Research Guides: Economics Collections at the Mudd Manuscript Library: Economic Development

Economic Development

The majority of the collections are the papers of individuals, and the records of the Development & Resources Corporation, who served as advisors to the governments of nations around the world and in regions of the United States. Many of the advisors focused on the development of natural resources, as well as overall economic development.

Two of the collections, the records of Women’s World Banking and the papers of Margaret C. Snyder, focus on economic development as it pertains to women. Two other collections, the papers of Robert Ross, formerly of the Adela Investment Company, and Makoto Yasuda, formerly of the Private Investment Company for Asia, pertain to economic investment and development in countries with developing or fast-growing economies. The collections also include the papers of two important scholars in the field of economic development, Albert O. Hirschman, who particularly studied Latin America, and Sir W. Arthur Lewis, an authority on the process of economic development in developing countries.

Relevant Collections

Albert O. Hirschman Papers, 1900-2008 (mostly 1950-2000)
Albert O. Hirschman (1915-2012 ) was a leading scholar in the field of economic development whose work focused on Latin America but encompassed the globe. He was a professor at Yale, Columbia, Harvard, and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey. Hirschman's papers document his scholarship on economic development and his academic career and include his correspondence written while he was at the Institute for Advanced Study, his writings, and his research notes and materials, especially related to his work in Latin America and for the World Bank.
David E. Lilienthal Papers, 1900-1981 (mostly 1950-1981)
David Lilienthal served on the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (1923-1932), as a member of the board of directors (1933-1941) and then chairman (1941-1946) of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), as first chairman (1946-1950) of the Atomic Energy Commission, and, later, in private business as an industrial consultant and chairman (1955) of the Development and Resources Corporation, which was involved with the Khuzestan Program in Iran. This collection consists of the papers of Lilienthal spanning his entire career, including correspondence, reports, articles, speeches, and printed matter.
Development and Resources Corporation Records, 1936-1980 (mostly 1954-1970)
The Development and Resources Corporation (D&R), founded and directed by David E. Lilienthal, operated from 1955 to 1979 and was based in New York City. D&R provided regional economic development services to governments throughout the world, often with a focus on the development of water resources and the construction of dams. Its main project was the development of the Khuzestan region of Iran. D&R's records document its development projects and business operations and include correspondence, contracts, data and maps, proposals and reports, and collected materials about each country.
Makoto Yasuda Papers on Private Investment Company for Asia, 1968-1984
Makoto Yasuda is the former chairman of Private Investment Company for Asia (PICA), an association of 243 North American, European, Japanese, Australian, and Canadian companies and banks. Based in Singapore, PICA funded new and existing private businesses throughout Asia, specifically in countries with tiger economies. The collection is comprised of PICA's annual and quarterly reports, investment proposals and reports on investment projects, and Board of Directors and Executive Committee meeting minutes and correspondence.
Margaret Snyder Papers, 1950-2021 (mostly 1970-1990)
Dr. Margaret Snyder was actively involved in women's economic and development issues in various regions of the world for more than three decades. She served as advisor to Kenya and East African Women's Seminars, Regional Advisor of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Vice President of the Sirleaf Market Women's Fund, co-founded the African Training and Research Center for Women, and was the Founding Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women. The papers document Dr. Snyder's career, the organizations she worked for, and the projects conducted to help women across the globe.
Robert Ross Papers on Development and Investment in Latin America and Africa, 1956-2011
Robert Ross is an economist specializing in developing Countries. This collection contains reports on the U.S.S.R.; investment proposals; government reports; internal documentation from the Adela Investment Company; documents on the Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation and the Société Internationale Financière pour les Investissements et le Développement en Afrique; and Richard Boyle's correspondence with Eugene Gonzalez and Ernst Keller.
Rubber Development Corporation, Amazon Division Records, 1942-1945
The Rubber Development Corporation, Amazon Division Records (1942-1945) reflect Philip H. Williams' interests and concerns as manager of the Manaos Office in Brazil. As manager, Williams was called upon to play various roles including diplomat, manager and administrator. His fellow staff members were C. Homer McDuff–Acting General Manager, Mr. Swain–Accounting Department, H. A. Beck–Acting Manager, Manaos Office, George A. Seaman–Assistant to Mr. Williams, John Herman Neumann–Manager of Amazon Division and Douglas H. Allen–President of the Rubber Development Corporation. The bulk of this collection consists of copies from William's personal files. The majority of the collection is composed of correspondence, memoranda, reports, charts, photographs and newspaper clippings.
W. Arthur Lewis Papers, 1892-1990 (mostly 1950-1990)
Sir W. Arthur Lewis (1915-1991) was a pioneer in the field of economic development and a leading authority on economic growth in developing countries and associated political and social changes. He was a professor at the University of Manchester and Princeton University and served as an advisor to several governments. Lewis, who was from the Caribbean, also broke through racial barriers in the academic world throughout his career. Lewis's papers document his career as a scholar and as an economic advisor and include his professional correspondence, meeting minutes, reports, and writings.
Women's World Banking Records, 1964-2017 (mostly 1980-1996)
Women's World Banking (WWB), one of the world's leaders in microenterprise financing, is a not-for-profit international financial institution founded by a global group of independent women working together with the support of the United Nations in 1979. The records document the administration of the organization, mainly during the tenure of its first president, Michaela Walsh, and include founding documents, financial records, correspondence, records related to affiliates and other organizations, audiovisual materials, and the files of Michaela Walsh.