Author: Irwin Collier

Sloan Building
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge 39, Massachusetts
April 21, 1965

Dear New Students:

On behalf of the Graduate Economics Association, I would like to welcome you to M.I.T. and Cambridge. This letter will try to tell you a little about your prospective surroundings at M.I.T. and in Boston, and about the GEA itself. If, after reading this letter, you have some unanswered questions, I heartily encourage your writing to me for more information. My address is on the last page of this letter.

M.I.T.

You have probably studied the Sears-sized catalogue of the Institute and found it an impressive document, if a bit forbidding. You will find that the Institute means business, but is run to make things reasonably smooth for the large body of students and staff. This means that it pays to read the notices, check mail boxes and announcements to meet deadlines, but that rules are made to be broken, given a good and sufficient reason. The idea is to ask the right person and keep asking until you get an authoritative answer.

The Economics Department

You will find that most of the time you spend and the contacts you make at M.I.T. will be within the department, especially if you do not live in the Graduate House. The department is located in the Sloan Building at the extreme east end of the campus, on the second and third floors (the latter housing the graduate registration officer and the head of the department). In the same building are the Sloan School of Management and the Faculty Club. Dewey Library, the Political Science Department and the Center for International Studies will be moving next door to quarters in the new Hermann Building. This may cause some confusion so be prepared to ask twice to find something. To reach the Sloan Building via public transportation you may either take a Massachusetts Avenue bus to any of the stops at the Institute, then proceed east along Memorial Drive (along the Charles River) about seven minutes walk; or you may take the Harvard-Ashmont MTA line to Kendall Square, then follow Wadsworth Street south (toward the River), and you are there.

You are about to begin graduate work with some of the finest economists in the world. We also like to feel that the group of graduate students here is an unusually stimulating and interesting one. There is an Institute rule that in effect requires residence until the thesis is completed. This rule is largely for your benefit, so that you can work alongside more advanced students. They are happy to talk to new students and should prove the best sources of more-or-less reliable information on all sorts of subjects. Incidentally, while you may feel that the most highly developed science among your colleagues is baseball, do not hesitate to ask for help in clearing up a point in economics. Some of us remember back to first-year courses.

The faculty are busy, but not too busy to see you if you have a question. Your initial faculty contact will be with Professor Kindleberger on Registration Day (September 20), whom you will deal with throughout the rest of the term regarding schedules, course changes, and other departmental affairs. Shortly after the beginning of the first term, we will arrange a short session for all first-year graduate students with one of the members of the department to enter your questions about department policy on graduate study in economics at M.I.T.

Most of the economics books and journals you will need can be found in Dewey Library. On Registration Day, beginning at about 3:00 p.m., Miss Klingenhagen, the head librarian will give entering students her Grand Tour of the library. You will find that it is quite easy to make use of Dewey’s reading and research facilities. You will also find that the freedom of individual movement is relatively greater than in most large institutional libraries (including some other M.I.T libraries). This, of course, behooves students to comply with a few wishes of the library staff regarding (the relative absence of) noise and the process of checking out, caring for, and returning books. If you have questions, suggestions, or complaints, see Miss Klingenhagen, Mr. Presson, or anyone else on the library staff. Do not hesitate to ask the library to get any books relating to economics which they do not have, or of which more copies are required. Of course, the longer lead time you give on your requests for books, the better the library is able to serve you.

The huge library resources of Harvard have become less accessible recently, but they can be used on occasion given sufficient ingenuity and a modicum of determination. Widener is the most attractive and of course the most restricted library at Harvard. Littauer (economics and public administration) and Baker (business school) are both available without much trouble, at least for in-room use and certain stack privileges. The surest way to gain access to all this wealth is to take a course at Harvard. Short of this direct (and perhaps painful?) approach, more devious and less certain means must be employed.

The Graduate Economics Association

As you may have guessed, the GEA is comprised of all graduate students in economics. Its functions are to provide services involving external economies. This includes a lounge, economics seminars, social functions, student-faculty liaison, and the present opus. All this is run on the paltry sum of $2.00 per member per year, payable at the cocktail party to be held on:

Registration Day, September 20, 1965

On Registration Day, the GEA will sponsor a cocktail party to celebrate your entrance and the beginning of classes the next day. TIME: 4:00 p.m. PLACE: Faculty Club Penthouse on the 6-1/2 floor of the Sloan Building. The first two drinks will be subsidized to the amount of $0.50; anyone who thinks he can stand a third (or fourth…) will have to subsidize himself (note we said “sponsor” a cocktail party). The primary purpose of the party is to afford everyone an opportunity to meet his colleagues, both new and “old” students and faculty.

Earlier in the day, from 10-12 a.m., the GEA will provide (not sponsor) a free advisory service to clear up confusion and to give life and meaning to catalogue course descriptions. GHQ for this service will be the Economics Lounge on the second floor of the Sloan Building.

LIVING IN THE BOSTON AREA

Geography

Boston, like all great metropolitan areas, is a slum-infested city surrounded by hundreds of suburbs. You will quickly find that each landlord sells the combination of housing and location, and that a good location may come dear. Yet it will also be discovered that the good locations and the popular may differ markedly, especially for you. The Sloan Building is located in an industrial district, and there is little in the way of living quarters in that part of Cambridge. On the other hand, just across the “Pepperpot” Bridge is Beacon Hill. This famous address is actually a paradoxical combination ranging from the homes of some of Boston’s venerable old families, to near-slums with various degrees in between which are acceptable to a struggling graduate student. The whole riverside area from there up to the Fenway lies within possible walking distance and abounds with possible living accommodations. Moving further back, rents become cheaper and flats more modest as we go into the Back Bay area. The adjacent suburbs such as Allston, Brighton, Brookline, Somerville, Watertown, and, for that matter, the other parts of Cambridge itself offer still more in the way of apartments, remodeled homes, and, for the single person, rooming houses. (There are some good rooming houses for singles just off Central Square.) Cambridge, especially in the Harvard Square area, tends to charge for location. Obviously you can evaluate this in terms of the time and money that the distance involves. Whether you have a car or whether you can get into a car pool with a fellow student will contribute to this decision. But don’t plan on parking privileges at M.I.T. The parking lot next to the Sloan Building is filled with construction. Even in better days students seldom qualify for “a parking sticker.” it would be wise to write the Campus Patrol for an application, but the general rule is you must live outside of Cambridge and off the MTA routes. Then available spaces are allotted by seniority (leaving Graduate Students next to last). The public transportation in Boston is probably more adequate than those who suffer with it like to think. Fares are 20 cents for the subway, and 10 cents for most surface transit.

Housing

Housing in the areas listed above is a problem for everyone, especially those who are on a tight budget (i.e., everyone). For unmarried students, the solutions are: the Graduate House, a room, or an apartment. The alternatives to the new M.I.T. housing for married students are an apartment or a house. Some sources of information on available accommodations are:

–the M.I.T. housing office in Building 7, Room 7-102. Up-to-date listings are available.

–Phillips Brooks House at Harvard (supposedly for Harvard students, but no questions are asked). Up-to-date listings are available.

–bulletin boards, at M.I.T.: Graduate House, Dewey Library (in Sloan Building), Building 10; at Harvard: ask bearded students; and at the Stop & Shop Supermarket on Memorial Drive, Cambridge.

–local newspapers, especially the Sunday Globe, Tech Talk, Harvard Crimson.

–real estate agents, pavement pounding, asking everyone, putting up notices, etc.

You will find that rents may be found in the neighborhood of $70 per month and (mostly) up for good apartments, $110 to $150 (for two persons), and that rooms may go for a little as $10 per week. If you can, come up early and spend a day or two looking. Don’t get discouraged by the places or prices, since there are good places available, particularly before the first week of September. Anyone who waits until after September first, however, will almost certainly find his choice limited. Most leases run for 12 months, expiring the end of August. As you shall probably have to pay for the entire month of September, this is an additional incentive to arrive early, whenever possible.

Furniture

Here again the situation is confusing. The extra cost of a furnished apartment may be far greater than the value in use of the furniture. There are numerous ways to obtain furnishings. First, check the bulletin boards, although these are the most fruitful in May and June. Second, call the M.I.T. Dames who hold a furniture sale each fall (M.I.T. Student Furniture Exchange, Ext. 4293). Rental services can be a good value, and there are a large number of secondhand dealers. Massachusetts Avenue, in Cambridge, between Central and Harvard Squares, is lined with these places. Charitable groups such as the Salvation Army, the Morgan Memorial, and the Saint Vincent de Paul Society also sell second-hand furniture. On the other hand, judicious shopping in the legitimate new furniture stores and discount houses such as Sears or Lechmere Sales may yield better values in the long run. As might be expected, those firms specializing in the student trade raise prices come September—therefore, early arrival and use of more general sources is advisable. Last fall I became the Chippendale of amateur furniture makers and would be happy to give advice on this, if requested.

Graduate House

For unmarried students who want to avoid housekeeping, the Graduate House may be the answer. On paper the House, with its activities, dining room, and proximity to campus, seems ideal. Prices range from $160 to $235 a semester, and it is quite likely that you will be paying the higher prices, as there are many more rooms available in this range—all triples. Singles are almost impossible to obtain as a first-year student; further, the chances of rooming with a fellow economist are quite small. However, it has been possible in the past to switch roommates and/or rooms during the year if desired.

The rooms are fully furnished, which is a help, and contain lamps, beds, desks, easy chair, and bureaus. With the latest rent increase, the Institute also cut down janitorial service and stopped providing linen. There are washing machines in the basement, where the showers are also located. It is an old but well-kept-up building. Some of the rooms are on the dingy side, but they are large if nothing else (except for some of the singles, which look like converted closets).

There is a cafeteria-dining room in the Graduate House, which serves somewhat-better-than-average institutional food on a pay-as-you-eat basis; meal costs here are likely to run close to $3.00 per day (for three meals). You can contract for commons meals, arranging for these either at the Grad House or at Walker Memorial, or a combination of the two (breakfast at the Grad House, lunch and dinner at Walker, has proven convenient for Grad House residents who spend their life in the relative isolation of the Sloan Building). Walker Memorial is close to 5 minutes walk from the Grad House, but on the way to the Sloan Building, and provides a gathering spot for many economics students at lunch and dinner. For the single student, these gatherings can be a valuable aspect of life around M.I.T. The Grad House sponsors assorted dances, teas, and lectures, and is equipped with ping-pong, television, a record player, and a darkroom. There are intramural sports and you are allowed to entertain guests at any time. There is generally a long waiting list for entry into the Grad House, but students who have lived there recommend it highly, and well worth the effort of applying. A check at the House on arrival may reveal that the waiting list has shortened considerably as people changed their mind, went elsewhere, or otherwise dropped out.

Parking around the Graduate House is quite difficult, but not impossible. Parking permits to the House parking lot are next to impossible to obtain unless there is a special reason. The lot is open to all, however, on weekends, and occasional weekday parking in the lot usually leads to no difficulty.

Roomates

While normally considered a personal problem, we sympathize with the desire of some incoming graduate students to make contact with other members of your class in hopes of sharing an apartment (sounds like a lonely hearts club). Therefore, for your convenience (and to satisfy your curiosity), we have included a list of students admitted for next fall. If any of you want to make contact with classmates, send your name back to me by the end of May, plus your summer address, and I will compile a short list of those desiring roommates. This will be returned to the interested parties. All further action must be initiated by you. Correspondence during the summer might more safely be addressed to Myra Strober. (See last page)

The Coop

You are entitled to be a member of the nation’s most successful consumers’ cooperative—the Harvard Cooperative Society (or Coop). Its main store in Harvard Square stocks a full line of clothing, supplies, books and other needed items, and its Technology Store—to be located on the first floor of the new M.I.T. Student Union—on Massachusetts Avenue across from the main building of M.I.T.—carries a moderate number of these items and can, if feasible, have others transferred. The big advantage is that you get a 10 per cent discount on your purchases payable the following fall. (Economists have often wondered how all the bookstores in Harvard Square meet this competition. Apparently they can survive without following the same course; but one, the Mandrake, does give a 10 per cent spot discount which is, of course, even better than the Coop’s deferred 10 per cent. However, some negotiating may prove that the practice is more widespread than that.)

Employment for Students

Summer jobs and part-time jobs are handled through the Placement Office and/or the Department of Economics. See Professor Kindleberger or Miss Tapley for this.

Employment for Wives

The search for jobs for students’ wives can be something of a struggle. As in all cities women will find:

–employers are more interested in secretarial skills than higher education

–the fields where women can use their special training are those in which there is a shortage of men—the sciences in particular

–the average Boston company has little faith in the career girl, and she is likely to get passed over in favor of the male

The large employers in Boston are the insurance companies and banks, and the schools such as M.I.T. and Harvard. They are all constantly searching for qualified people, though the emphasis is generally on secretarial and clerical rather than professional or administrative jobs. At the Institute, both the Office of Personnel Relations and the Technology Dames are particularly interested in helping students’ wives find jobs.

There are commercial employment agencies which charge a week’s salary (or more) for placement, but they tend to be fee-happy and should be a last resort. However, the Women’s Educational and Industrial Union at 264 Boylston Street, Boston, is said to combine real counseling, consideration of your interests, and wide variety of jobs. The Boston Globe has the best listing of employment opportunities of all the papers.

Another field worth exploring, as we are told, is teaching in one of the private schools which may be open to women with college degrees even if they have had no formal training in education. However, they may require experience. The public school systems are a mass of prejudices, arbitrary rules, and other impediments to hiring. As a start, on requires American citizenship and certification by the Massachusetts Department of Education. For such work you will obviously need education courses and may find bars against you due to lack of experience or because of marriage. Surprising as it may seem, the suburban public school systems, which are the more attractive from a teacher’s standpoint, seem to be more willing to hire working wives of students than do the Boston or Cambridge Systems.

Miscellaneous

Harvard and M.I.T. students put out various unofficial guides to graduate school life, full of information on the worldly temptations of the area (music, women, restaurants, etc.). These are worth reading even if you are sure you will never stray from the path of duty. A copy of M.I.T.’s guide is sent to American students only, with admissions material. We will have copies of the guide available for those who did not receive them at the desk of the registration officer’s secretary (room 52-380) on registration day.

Owning a car here is extremely expensive and inconvenient, but the alternatives do not appeal to many people. Since Massachusetts auto registration and insurance in the Cambridge-Boston area are very expensive, you will be well advised to maintain your home-state registration. Daytime parking around M.I.T. is difficult, unless you arrive by 8:00 a.m. or are prepared to pay or walk. As was noted above, Tech parking lots are for staff, employees, and those who live far away (in the past this has meant outside Cambridge and off the M.T.A. routes) or are disabled. If you get lost frequently while driving in Boston, you are normal, but otherwise traffic is no heavier than in other cities. The style of driving takes some getting used to, but you can stand up to anyone except taxis and pedestrians.

Finally, here is a way to be one-up around M.I.T. The secret is numbers. Buildings, courses (i.e. fields of study), subjects, rooms, and books carry numbers, as do students. Example: your number is 658350, as you find out from your registration card. You are in Course XIV (Economics and Social Science), you are taking 14.121 (a first-semester, graduate economics subject), which meets in room 52-143 (Sloan Building, first floor, room 43.)

If you have any questions in the meantime, I would be happy to hear from you: my address is listed below. When you arrive at M.I.T., others will be pleased to answer any questions, and I will usually be available around the Dewey Library or the Economics Department on weekdays. The place is small enough that there should be no difficulty finding me there.

In closing, let me once again encourage you to write me if you have any questions, problems—or just to say hello. In any case, I look forward to seeing you come September.

Sincerely yours,
[signed]
Lovell S. Jarvis

GEA Officers

Source: M.I.T. Archives. Department of Economics Records. Box 2, Folder “1969 G.E.A. 1970”

Source: Historical Working Papers on the Economic Stabilization Program …, Part 3, By United States. Department of the Treasury. Office of Economic Stabilisation, p. 1496.