Oxford University Press will publish Don Katzner’s, To the Edge of Camelot: A History of the Economics Department at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, 1965-1981. The book is expected to appear towards the end of 2011.
The book covers the period of time in which the Economics Department first rose from obscurity to become, for a brief moment, a significant, traditionally oriented department with a future Nobel Laureate and a future President of the University of Chicago.
But, very quickly, this highly visible faculty dissolved and was replaced, also very quickly, by an even more visible group of radical political economists. Contrary to what one might have expected, the latter replacement took place at a public university during the height of the Cold War when the fear of communism and the Soviet Union was palpable throughout the country. It also added to the tensions that had been present in the department since the years of traditional orientation. These tensions were subsequently overcome, however, and the atmosphere in the Economics Department evolved into an exciting, stimulating and interesting intellectual environment.
One reply on “Katzner’s book to be published by Oxford University Press”
Interesting that the title now says 1965-1981. I don’t remember that detail in the rough draft that was circulated for comments. And I do remember topics that were relevant to years after that period. For example, the elimination of the clause that stated that a certain % of faculty had to be “radical” (i think it was 1991 when this happened). Is that still in the book?