Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen papers, 1930-1994

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Summary

Creator:
Georgescu-Roegen, Nicholas
Abstract:
Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen (1906-1994) was a professor emeritus of economics at Vanderbilt University. This collection primarily documents his professonal life through his correspondence, writings, research, and professional and faculty activities. It forms part of the Economists' Papers Archive.
Extent:
46.5 Linear Feet (31 boxes.)
Language:
Material in English, Romanian, German, Japanese, French, Italian.
Collection ID:
RL.00442

Background

Scope and content:

The bulk of the collection consists of Georgescu-Roegen's writings and lectures, correspondence, research and subject files, audiovisual recordings, and engagement files. Most materials date from the 1960s-1980s and relate to his professional life as a professor at Vanderbilt University. Notable correspondents include Joseph Schumpter, Friedrich von Hayek, Paul Samuelson, and other preeminent economists. Georgescu-Roegen's work as editor for Econometrica and his extensive writings on entropy and utility are also represented in the collection. A small portion of materials date from his administrative work as a Romanian official. Typed transcripts and other documents reveal details concerning political conditions in Romania during the period of the provisional government and the Armistice trials following World War II. During this period, he served the new government in various capacities before he fled the country with his wife in 1948.

Biographical / historical:

Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen (1906-1994) was a white Romanian-American academic economist who was born in Constantsa, Romania. He studied mathematics at the University of Bucharest and graduated in 1926. He earned his doctorate in statistics from the Sorbonne in 1930 and become a professor of statistics at the University of Bucharest. He spent 1934-1936 at Harvard University, and worked with Joseph Schumpeter and Wassily Leontif. Their research influenced Georgescu-Roegen's work in mathematical economics. Although Schumpeter invited Georgescu-Roegen to stay at Harvard, he returned to Romania in 1934 as both a professor and government official (working several positions, including as the head of the Romanian Armistice Commission) until the Communist revolution in 1948 forced him and his wife, Otilia, to flee the country. The couple made their way back to the United States in 1949, where he joined the economics faculty at Vanderbilt University.

He had widespread economic interests, but is especially noted as a pioneer of bioeconomics, also referred to as evolutionary or ecological economics. His research and writings apply the entropy law of thermodynamics to economical activity in markets and society.

Acquisition information:
The Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library as gifts in 1995 and 2000.
Processing information:

Preliminarily processed at level 2 by Paula Jeannet and Alice Poffinberger, 1997 and 2001.

Reprocessed at level 3 by Adam Leeds and Meghan Lyon, September 2015.

Accessions described in this collection guide: the original 1995 accession and 2000-0425.

Arrangement:

The Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen papers are arranged into nine series: Writings, Econometric/Econometric Society, Biographical, Teaching, Romania, Research, Engagements, Writings by Others, and Correspondence.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Contents

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Restrictions:

Access note. Some materials in this collection are fragile audiovisual/photographic formats that may need to be reformatted before use. Contact Research Services for access.

Terms of access:

The copyright interests in this collection have not been transferred to Duke University. For more information, consult the Rubenstein Library's Citations, Permissions, and Copyright guide.

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Preferred citation:

[Identification of item], Nicholas Georgescu-Roegen papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Duke University.

Permalink:
https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1rp7n