Starting in 1942 the administrative task of tracking the progress of Harvard economics Ph.D. candidates was delegated to the departmental level from the Division of History, Government and Economics*. A typewritten memo was prepared that described in detail the procedures in use by the Division up to that time, along with an explicit list of examiners’ names by field used for putting together committees for the general and special examinations.
The graduate records for Paul Samuelson and Gardiner C. Means have been transcribed earlier and are typical cases of the procedures described here.
The internal memo transcribed below appears to be a draft with some hand-marked deletions, substitutions, and additions. But it might be the case that the changes were noted on the memo over the course of time. I include the original text that has been marked for deletion (crossing out that text) and use italics to designate revisions/additions.
Fun facts: Joseph Schumpeter and John D. Black were not to be put on the same examination committee. The sociologist Sorokin was not to be named as an examiner for the field of sociology, but instead Talcott Parsons was much preferred. Also of interest is the fact that Harvard professors were paid a modest honorarium for examining Radcliffe Ph.D. candidates.
* The records up through 1942 are found in Harvard University Archives, Division of History, Government and Economics: Ph.D. Material [1873-1942], 20 Boxes (UAV. 453.270).
Degree Rulings (October 25, 1930) have been transcribed and were posted already in May 2015! The fourth artifact of Economics in the Rear-view Mirror.
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[Handwritten comment at top of page:
Notes taken by CCTDik[?] when Division office closed and each Dept took over responsibility for PhD. Examinations 1941 or 1942.]
When someone wants a general examination, get Plan of Study. Approval of Plan of Study: Follow the rules as set up in Economics. Be sure Economic Theory, History, and Statistics are in the plan. Ask for a month’s notice for scheduling an examination. First, send for transcript of record at Graduate School Office. Write to members of committee asking if they can serve on that date two and one-half weeks in advance. Mimeographed sheet giving details. Also send postcard I can or I cannot serve. Be sure to put name of Professor on card so that you will know who returns it.
Send reminder so that they will receive it about four days in advance.
Look through Plan and pick a preliminary Committee.
Theory: Schumpeter, Chamberlin, Haberler, Triffin, Monroe (use on an examination where everyone else is directly in his own field), Sweezy, Leontief (interchangeable),
Mason, Taylor (particularly for Economic Policy)
Economic History: Usher and Cole if have to.
Statistics: Frickey, Staehle, Crum
Money and Banking: Hansen, Williams, Harris, Schumpeter, Goodwin, Bennion, Haberler
Economic Fluctuations and Forecasting: Schumpeter, Haberler, Hansen, Harris, Laursen
Transportation: Cunningham, Chamberlin
Industrial Organization: Dunlop, Sweezy, Mason if here.
Public Finance: Burbank, Butters. (If chiefly Fiscal Policy Seminar, Hansen)
International Trade: Laursen, Harris, Haberler, Leontief. Schumpeter for specials.
Agriculture: Black, Usher, Hansen. (Consult Black in advance for schedule)
Labor: Slichter, Dunlop, Healy, Staehle, Harris,
Socialism and Social Reform: Sweezy, Leontief, Taylor
Economic History before 1750: Usher
Commodity Distribution and Prices: Staehle, Black, Sweezy
Public Utilities: Chamberlin, Mason, or Business School people.
Land Utilization: Black
(Do not use Black and Schumpeter together on a board if possible)
Get schedules from Hansen, and others, who are away a great deal from secretary before scheduling examinations.
Sociology: Do not use Sorokin. Anyone else. Parsons good because was in Economics.
Economic Policy: O.H. Taylor, Sweezy, Chamberlin used chiefly.
For Chairman of the Committee if at all possible pick the men with whom he is to write the thesis. In Theory pick the man with whom candidate has had course work. If do not know about thesis, pick senior member or Theory man.
Check with Miss Loftus for fields in Government.
Check on languages. Be sure that they have passed one before the generals.
Check the fields with the candidate. Write-off does not need to be completed until time of special examination. Check grade to be sure it is sufficiently good.
Schedule examinations all the time, concentrated in Reading Periods if possible. Ordinarily at 4 o’clock; sometimes at 11; and once in a while to suit the committee.
Write candidate about four or five days before examination.
“Dear Mr. ——
The arrangements have been completed for your general examination for the degree of Ph.D. in Economics. It is to be held on Tuesday, May 5, at 4 o’clock in Littauer M-10.
Sincerely yours,
Secretary
Material for examination: Send to chairman the Plan of Study, back side filled in by this office. Mimeographed form. Transcript of course record. The examination report if already taken general. On mimeographed sheet write everything in full, —Full name, Tuesday, May 5, 1942, at 4 o’clock. Department of Economics. Fields examined: 1, 2, 3, 4, following order on Plan of Study. The committee certifies that the general (cross out special).
Committee: Professor ——, chairman, and list rest in order of fields as far as possible. Be careful about titles (Professor, and Dr.). This must be signed by every member of the examining board.
For special: Full name, etc. Special field: —— Follow the fields for titles as listed in the pamphlet. Thesis: —— (Give full title as on bound thesis) Three people on special examination board.
Pro-seminar: Follow Department rules.
Check on write-off field. Bracket in red pencil.
After the examination: Chairman returns the papers, then write letter to Miss Gifford Priest in the Graduate School of Arta and Sciences.
Dear Miss Gifford Priest: I wish to report the following examinations for the degree of Ph.D. in Economies:
Robert Brown General for Economics May 26 Passed
(In case of failure — Failed, no bar to reexamination)
If Public Administration, write same letter to Miss Bourneuf Mrs. Bright Miss Hunter.
On back of Plan of Study put date of general examination, passed, and initials of Chairman of the committee.
Keep a check-list of examinations for the degree of Ph.D. in Economies 1941-42. Candidate’s name, date, board, grade, in red pencil, when reported to Miss Gifford Priest. If special comment say, “See comment” after grade.
[No longer since the new arrangement between Harvard and Radcliffe]
Radcliffe — report examination to Miss Davenport — same letter.
In account with Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts]
And also send a bill to the Business Office.
For serving on the general examination for the degree of Ph.D. in Economics of Miss Penelope C. Hartland, May 19, 1942,
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(On special the chairman gets $8.34; the others $8.33)
For a room call Miss Gilpatrick for a room in Longfellow.
Excuses from final examinations in courses. After December 1 (9½ wks out of 13 weeks of lectures) Jan. 5 and after April 1 May 11. (Will send copy of rule later)
If take general examination during your first year as graduate student here (1G) cannot be excused unless have a grade of good or better on the generals. Second year graduate students (2G) may be if pass the general with any grade in particular courses excused from usually pretty clear, — Courses in the fields in which examined. Ec. 117 Karl Marx — excused for Theory.
If a man passes the general for Ph.D. with a vote of 3 to 1 (if passed but did very poorly in one field) it is up to the committee to decide whether he must take the final examination in that course. Check with the committee.
Division rule for Committee of Seven (Chamberlin and Monroe from Economics). Recommendations for Ph.D. degrees sent by Committee of Seven probably. [Sent by Dept. to Dean Jones, 24 Univ. Hall and a carbon to Secretary of the Faculty, 5 Univ [?] Hall.]] If a man fails two examinations, either general or special, in order to have a third examination he has to have special permission from the Academic Board of the Graduate School and the Division Committee of Seven. The candidate petitions the Committee of Seven asking permission to come up for a third examination.
Make clear to candidate that he must check with this office to find out whether he is excused from final course examinations.
If a man fails once and comes up again, ask whether he wants the same board as far as possible. Most of time they request the same.
Special examinations: much the same. Due date on thesis December 1 Jan. 10 and April 1 May 8 and July 15 Sept. 8. Will accept on due date unbound. This year accepted unbound and sent to the Harvard Bindery and bill sent to the student care of the Department and then sent on. Harvard Bindery will call for it. If student has thesis in on due date, but has not corrected for typographical errors, or if chart is left out, or something, it has to go to reader as it was handed in, and then afterwards, before going to the Library, the candidate will be expected to fix it up. (Professor Taylor’s ruling.) Get theses out to readers as fast as they come in.
Readers: Every student expected to work with a particular man on a thesis. Ask student with whom he wrote the thesis. That person chairman of the examination. Second reader usually pretty obvious from material. In that case, where second reader not obvious, then consult the man with whom thesis was written. Then check with chairman of the Department.
Do not have to report on thesis until five days before the scheduled date of examination. Ask candidate when he wants the examination. Consult readers over the telephone are they willing, — The examination will be about May 29, — and then make arrangements for the examination as if it will be held, but tentative until have approval on the thesis. Check a week before to see if they will accept. Theses approval slip in front of thesis. Have both signatures on one slip. Paste in front of A copy before sending to Dean Mayo’s [Jones’] office.
Third reader: In the case where disagreement, pick a third reader — a person of some authority. If not passed, ask the men with whom the thesis was written to write candidate giving the reasons. If thesis is rejected keep one copy forever. Return B copy to the student.
Card file for every thesis that comes in. Author’s name, title, Note two copies of thesis, two copies of summary. Date thesis handed in. Date approved. A copy, reader. B copy, reader. Grade in special examination.
When get report on thesis write to student:
Dear Mr. ——
I am happy to inform you that your thesis for the Ph.D. degree in Economics has been approved by Professor —– and Professor —– and that the arrangements have been completed for your special examination. It is to be held on Monday, May 26, at 4 o’clock in Littauer M-10.
(Can tell student the readers. Do not tell him the third member of the board.)
Keep mimeographed list of examination committees for this year for reference.
Card for those who receive Ph.D. degrees for Division office.
Name
Degrees: Where, when
Economics — Special field
Thesis title: Readers:
Languages: Date passed
Generals Passed: (date)
Special Passed: (date)
Fields on general — committee — grade
Special field — committee — grade
Keep separate cards of those who have handed in theses and are yet to come up for special. Hold on to both copies of thesis.
Report results of special to Miss Gifford Priest. Do not let them accumulate.
On special fields of specials
On Plan of Study it will be noted. Let him know that it is approved for general fields only, and will be rechecked for special later.
By December 1 for degree at mid-years and January 15 for Commencement should file application for degree. Check special field with Plan of Study if special field disagrees it must be approved by Chairman.
For own protection:
Keep a sheet when they come in — name, address, special field (check with chairman), to Graduate School, and date signed when sent.
Applications for doctorate mid-year 1942
Name, address, Department, special field to Graduate School. If do not take it then, Miss Gifford Priest transfers forward to next list. When offer same field as on the general — Sometimes take an extra half hour on another field if decided by the Department, — special field and then other field too.
When do you have four on the special examination committee?
Recommendations for degrees through the Committee of Seven Department.
Check on residence at time of application. Two years (four terms) — 8 courses —
with at least one full year two full terms here. Check languages. Check write-off.
Check pro-seminar if used B+. Passed generals. Thesis approved. Special passed. Then send recommendations to Graduate School (they will notify of the date) and a carbon to Secretary of the Faculty.
[Now done by the Departments]
For Committee of Seven make up list of those who have completed all requirements or about to, and they will vote to recommend these men for the Ph.D. On list star those provided he passed the special examination. You will check, before sending to Dean Mayo.
Dear Dean Mayo:
The Division of History, Government and Economics, at its meeting of May 23, 1942 recommended the following students for the degree of Ph.D. in Economics at Commencement 1942:
List and star (provided that he satisfies his language requirements).
Sincerely yours,
E. H. Chamberlin
Send copy to Miss B. Woodward, University 5.
On theses handed in late Committee of Seven to decide whether they will accept it or not even if late. In any case can send it out for reading and give examination, but would not receive degree until next time.
A.E.A. thesis list. Send duplicated form to each of the men to find out who are writing theses. Faculty members for those who are working on theses under them. Get a copy of the August issue, pick out the titles of Harvard, and then write to Professor —— I find the following student writing his thesis under you. (Give title and name) Is this correct?
Send A + B copies of thesis to Graduate School just before voted the degree.
The B copy to Archives. Fill in on Plan of Study the date when degree was awarded — get from Gazette.
Source: Harvard University Archives. Department of Economics, Correspondence and Papers 1930-1961. Robertson —Schumpeter. Box 21, Folder “Rules for arranging Ph.D., Examinations 1941-42.”
Image Source: From the cover of Harvard Class Album 1946.