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Walter E. Spahr Papers
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Held at: Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers [Contact Us]
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Princeton University Library: Public Policy Papers. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
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.
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.
The Papers have been arranged in two series:
Materials from the Biographical series of the Walter E. Spahr Papers were consulted during the preparation of the biographical note.
This collection was donated by Walter E. Spahr in August 1968.
This collection was processed by Adriane Hanson and Jessie Thompson in 2006. Finding aid written by Adriane Hanson in April 2006.
The materials separated from this collection include duplicate materials, publications, and syllabi and reading lists from his New York University classes.
People
Organization
Subject
- 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
Place
- Publisher
- Public Policy Papers
- Finding Aid Author
- Adriane Hanson
- Finding Aid Date
- 2006
- Sponsor
- 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.
- Access Restrictions
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The collection is open for research use.
- Use Restrictions
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Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. For quotations that are fair use as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission to cite or publish is required. For those few instances beyond fair use, researchers are responsible for determining who may hold the copyright and obtaining approval from them. Researchers do not need anything further from the Mudd Library to move forward with their use.
Collection Inventory
The Biographical series includes biographical sketches, photographs, and Spahr's resume, as well as materials from his participation in economics organizations and his correspondence with the University of Oregon concerning the possible donation of his papers to that institution.
Arranged alphabetically by document type.
Physical Description1 box
1 folder
(Concerning the donation of his papers.)
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
(At events and portraits.)
Physical Description1 folder
1 folder
The majority of the Writings series is composed of articles and speeches written by Spahr and includes copies of the articles or speeches, as well as related correspondence and event materials. In a few instances, folders only contain correspondence about a particular speech with no copy of the address itself. The subjects Spahr addressed in his writings include United States government fiscal policies and proposed bills, the gold standard, the value of the dollar, inflation, the monetary and economic situation of the United States, and business and employment. The series also contains bibliographies, newspaper columns by Spahr, reviews, and papers related to the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.
Arranged alphabetically by document type. Articles and speeches are arranged chronologically.
Physical Description8 boxes
4 boxes
(Bankers Publishing Company, New York. Chapters 9 and 13.)
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( Bankers Magazine.)
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( Magazine of Wall Street.)
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(Institute of Business, New York University.)
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( The Indiana Farmers Guide.)
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( The Scientific Monthly. )
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( American Bankers Association Journal.)
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( American Bankers Association Journal.)
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( American Bankers Association Journal.)
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( Banking: Journal of the American Bankers Association.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Banking: Journal of the American Bankers Association.)
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( American Banker and testimony before the United States Senate Committee on the Thomas Bill.)
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( The Economist.)
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( Literary Digest.)
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1 folder
( The New York Sun.)
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( Literary Digest.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Literary Digest.)
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( The Annalist.)
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( The Annalist.)
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( The United States News.)
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( The Patman Bill H. R. 7230: Opinions of 36 Members of the Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy)
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( Tomorrow in the Making.)
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( The United States News.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Adcrafter.)
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(Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.)
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(Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.)
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( Newsweek.)
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( The Manufacturers' Journal.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Credit Executive.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Credit Executive.)
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( The United States News.)
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( The New York Times.)
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( The Great Lakes Banker.)
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( Young Republican.)
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( The New York Times.)
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( New York American Journal.)
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( Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph.)
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(Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.)
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( Guide.)
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( The New York Sun.)
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( The New York Journal-American.)
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( The Economist.)
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( The Watch Dog.)
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1 folder
( Controller.)
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1 folder
( The United States News.)
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1 folder
( The United States News.)
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( The United States News.)
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( Controller.)
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( The United States News.)
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1 folder
(Economists' National Committee on Monetary Policy.)
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1 folder
( The Commercial and Financial Chronicle.)
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1 folder
( Manufacturers' Record.)
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( Financial World )
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4 boxes
(New York University.)
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1 folder
(New York YWCA.)
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(Carnegie Hall.)
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(WEVD Radio, Debate with H. E. Barnes.)
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(WEVD Radio.)
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(Lion's Club of Mamoroneck.)
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(WEVD Radio.)
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(WEVD Radio.)
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(American Institute of Banking of Binghampton New York.)
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(Women's National Republican Club.)
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(WEVD Radio.)
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(WABC Radio, New York Kiwanis Club.)
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1 folder
(WEAF Radio.)
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(NBC Blue Network Radio WJZ.)
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(Alexander Forum Fountain.)
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(Eastern Supply Association.)
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(WABC Radio.)
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(National Economy League, WABC Radio.)
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(Women's National Republican Club.)
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(School of Business Education, Russell Sage College, Troy, NY.)
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1 folder
(Pace Institute.)
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(California Bankers' Association, Pasadena, CA.)
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(Earlham College Commencement, Richmond, Indiana.)
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(Earlham College.)
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(WMCA Radio.)
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( Vital Speeches of the Day.)
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(The Thrift and Security Foundation.)
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(American Institute of Banking, New York Chapter.)
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(Middlesex-Somerset-Union Bankers' Association, Summit, NJ.)
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(The House of Representatives Banking and Currency Committee.)
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(United States Gypsum Company.)
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(Young Women's School of Political Science, Women's National Republican Club.)
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1 folder
(Muskingham College, New Concord, Ohio.)
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(Republican Program Committee Round Table Conference, Northwestern University.)
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1 folder
(American Legion, Scarsdale, NY.)
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(New England Town Hall, Boston, Radio.)
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(New York Society of Security Analysts.)
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(Nassau County Bankers.)
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1 folder
(Annual Economics Conference for Engineers.)
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(Braman Fund Committee, Dartmouth College.)
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1 folder
(New York Board of Trade.)
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(Women's National Republican Club.)
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1 folder
(Illinois Manufacturers' Cost Association.)
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1 folder
(Braman Forum.)
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1 folder
(Wake Up America! WJZ Radio.)
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(Graduate School of Business Administration, Alumni Association, NYU.)
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(Greenwich Village Historical Society.)
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(Commonwealth Club, Cincinnati.)
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1 folder
(National Industrial Conference Board.)
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(National Industrial Conference Board.)
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