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The Review of Black Political Economy
Erschienen in: The Review of Black Political Economy 1-2/2017

31.05.2017

The Production of Black Ph.D.’s in Economics at Harvard University, 1905–1955

verfasst von: Samuel L. Myers Jr

Erschienen in: The Review of Black Political Economy | Ausgabe 1-2/2017

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Abstract

Harvard University’s Economics Department produced some of the leading African American economists between World War I and the Korean War. This essay explores the factors that contributed to this accomplishment and documents the career trajectories of the six blacks who obtained the Doctorate in Economics from Harvard University during the period 1905–1955. The analysis reveals the pivotal roles of the Rosenwald Fund, Classical High Schools, Black Fraternal Organizations and former University of Minnesota Applied Economics Professor, John D. Black. A common outcome of the careers of these six pioneers was a commitment to black economic empowerment.
Vorheriger Artikel Skin Tone and Self-Employment: is there an Intra-Group Variation among Blacks?

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Fußnoten
1
When Harvard adopted restrictive admissions policies to limit access to Jewish students, so did other elite schools. “Harvard again proved to be the trendsetter in higher education, as other elite institutions—including Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Dartmouth—altered admissions policies to decrease Jewish students’ enrollment during the 1920s and 1930s.” In essence, the actions of Harvard set precedents for other schools to follow (Greene 2011).
 
2
Quote from John Blackburn, Admissions Dean at the University of Virginia, “Whenever Harvard does anything, it’s more than a trickle down—there’s a major effect,” “When Harvard acts, it causes other people to say, ‘That’s the highest order of ethical behavior.’” (Powers 2006) See also Mulhere (2014) regarding possible changes in race-based admissions at Harvard.
 
3
Much like Robert Bishop’s “Bishop’s Lectures,” my father’s programmed textbook was never published but was widely circulated, copied and used by many generations of Morgan economics students, including Black Enterprise Magazine founder and publisher, Earl Graves. For more, see Feathers (2013); Myers (2003).
 
4
Samuel Myers, Jr. Interview with Samuel Myers, Sr. Interview transcript. March 2014.
 
5
Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, also known as the Boule, is the first Greek-letter fraternity to be founded by African American men. For more, see History of the Boulé.
 
6
Minority Access is a nonprofit organization committed to increasing diversity, decreasing disparities and reducing incidences of environmental injustices. The mission is to assist colleges and universities, the Federal Government and agencies of other governments and corporations in implementing programs and providing services to recruit, enhance and retain underserved and underrepresented populations. For more, see Improving diversity in education, employment and research.
 
7
Dubois completed his graduate studies in history in 1895. He was the first African American to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. For more, see NAACP History: W.E.B. Dubois.
 
8
Abram Lincoln Harris Jr. received his PhD in economics in 1930 from Columbia University. For more, see Abram Harris Born.
 
9
This method of identification clearly leaves open the possibility that there are African American graduates who were not counted. However, the main criterion for identification is census designation and/or recognition as black in the major African American media.
 
10
Seymour Harris received his Ph.D. from Harvard in 1926 and was the first tenured Jewish professor (Harris, Seymour Edwin, 1897–1974). Seymour Harris as first Jewish tenure professor in economics department (Seymour Edwin Harris, 1897–1975).
 
11
See Robert Weaver’s dissertation “The High Wage Theory of Prosperity,” in Wilson (2006).
 
12
President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed an unprecedented number of African Americans to high positions. By mid-1935, forty-five African Americans had positions in cabinet offices and New Deal agencies. In 1936, this group began calling itself the Federal Council on Negro Affairs. Although these leaders were not officially cabinet members, their role in advising the President on black employment, education, and civil rights issues led the press to refer to them as FDR’s “Black Cabinet.” Among them was Robert C. Weaver, who served as a Special Assistant to the Administrator of the United States Housing Authority (The Black Cabinet).
 
13
One of the most prominent articles that cites Dean’s dissertation is by Douglas C. North (1955).
 
14
Walter Isard is the founder of the field of regional science and one of the most prominent scholars in industrial location theory. He established the Journal of Regional Science and set up regional science departments at MIT and at the University of Pennsylvania, where the first Ph.D. was awarded to William Alonso for his seminal study of urban location and land use (see http://​www.​cerum.​umu.​se/​digitalAssets/​57/​57525_​isard-obituary.​pdf).
 
15
The discussion summarizing major focuses of Dean’s dissertation is from Ellison (1991).
 
16
Photograph by Rowe, Abbie (1961) AR6756-A. President John F. Kennedy Meets with Delegation from National Association of Intergroup Relations Officials (NAIRO) http://​www.​jfklibrary.​org/​Asset-Viewer/​Archives/​JFKWHP-1961-08-23-B.​aspx
 
18
Ibid.
 
19
Personal Interview with Margaret Simms, March 2014.
 
20
“Office of the Campus Principal.” The University of the West Indies. Accessed March 16, 2016. https://​sta.​uwi.​edu/​principal/​pastprincipals.​asp.
 
23
Jesse William Markham, Chief Economist, Federal Trade Commission and Professor at Harvard Business School; James Gray Maddox, US Department of Agriculture; Willis Duke Weatherford, Jr., President of Berea College, (1967–1984), Professor of Economics, Swarthmore (1948 until 1964), Dean, Carleton College (1965–1967).
 
24
I do not have data on persons enrolled in the Ph.D. who did not graduate. However, Myers’ contention is that about a third of his class never obtained the Ph.D. but he knows of no other African Americans who matriculated while he was there who did not complete their degrees.
 
25
Marcus Alexis was a member of Mu Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha at the University of Minnesota. Bernard Anderson, also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, was the chair of the social policy committee of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity for many years. He was a member of the Alpha Boulé in Philadelphia and active in Epsilon Boulé in Washington D.C .He served as Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Labor. Andrew Brimmer was also member of Epsilon Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi. Myers is a member of Gamma Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi, whose charter includes Mason Hawkins as one of its founders.
 
Literatur
Appiah A, Gates LH, editors. Africana: the encyclopedia of the African and African American experience. New York: Oxford University Press; 2005.
Beilke JR. The changing emphasis of the Rosenwald fellowship program, 1928–1948. J Negro Educ. Winter 1997;66(1):3–15.CrossRef
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Greene D. The Jewish origins of cultural pluralism: the menorah association and American diversity. Bloomington: Indiana University Press; 2011.
Harvard University. Quinquennial catalogue of the officers and graduates of Harvard University, 1636–1930. Cambridge: The University; 1930.
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Ripley WZ. The races of Europe; a sociological study (Lowell Institute lectures). New York: D. Appleton and Co.; 1899.
Ripley WZ. Main street and wall street. New York: Arno Press; 1929. 1973. ISBN 0405051093
Ripley WZ. Railway problems. (2 vols). Beard Books. 2000. ISBN 1587980754.
The University. Summaries of theses accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of doctor of philosophy. Cambridge: The University; 1939.
Trescott PB. Jingji xue: the history of the introduction of western economic ideas into China, 1850–1950. Hong Kong: Chinese University Press; 2007.
Usher, AP. A history of mechanical inventions: revised edition. Mineola: Dover Publications; 2011.
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Weaver RC. The high wage theory of prosperity. In Wilson, Francille Rusan, The segregated scholars: Black social scientists and the creation of Black labor studies, 1890-1950. Charlottesville, VA: University of Virginia Press; 2006.
Weaver RC. The urban complex: human values in urban life. Anchor Books: Doubleday; 1964.
Weaver RC. Dilemmas of urban America. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press; 1965.
Williamson ST. (1929, December 29). William Z Ripley—And Some Others New York Times p XX2.
Wilson FR. The segregated scholars: black social scientists and the creation of black labor studies, 1890–1950. Charlottesville and London: University of Virginia Press; 2006.
Metadaten
Titel
The Production of Black Ph.D.’s in Economics at Harvard University, 1905–1955
verfasst von
Samuel L. Myers Jr
Publikationsdatum
31.05.2017
Verlag
Springer US
Erschienen in
The Review of Black Political Economy / Ausgabe 1-2/2017
Print ISSN: 0034-6446
Elektronische ISSN: 1936-4814
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12114-017-9244-2

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