michael,
OK. Could be. The only year given in your
message was 1972. Did not realize it referred
to events much earlier. Ely's problems at the
University of Wisconsin were much earlier.
Barkley Rosser
-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 9:34 PM
Subject: [PEN-L:8706] Re: farewell to academe
>This happened in the 1920s. Ely died in 1943. I assume that it was the
>same Richard T. Ely.
>
>
>On Mon, Mar 05, 2001 at 08:26:54PM -0500, J. Barkley Rosser, Jr. wrote:
>> Hmmm, curious, and they are both Richard T.
>> Ely. Perhaps the one in this message is either a
>> descendant or a relative of the original "socialist"
>> Richard T. Ely, AEA founder. It does not sound
>> as if he shares the politics of the earlier one, however.
>> Barkley Rosser
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Michael Perelman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 6:54 PM
>> Subject: [PEN-L:8683] Re: Re: Re: farewell to academe
>>
>>
>> >Rodgers, William. 1972. Brown-out: The Power Crisis in America (NY:
Stein
>> >and Day).
>> >
>> > 80: Martin G. Glaeser, economics professor at Wisconsin State
University,
>> >had written a book called The Outlines of Public Utility Economics, only
to
>> >find that the Institute for Land Research and Public Utility Economics
at
>> >Northwestern University, which paid part 0f his salary, had been
receiving
>> >contributions from many utility corporations. He had thought, as he
>> >testified before the Federal Trade Commission, that only the NELA and a
>> >Milwaukee light company had put up money. Professor Glaeser, in some
>> >indignation, had rejected a suggestion of Dr. Richard T. Ely, director
of
>> >the institute, that authorship be shared with a public utility official,
>> >which under the circumstances was a reasonable idea. He fought for his
>> >integrity further by turning down a guaranteed purchase order from the
NELA
>> >of as many as 40,000 copies, with proceeds to go to the institute.
>> >
>> >Thanks to Peter and Louis for turning me on to this book.
>> >
>> >"J. Barkley Rosser, Jr." wrote:
>> >
>> >> Andrew's message is a useful reminder that
>> >> especially in economics there has been pretty
>> >> vigorous ideological enforcement most of the time
>> >> in the past, with perhaps the 1930s and 1960s being
>> >> rare windows of opportunity for more radical
>> >> professors to get into established US academia.
>> >> Not only did we have the McCarthyite purge of the
>> >> late 1940s and 1950s, but such restrictions hit earlier.
>> >> The AAUP and the institution of tenure arose largely
>> >> out of fights over the firing of radical economists in the
>> >> early 20th century. And, the University of Wisconsin
>> >> tried to fire the founder of the now thoroughly orthodox
>> >> American Economics Association, Richard Ely, for his
>> >> "socialist" views (support of workmens' comp, etc.), an
>> >> effort triggered by complaints from state legislators. He
>> >> did actually publish a book in 1894 entitled _Socialism
>> >> and Social Reform_. In that case the Board of Regents
>> >> eventually supported him and in its decision came up with
>> >> the phrase now much quoted there about how the search
>> >> for truth involves "sifting and winnowing."
>> >> I understand, however, that there is some kind of
>> >> different atmosphere on campus. Some of it is just a more
>> >> blatant careerism, although that has always been there.
>> >> Some of it is a more blatant kowtowing to external business
>> >> donors, exemplified by the new trend to naming buildings
>> >> after them (when was the last time you saw an academic
>> >> building named after a great thinker or historical figure?).
>> >> Some of it reflects the ongoing expansion of mindless
>> >> administrative bureaucracies.
>> >> Maybe this is one of those dialectical moments, where
>> >> a series of quantitative changes have led to a qualitative change.
>> >> Barkley Rosser
>> >> (still) Professor of Economics
>> >> James Madison University
>> >> Harrisonburg, VA 22807 USA
>> >> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >> http://cob.jmu.edu/rosserjb
>> >>
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: Andrew Hagen <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> >> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>> >> Date: Monday, March 05, 2001 9:57 AM
>> >> Subject: [PEN-L:8653] Re: farewell to academe
>> >>
>> >> >Best of luck to Michael Yates on his new life. The American academy
may
>> >> >have grown unpleasant, but we should remember that it has nearly
always
>> >> >been that way. The chief difference between 19th Century American
>> >> >university culture and today's is the different thinking styles, not
>> >> >the conclusions. Maybe we should see the crude but growing
conservatism
>> >> >amongst professional intellectuals, the never ending surge of
>> >> >Republican journalism, and the emerging ethos of spite and cynicism
as
>> >> >Derrida might: attempts at exorcising Marx's ghost. Or, maybe not. In
>> >> >any case, here's a good Gramsci quotation.
>> >> >
>> >> >"When one does not have the initiative in the struggle and the
struggle
>> >> >itself is ultimately identified with a series of defeats, mechanical
>> >> >determinism becomes a formidable power of moral resistance, of
cohesion
>> >> >and of patient and obstinate perseverance. "I am defeated for the
>> >> >moment but the nature of things is on my side in the long run," etc.
>> >> >Real will is disguised as an act of faith, a sure rationality of
>> >> >history, a primitive and empirical form of impassioned finalism which
>> >> >appear as a substitute for the predestination, providence etc., of
the
>> >> >confessional religions. We must insist on the fact that even in such
>> >> >cases there exists in reality a strong active will . . . . We must
>> >> >stress the fact that fatalism has only been a cover by the weak for
an
>> >> >active and real will. This is why it is always necessary to show the
>> >> >futility of mechanical determinism, which explicable as a na¡ve
>> >> >philosophy of the masses, becomes a cause of passivity, of imbecile
>> >> >self-sufficiency, when it is made into a reflective and coherent
>> >> >philosophy on the part of the intellectuals."
>> >> >
>> >> >Andrew Hagen
>> >> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >
>> >--
>> >
>> >Michael Perelman
>> >Economics Department
>> >California State University
>> >[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>> >Chico, CA 95929
>> >530-898-5321
>> >fax 530-898-5901
>> >
>> >
>>
>
>--
>Michael Perelman
>Economics Department
>California State University
>Chico, CA 95929
>
>Tel. 530-898-5321
>E-Mail [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
