Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Teaching at Harvard

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Alvin Hansen

Part of the book series: Great Thinkers in Economics ((GTE))

  • 56 Accesses

Abstract

Hansen was the consummate teacher, his intellectual curiosity was easily communicated to students and colleagues alike. He was unafraid to display the limits of his understanding and thus to push the boundaries out together. He was said to be a breath of fresh air. Around the time of his arrival in Harvard, Hansen embraced the Keynesian ideas of which he had been so sceptical in his 1936 review. His and John Williams’ Fiscal Policy Seminar created a sense of intellectual excitement combined with social usefulness in terms of policy design. Galbraith described it as the “official” centre of Keynesian discussion at Harvard.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 129.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    See Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019).

  2. 2.

    See Colander and Landreth (1996), Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019), Samuelson (1988).

  3. 3.

    See Haberler (1976), Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019).

  4. 4.

    Galbraith in Colander and Landreth (1996: 138).

  5. 5.

    Harvard University (1939: 295).

  6. 6.

    ibid: 295.

  7. 7.

    See Harvard University (1938: 26–7).

  8. 8.

    Harvard University (1939: 294–5).

  9. 9.

    1939: 298.

  10. 10.

    Harvard Crimson (1938).

  11. 11.

    See Harvard Crimson (1940).

  12. 12.

    Harvard Crimson (1940).

  13. 13.

    Harvard University (1939: 293).

  14. 14.

    Harvard University (1940: 324).

  15. 15.

    See Berman (2022: 26–31).

  16. 16.

    See Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019).

  17. 17.

    Salant (1976: 16).

  18. 18.

    Harvard University (1941: 325).

  19. 19.

    See Domar in Colander and Landreth (1996: 183).

  20. 20.

    Salant (1998: 37).

  21. 21.

    See Salant (1976: 17, 1998: 34).

  22. 22.

    See http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-economics-hansen-and-williams-fiscal-seminar-1937-1944/

  23. 23.

    See Harvard University (1939: 308).

  24. 24.

    See Irwin Collier Economics in the Rear-View Mirror https://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-economics-chair-annual-reports-to-dean-1932-1941/

  25. 25.

    ibid.

  26. 26.

    Collier Ibid https://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-economics-chairmans-report-to-the-dean-harris-1956/

  27. 27.

    Professor Edward S. Mason (1899–1992) was Dean of the Graduate School of Public Administration (1947–1958) and president of the American Economic Association in 1962.

  28. 28.

    See Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019).

  29. 29.

    Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019) suggests this may be J. Douglas Brown.

  30. 30.

    Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson(2019).

  31. 31.

    Salant (1976: 19, 1998: 37).

  32. 32.

    Salant (1976: 17).

  33. 33.

    Salant (1976: 19–20).

  34. 34.

    Salant (1976: 20, 1998: 34).

  35. 35.

    1951/2 course outline in the Official Register .

  36. 36.

    Professors Crum and Black.

  37. 37.

    Harris (1945: v).

  38. 38.

    http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-graduate-economic-analysis-and-public-policy-hansen-and-slichter-1946-47/

  39. 39.

    Domar in Colander and Landreth (1996: 183–4).

  40. 40.

    This perhaps accounts for some of the misattributions that give Hansen as his supervisor.

  41. 41.

    http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-fiscal-seminar-bibliography-and-topics-williams-and-hansen-1946-47/

  42. 42.

    http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-graduate-money-and-banking-williams-and-hansen-1941-42/

  43. 43.

    http://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-undergraduate-economics-course-outline-and-exam-for-business-cycles-hansen-1948-49/

  44. 44.

    See https://www.irwincollier.com/harvard-course-outlines-and-reading-lists-business-cycles-and-economic-forecasting-haberler-hansen-1955-56/

  45. 45.

    Samuelson in Colander and Landreth (1996: 166).

  46. 46.

    Desmarais-Tremblay and Johnson (2019), Salant (1976).

  47. 47.

    Harvard Crimson (1938).

Bibliography

  • Hansen, A.H. (1941) Fiscal policy and business cycles New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, A.H. (1942h) ‘Postwar economic controls; fate of private enterprise hinges on successful postwar reconversion and full employment’ Chicago Journal of Commerce 31 Aug

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, A.H. (1945e) ‘Three methods of expansion through fiscal policy’, American Economic Review, Jun, Vol.35 No.3 pp.382–387. https://www.jstor.org/stable/1812604

  • Hansen, A.H. (1947a) Economic policy and full employment, New York, London: Whittlesey House, McGraw-Hill Book Company Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, A.H. (1951a) Business cycles and national income. New York: W.W. Norton & Company Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, A.H. & Clemence, R.V. (eds) (1953) Readings in business cycles and national income, New York: W.W. Norton & Company, London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

References

  • Berman, E.P. (2022) Thinking like an economist, how efficiency replaced equality in U.S. public policy. Princeton & Oxford: Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691226606

  • Colander, D.C. & Landreth, H. (eds.) (1996) The coming of Keynesianism to America, Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Desmarais-Tremblay, M. and Johnson, M. (2019), ““The fiscal policy seminar: its early stages” by Richard A. Musgrave”, Including a symposium on Robert Heilbroner at 100: Research in the History of Economic Thought and Methodology, 15 Oct., Vol. 37C pp. 147–179. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0743-41542019000037C007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilbert, R.V., Hildebrand, G.H. Jr.; Stuart, A.W., Sweezy, M.Y., Sweezy, P.M., Tarshis, L., & Wilson, J.D. (1938) An economic program for American democracy New York: Vanguard Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haberler, G. (1976) ‘Some reminiscences’ Quarterly Journal of Economics, Feb Vo.90 No.1 pp.9–13 https://doi.org/10.2307/1886081

  • Harris, S.E. (ed) (1945) Economic reconstruction New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvard Crimson (1938) ‘Cornerstone for Littauer center laid by founder’ Harvard Crimson May 11, 1938 https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1938/5/11/cornerstone-for-littauer-center-laid-by/

  • Harvard Crimson (1940) ‘Littauer school serves as center for social sciences’ Harvard Crimson 18 March 1940 https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1940/3/18/littauer-school-serves-as-center-for/?page=1

  • Harvard University (1938) ‘Report of the president of Harvard College and reports of departments for 1936–37’, Official Register of Harvard University Vol.XXXV No.4, Feb 18

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvard University (1939) ‘Report of the president of Harvard College and reports of departments for 1937–8’, Official Register of Harvard University Vol.XXXVI No.4, Feb 28

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvard University (1940) ‘Report of the president of Harvard College and reports of departments for 1938–9’, Official Register of Harvard University Vol.XXXVII No.12, March 30

    Google Scholar 

  • Harvard University (1941) ‘Report of the president of Harvard College and reports of departments for 1939–40’, Official Register of Harvard University Vol.XXXVIII No.20, April 10

    Google Scholar 

  • Marchionatti, R. (2021) Economic theory in the twentieth century, an intellectual history – volume II. London & Cham, Switzerland: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80987-4

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Salant, W.S. (1976) ‘Alvin Hansen and the fiscal policy seminar’ Quarterly Journal of Economics Feb., Vol.90 No.1 p.14–23 https://doi.org/10.2307/1886082

  • Salant, W.S. (1998) ‘Harvard’s fiscal policy seminar: the early years’ in Hamouda, O.F. & Price, B.B. (eds) Keynesianism and the Keynesian revolution in America. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar (From an original talk on 25 April 1988)

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P.A. (1980) ‘Lloyd Metzler memorial service’, Paul A Samuelson Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University: Box 53.

    Google Scholar 

  • Samuelson, P.A. (1988) ‘In the beginning’ Challenge July/August Vol.31 no.4 pp.32–34. https://doi.org/10.1080/05775132.1988.11471263

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Newbury, UK

    Robert J. Bigg

Authors
  1. Robert J. Bigg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2023 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Bigg, R.J. (2023). Teaching at Harvard. In: Alvin Hansen. Great Thinkers in Economics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42216-4_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-42216-4_9

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-42215-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-42216-4

  • eBook Packages: Economics and FinanceEconomics and Finance (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation