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Summary
- Abstract:
- Gerhard Colm was a professor of economics at the New School for Social Research and an expert on public revenues, unemployment, and economic planning. He served as the Chief Economist of the National Planning Association and as a leading economic adviser for both the Roosevelt and Truman administrations.
- Extent:
- 2.0 cubic ft.
- Language:
- German , English .
- Preferred citation:
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Gerhard Colm Papers, 1929-1972. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Colm Papers).
Background
- Scope and Content:
The Gerhard Colm Papers, 1929-1972, (2 cu. ft.) have been divided into seven series: 1) Biographical materials; 2) Correspondence of Gerhard Colm, 1929-1967; 3) Hans Staudinger Correspondence,1969-1972; 4) Writings and publications of Gerhard Colm, 1930-1967; 5) Publications and papers prepared by Colm (or under his supervision) for the National Planning Association, 1952-1968; 6) Manuscripts by others; and 7) Miscellaneous materials.
The bulk of the collection consists of Colm's writings, both private publications (1930-1967) as well as those published under the auspices of the National Planning Association (1952-1968). Included in his writings for the National Planning Association are a number of pamphlets, his economic projections for the coming years, as well as his addresses to House and Senate Subcommittees on various fiscal matters. The collection contains only a small amount of correspondence to and from Colm (including Hans Staudinger), but also contains Staudinger's correspondence after Colm's death with various contemporaries to establish the Gerhard Colm Memorial Lecture Series at the New School for Social Research.
- Biographical / Historical:
Gerhard Colm was best known for his work as the Chief Economist of the National Planning Association and serving as a leading economic adviser for both the Roosevelt and Truman administrations.
Gerhard Colm was born on June 30, 1897 in Hannover, Germany to Emil and Olga Strassburger Colm. He received his doctorate in 1921 from the University of Freiburg and did post-graduate work at the University of Munich and the University of Berlin (1921-1922). Colm served as a statistician for the German government from 1921-1927, but left government service to enter academia as head of the research division of the Institute of World Economics at the University of Kiel from 1927-1933.
Colm's active participation in groups agitating against the Freikorps and other pro-Hitler organizations forced him to emigrate in 1933 to the United States as a refugee from Nazi Germany. Colm came to New York as one of the founding members of the University in Exile of the New School for Social Research, to which he was elected Dean of Exiled Scholars in 1938.
In 1939 Colm was named by Secretary of Commerce Harry L. Hopkins as Fiscal and Financial expert of the new industrial economics division of that department. In this capacity Colm developed national income estimates for economic planning. One year later Colm became principal fiscal analyst of the Bureau of the Budget and assistant chief of the division, a position he held until 1946. In addition, Colm lectured at George Washington University from 1940-1962 and served the U.S. government on many special economic missions to foreign countries. From 1946 to 1952 he was economist on the Council of Economic Advisors, Executive Office of the President. In 1952 Colm joined the private sector as Chief Economist for the National Planning Association, remaining in that position until his death. He died on December 26, 1968 in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
Colm was married twice, first to Hanna Nicolassen on September 11, 1922 until her death on March 21, 1965. They had four children, Peter, Ann, Stine and Claus. Colm married his second wife, Mascha Gilde on April 11, 1966.
Date Event 1897Born in Hamburg, Germany on June 30 to Emil and Olga (Strassburger) Colm1920Student at the University of Munich1921Received Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Freiburg1921-1923Advanced study at the University of Berlin1921-1927Economist with the Federal Statistical Bureau, Berlin, Germany1922Married on September 11 to Hanna Nicolassen1927-1933Instructor and then Professor of Economics at the University of Kiel, Institute of World Economics1933Emigrated to the United States with wife, Hanna Colm1938Publication with Fritz Lehmann of Economic Consequences of Recent American Tax Policy1933-1939Professor of Economics at the New School for Social Research1939Became naturalized U.S. citizen1939-1940Fiscal expert for the Department of Commerce, Washington, D.C.1940Co-author with Helen Tarasov of Who pays the Taxes?1940-1962Professorial lecturer at George Washington University1940-1946Chief fiscal analyst, Bureau of the Budget, Washington, D.C.1946Member of the Special mission of the American Military Government to Germany for preparation plan of financial reform1946-1952Economist on the Council of Economic Advisers, Executive Office of the President1952Co-authored with Marilyn Young American Economy in 19601952-1968Chief Economist of the National Planning Association1955Co-authored with Helen O. Nicol Essays in Public Finance and Fiscal Policy1958Co-authored with Theodor Gieger The Economy of the American People1961Received honorary doctorate from the University of Frankfurt1964Received honorary doctorate from the New School for Social Research, New York; recipient of the Bernard Harms Prize from the Institute of World Economists1965Death of wife, Hanna, on March 21 in Fairfax, Virginia1966Second marriage to Mascha Gilde on April 111968Died on December 25 in Chevy Chase, Maryland, survived by his widow Mascha Colm and four children, Peter, Anne, Stine and Claus- Acquisition information:
- All items in this manuscript group were donated to the University Libraries, M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, by Mrs. Mascha Colm in November 1982; other items pertaining to Prof. Colm were added to the collection from the Hans Staudinger Papers.
- Processing information:
Processed 2005 October 4 by Sandra Hunt Hawrylchak.
- Arrangement:
The collection is organized as follows:
- Series 1: Biographical materials
- Series 2: Correspondence of Gerhard Colm, 1929-1967
- Series 3: Hans Staudinger Correspondence, primarily concerning the Gerhard Colm Memorial Lecture series, 1969-1972
- Series 4: Writings and publications of Gerhard Colm, 1930-1967
- Series 5: Publications and papers prepared by Colm (or under his supervision) for the National Planning Association, 1952-1968
- Series 6: Manuscripts by others, mostly undated
- Series 7: Miscellaneous materials
- Physical location:
- The materials are located onsite in the department.
Contents
Access
Using These Materials
- ACCESS:
- The archives are open to the public and anyone is welcome to visit and view the collections.
- RESTRICTIONS:
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Access to this record group is unrestricted.
- TERMS OF ACCESS:
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The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of copyright. Whenever possible, the M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives will provide information about copyright owners and other restrictions, but the legal determination ultimately rests with the researcher. Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the Head of Special Collections and Archives.
- PREFERRED CITATION:
-
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Identification of specific item, series, box, folder, Gerhard Colm Papers, 1929-1972. M.E. Grenander Department of Special Collections and Archives, University Libraries, University at Albany, State University of New York (hereafter referred to as the Colm Papers).