Paul Samuelson and Economics: Memorial Exhibit at Dewey Library

Paul Samuelson and Economics: Evolution of a Classic
A Memorial Exhibit: April 1 – May 6, 2010
Dewey Library (E53-100)

Good questions outrank easy answers.” Paul Samuelson

Paul Samuelson

Please join us for a memorial exhibit in honor of Institute Professor Emeritus Paul A. Samuelson, April 1 – May 6, 2010.

Samuelson was a defining figure of twentieth-century economics who both transformed many of the fundamentals of the discipline and shaped the department here at MIT.  He is widely recognized for increasing the rigor and use of mathematics in the discipline and for introducing Keynesian economics to a wider audience.  He received numerous awards over his lifetime, including the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics in 1970; and the National Medal of Science in 1996; and in 1947 the John Bates Clark Medal, the American Economic Association’s award for the best American economist under the age of 40.

Hosted by Dewey Library for Management and Social Sciences, the exhibit highlights the development of Samuelson’s influential textbook, Economics, the best-selling economics textbook of all time.   Over its nineteen editions, it has sold nearly four million copies and been translated into 40 languages.

The exhibit features books, archival documents, and photographs from the collections of Dewey Library; the Institute Archives; the MIT Museum; and Samuelson’s personal collection, courtesy of the Department of Economics.  Items include:

  • excerpts of editions of Economics containing Samuelson’s hand-written edits,
  • letters between Samuelson and past leaders of MIT concerning the textbook,
  • foreign-language translations of Economics,
  • photographs and archival documents commemorating his life and work,
  • and more.

Note: This exhibit is being held in coordination the upcoming memorial service for Paul A. Samuelson.

For more information contact: Katherine McNeill, Economics Librarian, 617-253-0787, mcneillh@mit.edu.