In preparing this post I found myself pursuing the c.v. of Thomas Nixon Carver’s teaching assistant in 1911-12, Arnold Warburton Lahee. Turns out that Lahee switched careers at age fifty, becoming a landscape painter en plein air. His path to the completion of the requirements for the economics PhD at Harvard was long (about 22 years between his A.B. and PhD) due to work-(PhD) life balance issues.
Carver’s course content can be gleaned from the final examination questions at the end of the post.
Links to previous Harvard exams on distribution
1904-05 to 1910-11.
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Meet the Course Teaching Assistant
Arnold Warburton Lahee (1888-1976)
Arnold Warburton Lahee.
General Examination Passed, February 1914
General Examination in Economics, Wednesday, February 25, 1914.
Committee: Professors Bullock (chairman), Taussig, Gay, Ripley, Anderson, and R. B. Perry.
Academic History: Harvard College, 1907-11; Harvard Graduate School, 1911-12, 1913—. A.B., Harvard, 1911; A.M. ibid., 1912. Assistant in Economics, Harvard, 1911-12; Professor of Economics, University of Vermont, 1912-13.
General Subjects: 1. Economic Theory and its History. 2. Economic History since 1750. 3. Sociology. 4. Statistics. 5. Public Finance. 6. Philosophy.
Special Subject: Public Finance.
Thesis Subject: “Municipal Expenditures in Massachusetts.”
Source: Harvard University Archives. Harvard University, Examinations for the Ph.D. (HUC 7000.70), Folder “Examinations for the Ph.D., 1913-14”
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ARNOLD WARBURTON LAHEE
From the 10th year report Class of 1911.
Born at Hingham, Mass., May 7, 1888.
Parents: Henry Charles Lahee, Selina Ida Mary Long.
School: Cambridge Latin School, Cambridge, Mass.
Degrees: A.Β. 1911; Μ.Α. 1912.
Married: Gladys Hughes Livermore, Cambridge, Mass., Dec. 21, 1914.
Child: Katharine Livermore, Dec. 11, 1915.
Occupation: Economist.
Address: (Home) 28 Hamilton Road, Glen Ridge, N. J. (Bus.) Mechanics & Metals Nat’l Bank, 20 Nassau St., New York, N.Y.THE first four years after graduation I spent in study and teaching: 1911-1912, I obtained my M.A. at Harvard; 1912-1913, I taught at the University of Vermont; 1912-1913, passed my general examinations for Ph.D. (February) and started to prepare for finals, specializing in public finance; and 1914-1915, taught at the Carnegie Institute of Technology, Pittsburgh. I then turned to active economic investigation, spending two years in the New York Bureau of Municipal Research. During this time I was employed in connection with the New York City Central Purchasing Commission, the New York State Senate Committee investigation of the Civil Service, and a study of the New York City Budget system under the Mitchell administration.
When the United States entered the War, I found that, in spite of Plattsburgh training (summer of 1916), deficient eye-sight disqualified me for active service. After joining for a while in the promotion of the Patriotic Service League in New York and Boston, and spending three or four months with the New Jersey State Chamber of Commerce, I seized the first opportunity to go to Washington, with the U.S. Tariff Commission. Shortly after my arrival, however, the War Trade Board requested my services and I entered the Bureau of Research as special economist on the Central Powers. After the Armistice, the State Department persuaded me to continue my work in the office of the Foreign Trade Advisor, but in June 1919 I accepted an attractive offer of the Mechanics and Metals National Bank, where I am now located in charge of its Department of Foreign Trade Extension.
Everyone has his pet regret. Mine is that in college I worked my way through on scholarship instead of being satisfied with Bs and Cs, spending more time in college activities, and earning my way through drudgery and hard knocks — but real experience (e.g., canvassing, etc.). Better to take more time, perhaps, but build up a broad foundation of practical experience and valuable friendships. Scholarship is only one factor out of several in the secret of success.
Source: Decennial Report of the Secretary of the Harvard Class of 1911 (1921), pp. 241-242.
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Lahee’s Book
Arnold W. Lahee. Consultant on Foreign Markets; Former Head of the Department of Foreign Trade Extension of the Mechanics and Metals, National Bank of New York. Our Competitors and Markets: An Introduction to Foreign Trade. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1924.
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From Charles H. Haskins 1 Apr 1924 letter to Frank W. Taussig: “Lahee’s first thesis on the New York City Budget was turned down [by Bullock, Day and Munro] some years ago [1917], and this work [Note: his book Our Competitors and Markets (1924)] has been done more or less commercially without the supervision of any member of the Department.”
The thesis was approved by Young, Williams and Copeland in April 1924. He failed his Special Examination on June 4, 1924. He passed his second try on October 11, 1932 (Examined by Taussig, Williams and Harris). Frank W. Taussig was the committee chairman for both examinations.
Source: Harvard University Archives. PhD Candidates Receiving Degrees in 1933 A-Z. Box 13. Folder “A. W. Lahee”.
Lahee Submitted his Book for his PhD Thesis
ARNOLD WARBURTON LAHEE, A.B. 1911, A.M. 1912. Subject, Economics. Special Field, International Relations. Thesis, “Our Competitors and Markets.” 72 High Street, Glen Ridge, N.J. [Degree awarded in February 1933]
Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1932-1933, p. 127.
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Lahee Becomes a Painter
The Times-Argus. Barre-Montpelier, Vt. (July 23, 1969), p. 23.
Agile And Artistic At 81
Dr. Lahee Bound To Climb The Hump
By STEVE McLEOD
NORTHFIELD — Dr. Arnold Lahee of Winch View Road, Northfield, is 81 but he doesn’t believe it. He will admit that climbing Camel’s Hump with art equipment on his back is becoming difficult now, but in the same breath he vows “I’m going to get to the top of Camel’s Hump this year or bust.”
Dr. Lahee combines a knowledge and appreciation of the outdoors with considerable artistic talent and an unusual painting style to produce some excellent landscape paintings.
His paintings have been exhibited in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., in Europe and in several art museums around the United States. Currently he has a revolving exhibit at the Northfield Savings Bank and a thirty-six painting exhibit at the Chittenden Trust Co. in Burlington. The State Capitol dining room and Vermont Technical College are among other Vermont locations where his work has been exhibited.
Dr. Lahee, an economist by profession, has received several awards in connection with his artistic ventures, including most recently the Tercentennial Medallion from the A.A.P.L. when he retired as president “for the promotion of American Art during his administration.”
He did not begin painting until he was 50 and he began then only through “pure chance and three lucky circumstances.”
An underexposed picture provided the spark for his preliminary artistic ambition. His first paintings were on photos. This practice is frowned upon in artistic circles, but Dr. Lahee is glad he started in that fashion.
The second lucky circumstance occurred when he found some oil paints in the home of his deceased aunt.
After he produced a number of paintings with the oil paints, he became acquainted with an art photographer when — not saying that the photographer was an expert — he offered to show him how to take better pictures. The photographer belonged to an art club of some kind, and invited Dr. Lahee to display his paintings to the club where they were well-received.
Finally, the Wagner Act “threw me [Dr. Lahee] out of a job and I went to art class.” The class sealed the marriage between Dr. Lahee and painting. Once he had begun painting, Dr. Lahee wished that he had started years earlier.
He said that he did pretty well in grammar school art other than that; he had never noticed that he had any artistic talent until after he returned to painting.
The only other time Dr. Lahee thought of taking up painting before he was 50 was when he briefly considered entering the field of illustrated advertising.
“I started with the idea that portrait painting required more skill than landscape painting,” said Dr. Lahee, “and I was going into painting portraits but a few bad experiences switched me to landscape painting.”
The bad experiences involved people who requested portraits and later tried to keep them without paying Dr. Lahee.
“I still have those paintings in the cellar,” chuckled the hearty Northfield resident.
“Incidents like those sicken me so and I love nature and camping so I turned away from doing people,” explained Dr. Lahee.
Dr. Lahee still etches portraits occasionally, but the majority of his work is of the landscape variety.
He admires all aspects of nature. Recently, he has been fascinated by the beauty of clouds and is intent on capturing that beauty on his easel soon as possible.
“I’m frustrated up here because there are so many chores,” he says. “I keep vowing that I’m going to make a painting of the clouds but by the time I get my paints out the formations have moved.”
Dr. Lahee has rigged up a knapsack in such a way that his art equipment, easel and all fits in it.
Thus, he paints many of his landscapes from unusual vantage points from deep within nature’s kingdom, instead of painting them as a detached observer. His painting acquires a rugged naturalness through the use of these vantage points.
Would you believe Dr. Lahee is a radical? In the art world, he is anyway. Instead of using a brush for his landscapes, he uses a knife.
“With a brush you can paint every twig and leaf,” he explains. “With a pallet knife you just slap it on. It gives you a freedom and a thrill, I don’t know many who do that but that doesn’t matter.”
When asked if he considered himself a commercial painter, Dr. Lahee chuckled, “I paint mostly for my own pleasure. I’d starve if I had to rely on painting for my livelihood.”
He added that he also enjoys activities that complement painting, such as art demonstrations for ladies’ clubs and the like.
However, he has sold several paintings. Selling a painting which he deeply admires gives him mixed feelings.
“Sometimes it hurts me that they’re gone,” he says. “I painted one with a lot of memory and people wanted to purchase it so I let it go and have been kicking myself ever since. Later I had another that was saturated with memory and I turned down an offer for that one.
“At the same time it gives me a kick to get offers for my favorite paintings, though, because then I know people like what I like.”
Dr. Lahee can’t choose a standout painting from his collection.
“Oh I like some better than others,” he reminisced, “but I like several for different reasons. Almost every painting I make relates to an incident in my life and each evokes its own beautiful memories. And I don’t think I could judge the quality of my individual paintings any way.”
Dr. Lahee lives with his wife, Gladys, in a ranch home nestled among several trees high above the Northfield valley. Their only child, Katherine, lives next door.
“We’ve been married only about 51 years,” says Dr. Lahee, “or maybe it’s more, I don’t know. It could be 54 years.”
When you’re climbing mountains, camping and painting at age 81, a few years don’t make much difference.
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Course Description
1911-12
14a1hf. The Distribution of Wealth. Half-course (first half-year). Tu., Th., at 1.30. Professor Carver. (XIV)
This course begins with an analysis of the theory of value. The attempt is then made to formulate a positive theory of distribution helpful in explaining the actual incomes of the various classes of producers. Finally the question of justice in distribution is considered. This course is open only to students who have passed in Economics 1.
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Course Enrollment
1911-12
Economics 14a 1hf. Professor Carver, assisted by Mr. A. W. Lahee. — The Distribution of Wealth.
Total 94: 6 Graduates, 32 Seniors, 40 Juniors, 11 Sophomores, 1 Freshman, 4 Others.
Source: Harvard University. Report of the President of Harvard College, 1911-1912, p. 63.
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ECONOMICS 14a
Mid-year Final Examination
1911-12
Read all the questions carefully before beginning to answer any of them.
- Is there any reason to expect that the means of satisfying human desires should always exist in just the right proportions to satisfy those desires? What bearing does your answer to the above question have upon the problem of value?
- Is there any reason to expect that the supply of the various kinds of human talent should always be proportionate to the need for them? What bearing does your answer to this question have upon the problem of wages?
- Is there any reason to expect that the supply of other factors of production should always be proportionate to the need for them? What bearing does your answer to this question have upon the problem of rent and interest?
- Why does the value of a consumable article tend, other things equal, to fall as its supply increases?
- Why does the value of a productive agent tend, other things equal, to fall as its supply increases?
- What is the effect on the value of a given productive agent when the supply of other productive agents increases, other things equal? Why?
- Is there any connection between such terms as “non-competing groups” “supplementary goods,” and “wages fund”?
- How would you distinguish between diminishing returns from land and the economy of large scale production?
Source: Harvard University Archives. Harvard University — Examination papers, 1873-1915. Box 6. Bound volume, Examination Papers, 1912. Harvard University Examinations. Papers Set For Examinations in History, History of Science, Government, Economics […], p. 57.
From earlier semesters
1904-05
1905-06
1907-08
1908-09
1909-10
1910-11
’The course content is undoubtedly captured in Carver’s 1904 book The Distribution of Wealth which was reprinted several times during his lifetime.
Image Source: 1964 painting by Arnold W. Lahee (Harvard PhD, 1933).