Joseph Steiner papers, undated, 1927
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Summary
- Creator:
- Steiner, Joseph Lowenbach, 1907-2002, Economists' Papers Archive, and Foley, Duncan K.
- Abstract:
- Joseph Steiner was a Harvard graduate (class of 1928) who later founded Kenner Products, which distributed the Spirograph and the Easy-Bake Oven. This collection contains his 1927 course notes in economic history and theory, from lectures by F.W. Taussig and Joseph Schumpeter.
- Extent:
- 0.1 Linear Feet (1 folder and 1 volume)
- Language:
- Materials in English.
- Collection ID:
- RL.13081
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection consists of a notebook and loose notes created by Joseph Steiner during his college courses on economics at Harvard. The notebook contains Fall 1927 lecture and review notes from two lecturers, F.W. Taussig and Joseph Schumpeter. The loose notes are undated but appear to match Steiner's handwriting and also relate to theory and history of economics.
- Biographical / historical:
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Joseph Lowenbach Steiner (1907-2002) was a co-founder and marketing and sales executive at Kenner Products, a toy company whose products included the Spirograph, Easy-Bake Oven, and the Bubble Rocket. Steiner was born in Baltimore, grew up in Cincinnati, and attended Harvard University, where he received a bachelor's in economics in 1928. He and his brothers, Philip and Albert, co-founded the Par Beverage Co., Kenner Products, and Grandpa's Pine Tar Soaps, all based in Cincinnati. Steiner married Margorie Sellig in 1940, and had one son, John.
While a student at Harvard, Steiner took notes for economics course lectures from F.W. Taussig and Joseph Schumpeter. American economist Taussig (1859-1940) was a professor at Harvard who published on tariffs, free trade, and international trade. He also advocated for forced sterilization policies. European economist Schumpeter (1883-1950) was a professor at University of Bonn and spent the 1927-1928 year lecturing at Harvard. He later became a naturalized citizen, returned to Harvard as a professor (1932-1950), and published works on business cycles, entrepreneurship, and capitalism.
- Acquisition information:
- The Joseph Steiner Papers were received by the David M. Rubenstein Rare Book Manuscript Library as a gift in 2023. Materials were transferred into this separate collection from a 2023 accession of the Duncan Foley Papers.
- Processing information:
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Processed by Meghan Lyon, April 2024
Accessions described in this collection guide: 2023-0143
- Rules or conventions:
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Subjects
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Contents
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Collection is open for research.
- Terms of access:
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- Preferred citation:
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[Identification of item], Joseph Steiner Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.
- Permalink:
- https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/m1475t