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Collection Overview

Creator:
Spahr, Walter Earl, 1891-
Title:
Walter E. Spahr Papers
Repository:
Public Policy Papers
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/6t053f98q
Dates:
1923-1966 (mostly 1930-1950)
Size:
8 boxes and 2 items
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-8
Language:
English

Abstract

Walter E. Spahr (1891-1970) was a professor of economics at New York University who was a strong supporter of the gold standard. Spahr was a founding member and officer of the Economists' National Committee for Monetary Policy, which advocated for sound monetary policies for the United States. Spahr's papers document his scholarship and include his writings and related correspondence.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

Spahr's papers document his scholarship and include his writings and related correspondence. The subjects of his writings include the gold standard, United States monetary policies and economic conditions, inflation, and business and employment. The papers also include a small amount of biographical material and papers from his work with the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.

Please see the series descriptions in the contents list for additional information about individual series.

Arrangement

The Papers have been arranged in two series:

Collection Creator Biography:

Spahr, Walter Earl, 1891-

Walter E. Spahr (1891-1970) was a professor of economics at New York University who was a strong supporter of the gold standard. Spahr was a founding member and officer of the Economists' National Committee for Monetary Policy, which advocated for sound monetary policies for the United States. He also served as a consultant to industry, banks, organizations, and members of Congress.

Walter Earl Spahr was born on June 27, 1891 in Centerville, Indiana to Isaac and Thursa Spahr. He married Beulah Evelyn Lowry from Washington, Pennsylvania on August 25, 1920. They had three children: Carol (Bogdassarian), Kenneth, and Jean (Segatto). Spahr earned his A.B. in history from Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana in 1914 and then taught as an instructor in history at Pacific College in Newberg, Oregon from 1914 to 1915. He studied at the University of California, Berkeley in the summer of 1915 before taking a job as instructor of economic history at Manual Training High School in Indianapolis from 1915 to 1916. He enrolled in graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, while also working as assistant instructor in political science, from 1916 to 1917. He received his M.A. in government in 1917 and then was drafted into the United States army. Spahr served from 1917 to 1918 at Camp Taylor, Kentucky in a training battalion as battalion clerk and instructor in charge of army paper work at the division school. Spahr was discharged with the rank of sergeant.

Following his military service, Spahr returned to teaching. He was professor of political science and history, and head of the Department of History and Government, at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio from 1918 to 1919. In the summer of 1919, he pursued graduate study in the field of economics at Columbia before becoming an instructor of economics at Dartmouth from 1919 to 1920. He returned to Columbia in 1920, where he was instructor of economics from 1920 to 1923 while studying for his Ph.D. in economics, which he received in 1925. Spahr also began teaching on the faculty of the New York City Chapter of the American Institute of Banking in 1920 as an instructor in economics, money, and banking. He continued teaching there until 1928.

Spahr began his career at New York University as assistant professor of economics in 1923 and was promoted to associate professor of economics in 1926. In 1927, he became associate professor of money and banking and acting chairman of the Department of Economics. He also taught for a semester at Princeton University that year as a visiting associate professor of public finance. He became a full professor of economics and chairman of the Department of Economics at New York University in 1928, holding both positions until he retired professor emeritus in 1956.

In addition to his academic career, Spahr was a founder of the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy (hereafter "the Committee") in 1933 and remained the driving force behind the Committee for the rest of his life. The Committee was formed in opposition to the United States government's New Deal monetary policies and campaigned for a return to the gold standard and limits on inflation. The Committee sought to educate the public and United States government on the monetary issues facing the country and members frequently testified before Congress. Spahr served as Secretary-Treasurer (1933-1945) and as Executive Vice President and Treasurer (1946-1970) of the Committee. Spahr was also the editor and author of Monetary Notes (1940-1970), the Committee's monthly newsletter that was sent to Congress, leading Federal administrators, and major newspapers and radio commentators. The Committee continued its work until 1970, when it was dissolved after Spahr's death.

Spahr also served as a consultant and conducted research studies on economics issues for industry, banks, organizations, and members of Congress. He represented state chambers of commerce before Congress, conducted studies for the munitions industry, and consulted for members of both political parties of both houses of Congress. He was director and economist for the New York Air Brake Company, trustee of the Tax Foundation of New York, and director of the Citizen's National Committee.

Spahr was a prolific author and speaker, with the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy publishing many of his works. He was also published in academic journals and utilized newspapers and radio to reach the American people. He criticized the New Deal, advocated for the gold standard, and argued for policies that minimized government interference in business. Spahr was a member of the Stable Money Association, the Money and Banking Committee of the Commerce and Industry Association in New York, the American Economics Association, the American Academy of Political and Social Science, and the American Statistics Association. He was awarded the Alvin T. Simonds Economic Prize from the Simonds Saw & Steel Company in 1929, the Master Prophecy Award from Newsweek magazine in 1939, and the Freedom Foundation award in 1949. Spahr died on January 19, 1970.

Collection History

Acquisition:

This collection was donated by Walter E. Spahr in August 1968 .

Appraisal

The materials separated from this collection include duplicate materials, publications, and syllabi and reading lists from his New York University classes.

Sponsorship:

These papers were processed with the generous support of the National Historical Publications and Records Commission and the John Foster and Janet Avery Dulles Fund.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson and Jessie Thompson in 2006. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in April 2006.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

Walter E. Spahr Papers; Public Policy Papers, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/6t053f98q
Location:
Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library
65 Olden Street
Princeton, NJ 08540, USA
(609) 258-6345
Storage Note:
  • Mudd Manuscript Library (scamudd): Box 1-8

Find More

Related Materials

This collection is part of a group of 28 Mudd Manuscript Library collections related to 20th century economic thought and development which were processed as part of a National Historical Publications and Records Commission funded project. Researchers wishing to access these collections should search for the subject "Economics--20th century" or related terms in the Princeton University Library Main Catalog. Collections at the Mudd Manuscript Library of particular relevance to the Walter E. Spahr Papers are the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy Records and the papers of two other members of the Committee, Edwin W. Kemmerer and John E. Rovensky.

Bibliography

Materials from the Biographical series of the Walter E. Spahr Papers were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note.

Subject Terms:
Banks and banking -- United States.
Currency question -- United States.
Economics -- 20th century.
Economists -- United States.
Gold standard -- United States.
Inflation (Finance) -- United States.
Monetary Policy -- United States.
Genre Terms:
Articles.
Correspondence
Speeches.
Names:
Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy (U.S.)
Spahr, Walter Earl, 1891-
Places:
United States -- Economic conditions -- 1918-1945.