“Money as a Dynamic Factor” was the title of the talk given by Ludwig von Mises Thursday evening, December 5, 1940 at the Harvard department of economics. From a memo written by Paul Sweezy [transcribed for the following post] we know that the cocktail committee added sherry and whiskey to the selection of hard drinks served as refreshment that evening.
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Carbon copy of letter from Chamberlin to Mises
November 20, 1940
Dear Dr. von Mises:
The Department of Economics at Harvard would like to offer their graduate students the privilege of meeting you and hearing you while you are in this country. Would it be possible for you to speak at Harvard on the evening of either December 5 or December 12? If so, I should be glad to receive from you suggestions as to possible subjects. We should hope, too, that you would be able to remain in Cambridge for a day or so in order to give students and others a chance to talk with you informally. An honorarium of $100 will be paid (from which you would be expected to meet your own travelling expenses).
I very much hope you will be able to accept this invitation.
Sincerely yours,
E. H. Chamberlin
Dr. Ludwig von Mises
599 West End Avenue
New York City
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Mises’ Reply to Chamberlin
Ludwig Mises
New York, Nov. 23, 1940
Dear Professor Chamberlin:
Thank you very much for your kind invitation. I shall be very pleased to address the graduate students of your Department.
I hope that nothing will prevent me from delivering my address on the first of the two days you suggested in your letter (i.e. December 5) and to have informal talks with the students on the following days.
Would you consider as a suitable topic for my address: “Money as a dynamic factor”?
Sincerely yours
[signed] L. Mises
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Department Announcement
of Lecture by Mises
Department of Economics
Professor Ludwig von Mises, formerly of the University of Vienna and of the Institute for International Studies at Geneva, will speak on “Money as a Dynamic Factor”, in the Littauer Lounge at 8 P.M., Thursday, December 5 [1940].
(Open to members of the University)
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Thank you note from Mises
New York, December 11, 1940
Dear Professor Chamberlin
Thank you for your kind letter of December 9. May I express once again my gratitude for the warm reception you and your colleagues accorded me. It was a great pleasure to me to have the opportunity to meet the distinguished members of your department.
Sincerely yours
Ludwig Mises
Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics. Correspondence and Papers 1930-1961. Box 25 (Visiting Committees-Whippen), Folder: “Possible Visitors to Econ. Department”.
Image Source: Ludwig von Mises (1935) at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek Digital website.