in my application for the exams for the Ph.D. degree. Will you be so good as to make the necessary alterations?

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

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

Scheduling General Examination
[Carbon copy]

7 February 1918

My dear Mr. Graham:

Mr. Robinson has shown me your letter of January 28. It is not easy to arrange examinations for the first of June, as professors’ engagements are very uncertain after the beginning of the final examination period. I would suggest that you arrange to get away some day in May and come up for the examination, say on a Saturday. I should be glad to arrange any such day at your convenience. If that does not work out, let me know and I will see what we can do early in June.

Sincerely yours,
[unsigned]

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

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

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
J. S. Davis
H. H. Burbank

Cambridge, Massachusetts
May 31, 1918.

My dear Haskins:

This is to certify that Mr. F. D. Graham has today passed the examination in French and German required for candidates for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

General examination passed

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Department of Economics

F. W. Taussig
T. N. Carver
W. Z. Ripley
C. J. Bullock
E. F. Gay
W. M. Cole
O. M. W. Sprague
E. E. Day
B. M. Anderson, Jr.
J. S. Davis
H. H. Burbank

Cambridge, Massachusetts
June 4, 1918.

My dear Haskins:

Yesterday afternoon Mr. F. D. Graham passed his general examination for the doctor’s degree. Mr. Graham’s examination was not brilliant in any way, but it was distinctly better than the average general examination.

Very truly yours,
[signed]
Charles J. Bullock

Dean C. H. Haskins

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

Expecting Christmas time 1919 for thesis submission

Alumni House,
New Brunswick N.J.
Dec. 13th 1919

Dear Miss Taylor

Your letter of yesterday is under my hand. The preliminary draft of my thesis lay for a long time in the hands of Professor Taussig and of Professor Persons with whom Professor Taussig had consulted about it. Pressure of business prevented them from returning it sooner. As a consequence its completion was a good deal delayed. I have however been hurrying it forward of late as rapidly as possible and expect to have it ready about Christmas time. If you will give me an address to which to send it then, I shall get it off just as soon as possible.

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Secretary of the Division
of History, Government & Economics
Harvard University

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

Instructions for thesis drop-off
[Carbon copy]

15 December 1919

My dear Mr. Graham:

Your thesis when completed should be sent to 24 University Hall, in care of Mr. G. W. Robinson, the Secretary of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. I shall then see that it is submitted to the committee at once.

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

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

Members of thesis committee

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Division of History, Government, and Economics

Cambridge, Massachusetts

F. D. Graham
16 December 1919

Committee on Thesis

Professor Taussig or (Prof. Sprague)
Professors Persons and Day

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

Dropping off copy of thesis
on Christmas day

25th December 1919

Mr. George W. Robinson
Harvard University

Dear Mr. Robinson:

This is my Ph.D. thesis with the required summary. I was passing through Cambridge today and brought it with me. Miss Dorothy Taylor wrote me that if I delivered it to you she would see that it got into the proper hands.

Sincerely yours,
[Signed]
Frank D. Graham

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

Passing completed thesis
around committee
[Carbon copy]

26 December 1919

Dear Taussig:

I find that the other members of Graham’s thesis committee are Professor Persons and Professor Day. If you could get it to either of these before you leave for Chicago, they could doubtless work on it next week. If that is not convenient for you, if you could get it either to Miss Ham or to my office we could see that it reaches the next member of the committee.

Truly yours,
[unsigned]

Professor F. W. Taussig

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

Request for Graham’s preference for date of special examination
[Carbon copy]

14 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

Dean Haskins would be glad to know whether you have any preference as to the date of your special examination for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. If you wish to come up for the degree at mid-years, the examination must be held not later than 7 February. Your thesis is still in the hands of the committee, but will probably be accepted.

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

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

Graham Confirms Time and Place
of his Special Examination

Alumni House
New Brunswick N.J.
Jan 28th 1920

My dear Miss Taylor,

Your letter of the 14th inst. [“instant” = of the current month] is under my hand.

My preference as regards a date for my Doctor’s examination is for Wednesday, Febrary 4th, or Thursday, February 5th. If either of those dates is satisfactory to my examiner and to the committee I wish you would so inform me.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Secretary of the Division
of History, Government & Economics
Harvard University

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

Committee Named for the General Exam
[Carbon copy]

[Note: T. N. Carver did not serve on the committee and J. S. Davis added later, see letter from the Secretary of the Division (January 31, 1920) below.]

21 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

Dean Haskins is arranging your special examination for the doctorate for Wednesday, 4 February, at 4 P. M. The committee will consist of Professor Carver (Chairman), and Professors Persons, Day, and Sprague.

I will notify you as to the place later.

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

Response Cards from
Examiners for Frank D. Graham

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

Day Requested to Replace Carver
As Chair of Exam Committee
[Carbon copy]

24 January 1920

My dear Mr. Day:

As Professor Carver is to be away at the time of Mr. Graham’s examination on 4 February, Dean Haskins would be glad if you would serve as Chairman of the committee.

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Professor E. E. Day.

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

Time and Place for Special Exam
[Carbon copy]

26 January 1920

My dear Mr. Graham:

I am glad to be able to inform you that your thesis has been accepted. Your examination on 4 February will be held in Widener U at 4 P. M. Will you please acknowledge the receipt of this letter, in order that the Committee may know definitely that you will be present at the examination?

Sincerely Yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Mr. F. D. Graham

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

Graham Confirms Time and Place
of his Special Examination

Alumni House
New Brunswick N.J.
Jan 28th 1920

Dear Miss Taylor,

I have your letter of the 26th reporting the acceptance of my thesis and naming the date and place of my special examination

Sincerely,
[signed]
Frank D. Graham

Miss Dorothy Taylor
Sect’y of the Division
of History, Gov’t & Econ.
Harvard University

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

Final Committee
for the Special Examination
[Carbon copy]

31 January 1920

My dear Mr. Day:

I enclose Mr. Graham’s application blank and a copy of his record in the Gradute School of Arts and Sciences for your use at his special examination on Wednesday, 4 February, at 4 P.M. The examination will be held in Widener U. The committee as it now stands consists of Professors Day (Chairman), Persons, Sprague, and Davis.
May I ask you to return the application with a written statement of the quality and result of the examination as soon as possible?

Sincerely yours
Secretary the Division.

Professor E. E. Day.

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

Passed Special Exam

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
Committee on Economic Research

Charles J. Bullock, Chairman
Charles F. Adams
Nicholas Biddle
Frederic H. Curtiss
Wallace B. Donham
Edwin F. Gay
Ogden L. Mills
Eugene V. R. Thayer

W. M. Persons, Statistician
E. E. Day, Consulting Statistician
F. Y. Presley, Business Manager

Wadsworth House
Cambridge, Massachusetts

February 4, 1920

Dean Charles H. Haskins,
Division of History, Government, and Economics,
University Hall,
Cambridge, Mass.

Dear Mr. Haskins,

I return herewith Frank Dunstone Graham’s record in candidacy for the degree of Ph.D. Graham passed his special examination in Widener U this afternoon. It was the unanimous opinion of the members of the committee present – Professor Sprague being absent – that Graham’s examination was disappointing; but there was no question about his having passed.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Edmund E. Day

EED A

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

Memo asking for return of thesis
[Carbon copy]

9 February 1920

My dear Professor Davis:

Miss Ham tells me that you were good enough to offer to bring back Mr. Graham’s thesis, which was taken from University 24 last week for use at the examination. We should appreciate it if the thesis could be returned immediately, since it should be on hand in case any of the Faculty wish to examine it at the meeting on Thursday.

Sincerely yours,
[unsigned]
Secretary of the Division.

Professor J. S. Davis

_______________________

Ph.D. Dissertation

Frank Dunstone Graham’s 1920 Ph.D. thesis “The International Trade of the United States in the Greenback Period.” A condensed version was later published “International trade under depreciated paper, the United States, 1862-1879,” Quart. Journ. Econ., 1922, 36: 220-273.

_______________________

Image Source: Dartmouth College, The 1922 Aegis. Vol 64, p. 60.

Categories
Bibliography Harvard Philosophy Socialism

Harvard. Short Bibliography of Social Ethics for “Serious-minded Students”, Peabody, 1910

In 1910 Harvard published 43 short bibliographies covering “Social Ethics and Allied Subjects”, about half of which were dedicated to particular topics in economics, economic sociology, and social ethics. The project was coordinated by Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, Francis G. Peabody who compiled three of the short bibliographies. 

Peabody regularly taught a course on the Ethics of Social Questions [e.g., 1902-03; 1904-05] so we may presume that most of the items listed below would have been in whole or in part assigned reading.

___________________________

About Francis G. Peabody

Links to biographical information previously posted

___________________________

Previously posted  Harvard short bibliographies
(1910)

I.2. Economic Theory by Taussig

I.3. Economic History by Gay

I.7. Social Statistics by Ripley

II.3. Taxation by Bullock

IV.5 Economics of Socialism by Carver

IV.6 Socialism and Family/Christian Ethics by McConnell

IV.7. Trade Unionism by Ripley

IV.8. Strikes and Boycotts by Ripley

IV.12 Thrift Institutions by Oliver M. W. Sprague

IV.13. Social Insurance by Foerster

___________________________

SOCIAL ETHICS
FRANCIS G. PEABODY

            The sources of instruction in Social Ethics must be sought in the philosophical masterpieces which study the individual in his relation to social order: Maurice, Social Morality, 1869; Plato, The Republic, tr. Jowett, 1871; Grote, A Treatise on the Moral Ideals, 1876; Green, Prolegomena to Ethics, 1883; Aristotle, Politics, tr. Jowett, 1885; Fichte, Vocation of Man, tr. Smith, 1889; Kant, Critique of Practical Reason, tr. Abbott, 5th ed., 1898; Royce, The World and the Individual, 1901.

            Of contemporary and less academic titles, the following, out of a great number, may be named:

Addams, Jane. Democracy and social ethics. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1902, pp. 281.

A forcible exposition of the new duties created by a new social world. “The essential idea of democracy becomes the source and expression of social ethics” (p. 11).

Bosanquet, Helen. The strength of the people, a study in social economics. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1902, pp. xi, 345.

The correlation of circumstance and character traced in the problems of poverty, the family and industrialism. “‘Difficulties to overcome and freedom to overcome them’ is an essential condition of progress” (p. 339).

*Dewey, John, and Tufts, James H. Ethics. New York: Henry Holt & Co., 1908, pp. xiv, 618.

Ethical theory interpreted in its relation to “the world of action.” The ethics of social organization, economic life, politics and the family effectively described.

Dole, Charles F. The ethics of progress. New York: T. Y. Crowell & Co., 1909, pp. vii, 308.

A popular and lucid exposition of “the new morality.”

Henderson, Charles R. Practical sociology in the service of social ethics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1902, pp. 25.

“Social technology” as the guide of social philosophy.

Hobson, J. A. The social problem; life and work. London: James Pott, 1902, pp. x, 295.

Socialism applied to the “economy of national life.” “The Social Question will find its essential unity in the problem how to deal with human waste” (p. 7). “An organized democracy standing on a sound basis of property” (p. 130).

Jones, Henry. Idealism as a practical creed. Glasgow: J. Maclehose & Sons, 1909, pp. ix, 299.

A lucid and serene exposition of the practical efficiency of ethical idealism. “The call of modern age” is a call to the “earnest questioning of our ideals of life” (p. 220).

Jones, Henry. The working faith of a social reformer. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1910, pp. xii, 308.

Lectures to students for the ministry, and collected essays, expounding the interdependence of individualism and socialism, or the concurrent evolution of social and individual rights, duties and powers” (p. 111).

*Mackenzie, John S. An introduction to social philosophy. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1890, pp. xi, 390.

An academic, somewhat elusive, but judicial and suggestive outline, which has not yet been superseded.

Muirhead, J. H. Philosophy and life and other essays. London: Swan, Sonnenschein & Co., 1902, pp. 274.

Admirable essays on various aspects of the ethics of modern life.

Peabody, Francis G. The approach to the social question. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1909, pp. vii, 210.

The ways of social science, sociology and economics traced, and the ethical approach approved and explored.

Perry, R. B. The moral economy. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1909, pp. xvi, 267.

A searching and convincing analysis of the moral life in its relation to science, art and religion.

Ritchie, David G. Studies in political and social ethics. New York: The Macmillan Company, 1905, pp. ix, 238.

Occasional papers on the fundamental problems of social evolution, equality, liberty and responsibility.

*Stein, Ludwig. Die soziale Frage im Lichte der Philosophie. 2te verb. Aufl. Stuttgart: F. Enke, 1903, xvi, 598 S.

A brilliant survey of the history of social philosophy, with the outline of a system. Anti-socialist, but describing the “socializing” of property, law, politics and religion.

Wells, H. G. Mankind in the making. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1904, pp. viii, 400.

Social organization in the “New Republic,” with regulation of births, language, education and politics.

Ziegler, Theobald. Die soziale Frage eine sittliche Frage. 6te Aufl. Leipzig: G. J. Göschen‘sche Verlagshandlung, 1899, 183 S.

An early, but permanently important study of the social problem by an ethical philosopher. The moral note in socialism, industrialism and politics detected and reaffirmed.

Source: A guide to reading in social ethics and allied subjects; lists of books and articles selected and described for the use of general readers by teachers in Harvard University  (Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University, 1910) pp. 22-24.

Image Source: Harvard University Archives.  Francis Greenwood Peabody [photographic portrait, ca. 1900], Colorized by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.

Categories
Agricultural Economics Chicago Suggested Reading Syllabus

Chicago. Assigned Readings for Price and Income Instability. T. W. Schultz, 1956

Beginning in 1957 Zvi Griliches took over the course at Chicago on Price and Income Instability with special reference to agriculture. The course was previously taught by T. W. Schultz. In his files for the course Griliches kept a copy of the course outline and readings for the Spring 1956 quarter taught by his predecessor.

There were 86 numbered items on Schultz’s reading list that he referenced by the item number with chapter/page selections for some of the items. You will have to jump down from the course outline to the list of course readings and back, which I find a very peculiar way to present a course outline, but it didn’t keep him from getting a Nobel prize in economics in 1979.

_________________________

T. W. Schultz
University of Chicago

Economics 355 B
Price and Income Instability

(as problems in economic organization with special reference to agriculture)

Economics 355 B will cover the following classes of problems:

      1. general characteristics of policies and programs which are related to agriculture.
      2. analysis of the price and income instability that confronts agriculture.
      3. alternative measures for reducing or accommodating price and income instability.
      4. some research proposals directed to this set of problems.
  1. General characteristics of policies and programs for agriculture by types of countries and during different periods.

(to be developed in class)

  1. Analysis of price and income instability that confronts agriculture.

38, chs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 10;
55, chs, 11 and 20.

    1. Instability of the economy as a whole.

19;
5;
23;
50;
67;
44.

    1. Particular instabilities of farm product prices during the stock period.

45: pp. 14-15, 65-66, 76-77;
31, Ch. 2;
10: pp. 42-44;
51.

      1. Producer supply schedule for stock period.

(1) Farm household activities.

55, ch. 14;
49, ch. 6.

(2) Farm-firm activities.

55, ch. 14;
68, ch. 2.

      1. Demand schedule confronting producers restricted to stock period.

55, ch. 11;
68, ch. 2.

      1. Spot and forward markets.

38, ch. 10;
27;
42;
43;
32;
37;
28;
29;
6;
14;
54;
58;
69;
70.

    1. Particular instabilities of farm product prices for time intervals longer than stock period (up to and including two production periods).
      1. Planned and unplanned variations in production (supply).

55, chs. 11, 12, 13;
40;
68, ch. 2.4;
12;
11;
1;
2b;
65;
13;
16;
61;
66.

      1. Shifts in demand schedule during relatively short periods.

55, ch. 11;
12;
68, ch. 2;
71;
8;
9;
17;
18;
22;
46;
56;
57;
59;
62;
63;
64.

  1. Measures for reducing or accommodating farm product prices and income instability.

7;
44;
67;
26, pp. 247-252.

    1. Particular abrupt and large shifts in the demand schedule.

55, pp. 344-346.

    1. Large year to year changes in production.

55, ch. 19;
38, ch. 13;
2b;
3;
4;
15;
24;
25;
30;
34;
35;
36;
41;
48;
52;
53;
60.

    1. Increasing the price elasticity of the relevant schedules.

55, pp. 349-358.

    1. By way of accommodation.

55, pp. 358-366.

      1. Farms with more capacity to cope with price and income instability.
      2. Possibilities by storage.
      3. Safeguarding income during depressions.
  1. Some research proposals

(to be based on III and the research interest of the student)

_________________________

T. W. Schultz
Spring, 1956

Economics 355 B
List of Readings

  1. Barber, Lloyd, “Variability of Wheat Yields by Counties in the United States,” BAE (September, 1951).
  2. (a) Barber, E. Lloyd, “Summerfallowing to Meet Weather Risks in Wheat Farming,” Agricultural Economics Research, III (October, 1951).
  1. (b) Barton, Glen T. and Cooper, Martin R., “Relation of Agricultural Production to Inputs,” Review of Economics and Statistics, XXX (May, 1948).
  2. Barber, E. Lloyd and Thair, Philip J., “Institutional Methods of Meeting Weather Uncertainty in the Great Plains,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXII (August, 1950).
  3. Barber, E. Lloyd, Meeting Weather Risks in Kansas Wheat Farming, Kansas Agr. Ext. Sta. and BAE Agr. Report 44 (September, 1950).
  4. Bennett, M. K. and Associates, International Commodity Stockpiling as an Economic Stabilizer (Stanford: Stanford Univ. Press, 1949).
  5. Blau, G., “Some Aspects of the Theory of Futures Trading,” The Review of Economic Studies, XI (1943-44).
  6. Brownlee, O. H. and Johnson, D. Gale, “Reducing Price Variability Confronting Primary Producers,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXII (May, 1950).
  7. Burk, Marguerite, “Recent Relationships between Income and Food Expenditure,” Agricultural Economics Research, BAE, III (July, 1951).
  8. ___________, “Changes in the Demand for Food from 1941 to 1950,” Journal of Farm Economics,” XXXIII (August, 1951).
  9. Clark, Colin, Conditions of Economic Progress, 2nd ed, (London: Macmillan, 1951).
  10. Cochrane, Willard W., An Analysis of Farm Price Behavior, Progress Report Agricultural Experinent Station, Pennsylvania State College (May, 1951)
  11. ___________, “Farm Price Gyrations — An Aggregative Hypothesis,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXIX (May, 1947).
  12. Day, Emily L. and Barber, Lloyd, Physical Risks in Farm Production, Selected References, 1930-1948. USDA Library, List 49 (August, 1949).
  13. Dow, J. C. R., “A Theoretical Account of Futures Markets,” The Review of Economic Studies, VII (1939-40).
  14. Ellickson, John C., “Hail Insurance on Growing Crops in the United States,” Agricultural Finance Review, BAE, XIII (November, 1950).
  15. Foote, Richard J. and Bean, Louis H., “Are Yearly Variations in CropYield Random?” BAE, Agricultural Economics Research, III (January, 1951).
  16. Fox, Karl A., “Factors Affecting Farm Income, Farm Prices and FoodConsumption,” Agricultural Economics Research, III (July, 1951).
  17. ___________ and Norcross, Harry C., “Agriculture and the General Economy,” Agricultural Economics Research, IV (January, 1952).
  18. Friedman, Milton, “Commodity-Reserve Currency,” Journal of Political Economy. LIX (June, 1951).
  19. Galbraith, John K., American Capitalism—The Concept of Countervailing Power (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1952).
  20. Galbraith, John K., “Economic Preconceptions and Farm Policy,” American Economic Review, XLIV (March, 1954).
  21. Girschick, M. A. and Haavelmo, T., “Statistical Analysis of the Demand forFood,” Econometrica, XV (April, 1947).
  22. Graham, Benjamin, Storage and Stability (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1937).
  23. Halcrow, Harold G., “Actuarial Structure of Crop Insurance,”Journal of Farm Economics, XXXI (August, 1949).
  24. ___________, The Theory of Crop Insurance, Ph.D. Thesis, University of Chicago, 1948.
  25. Haley, Bernard F. (ed.), A Survey of Contemporary Economics, Vol. I (Homewood, Ill.: Richard D. Irwin, 1952).
  26. Hardy, C. O., “Recent Developments in the Theory of Speculation,” American Economic Review, XXVII (1937).
  27. ___________ and Lyon, L. S., “The Theory of Hedging,” Journal of Political Economy, XXXI (1923).
  28. Hawtrey, R. G., “Mr. Kaldor on the Forward Market,” The Review of Economic Studies, VIII (1940-41).
  29. Heisig, Carl P., “Income Instabillty in High Risk Farming Areas,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXVIII (1946).
  30. Hicks, J. R., Value and Capital (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1939).
  31. Hicks, J. R., “Theory of Uncertainty and Profit,” Economica, VI (1939).
  32. Hoos, Sidney,“Relations between Agricultural Price Policy and MarketingResearch,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXIII (August, 1951).
  33. Horton, Donald C., “Adaptation of the Farm Capital Structure to Uncertainty,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXI (February, 1949).
  34. ___________, The Pattern of Farm Financial Structure, National Bureau of Economic Research, a preliminary draft (May, 1951).
  35. ___________ and Barber, E. Lloyd, “The Problem of Farm Business Survival in Areas of Highly Variable Rainfall,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXI, Proceedings (November, 1942).
  36. Houthakker, H. S., “A Proposed Inquiry into Some Markets with Forward Trading,” Cowles Commission Discussion Paper Economics 2036 and Agricultural Economics Research Paper No. 5211, March 21, 1952. Mimeo.
  37. Johnson, D. Gale, Forward Prices for Agriculture (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1947).
  38. ___________, Trade and Agriculture: A Study of Inconsistent Policies (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1950).
  39. ___________, “The Nature of the Supply Function for American Agriculture,” American Economic Review, XL (September, 1950).
  40. Jones, Lloyd E.,“Stabilizing Farming by Shifting Wheat Land to Grass in Northern Great Plains,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXII (August, 1950).
  41. Kaldor, N., “A Note on the Theory of the Forward Market,”The Review of Economic Studies, VII (1939-40).
  42. ___________, “Speculation and Economic Stability,” The Review of Economic Studies, VII (1939-40).
  43. Keynes, J. M., “The Policy of Government Storage of Food-Stuffs and Raw Materials,” Economic Journal, XLVIII (September, 1938).
  44. Knight, Frank H., The Economic Organization (New York: Augustus M. Kelley, 1951).
  45. Mack, Ruth P., “The Direction of Change in Income and the Consumption Function,” Review of Economics and Statistics, XXX (1948).
  46. Mehrens, George L., “Comparative Costs of Agricultural Price Supportsin 1949,” Proceedings, American Economic Review, XLI (May, 1951).
  47. Nebraska Agr. Exp. Sta., Toward Stability in the Great Plains Economy, Proceedings of a conference held at Custer, South Dakota in 1949. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bul. 399 (July, 1950).
  48. Reid, M. G., Food for People (New York: Wiley, 1943).
  49. Reifler, Winfield, “A Proposal for an International Buffer-Stock Agency,” Journal of Political Economy, LIV (December, 1946).
  50. Robbins, Lionel,“Elasticity of Demand for Income in Terms of Effort,” Economica (1930).
  51. Schickele, Rainer, “Farm Business Survival under Extreme Weather Risk,”Journal of Farm Economics, XXXI (November, 1949),
  52. ___________, “Farmers Adaptation to Income Uncertainty,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXII (August, 1950).
  53. Schultz, T. W., Production and Welfare of Agriculture (New York: Macmillan, 1949).
  54. ___________, The Economic Organization of Agriculture (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1953).
  55. Schultz, Henry, The Theory and Measurement of Demand (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1938).
  56. ___________, “The Shifting Demand for Selected Agricultural Commodities, 1875-1929,” Journal of Farm Economics, XIV (April, 1932).
  57. Stewart, Blair, An Analysis of Speculative Trading in Grain Futures, USDA Commodity Exchange Authority, Bul. No. 1001. October, 1942.
  58. Stone, J. R. K., “Analysis of Market Demand,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, CVIII (1945).
  59. Thair, Philip J., Stabilizing Farm Income against Crop Yield Fluctuations, Agr. Exp. Sta. North Dakota and BAE Bul. 362, September, 1950).
  60. Timoshenko, P., “Variability in Wheat Yields and Outputs, Part I. Cycles or Random Fluctuations,” Wheat Studies of the Food Research Institute, XVIII (Stanford, California, 1942).
  61. Tintner, Gerhard,“Multiple Regression for System of Equations,” Econometrics, XIV (January, 1946).
  62. Tobin, James,“A Statistical Demand Function for Food in the U.S.A.,” Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, CXIII (1950), Part II.
  63. U.S.D.A., BAE, Consumption of Food in the United States, 1909-48, Misc. Pub. 691 (August, 1949).
  64. U.S.D.A., BAE, Farm Production Practices, Costs and Returns, Stat. Bul. 83 (October, 1949).
  65. U.S.D.A., Fluctuations in Crops and Weather, 1866-1948, Stat. Bul. 101 (June, 1951).
  66. Viner, Jacob, “International Finance in the Post-War World,”Lloyds Bank Review (October, 1946).
  67. Waugh, Frederick V., Readings in Agricultural Marketing (Ames: Iowa State College Press, 1954).
  68. Williams, J. B., “Speculation and the Carryover,” The Quarterly Journal of Economics, LI (1936).
  69. Working, H. “Theory of the Inverse Carrying Charge in Futures Markets,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXX (1948).
  70. Working, E. J., “Appraising the Demand for American Agricultural Output during Rearmament,” Journal of Farm Economics XXXIV, May, 1952.
Supplementary List #1
  1. Bauer, P. T., West African Trade (Cambridge: The University Press, 1954), esp. Parts 3, 5, and 6.
  2. ___________ and Paish, F. , “The Reduction of Fluctuations in the Incomes of Primary Producers,” Economic Journal, LXII (December, 1952).
  3. ___________, “The Reduction of Fluctuations in the Incomes of Primary Producers Further Considered,” Economic Journal, LXIV, (December, 1954).
  4. Friedman, Milton, “The Reduction of Fluctuations in the Incomes of Primary Producers: A Critical Comment, Economic Journal, LXIV (December 1954).
  5. Gustafson, Robert L.,Optimal Carryover Rules for Grains, The University of Chicago RMA Study (January 31, 1954). Agricultural Economics Research Paper).
  6. Heady, Earl O., Kehrberg, Earl W., and Jebe, Emil B., Economic Instability and Choices Involving Income and Risk in Primary or Crop Production, Res. Bul. 404 (January, 1954) Agric. Exp. Iowa State College.
  7. Heady, Earl, “Diversification in Resource Allocation and Minimization of Income Variability,” Journal of Farm Economics XXXIV (November, 1952).
  8. Johnson, D. Gale, “Competition in Agriculture: Fact or Fiction?”American Economic Review, Papers and Proceedings XLIV (May, 1954).
  9. Kaldor, Donald R. and Heady, Earl O., An Exploratory Study of Expectations, Uncertainty and Farm Plans in Southern Iowa Agriculture, Res. Bul. 408 April, 1954) Agric. Exp. Sta. Iowa State College.
  10. Kaplan, Marshall.On Estimating Demand Parameters With Special Reference to Food, AgriculturalEconomics Research Paper No. 5415. September 24, 1954.
  11. Lee, Ivan M., “Temperature Insurance — An Alternative to Frost Insurancein Citrus,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXV (February, 1953).
  12. Nordin, J. A., Judge, George G., and Wohby, Omar, Application of Econometric Procedures to Demands for Agricultural Products, Res. Bul 410 (July, 1954) Agri. Exp. Sta. Iowa State College.
  13. Tolley, George, “Minimizing Grain Storage Costs,” Journal of Farm Economics, XXXV (November, 1953).
  14. Foreign Agricultural Service. Agricultural Market and Price Policies in Foreign Countries. Report No. 74 (September, 1953).

Source: Harvard University Archives. Papers of Zvi Griliches, Box 130, Folder “Syllabus and exams, 1955-1959”.

Image Source:  T. W. Schultz, University of Chicago Photographic Archive, apf1-07484, Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library. Colorized by Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.