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Inventory of the Leon H. Keyserling Papers, 1918-1990
Inventory of the Leon H. Keyserling Papers, 1918-1990
Descriptive Summary
| Abstract: | Letters, correspondence, writings, testimonies, and audiovisual recordings of Leon Hirsch Keyserling (1908-1987), American economist, chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Harry S. Truman, lawyer, and founder and president of the Conference on Economic Progress (CEP). Materials primarily relate to Keyserling's professional life as a private consulting economist, especially to members and committees of Congress, as a practicing attorney, and with his nonprofit organization, the Conference on Economic Progress. The collection also includes a small amount of biographical material, clippings and audiocassette tapes relating to Mary Dublin Keyserling, economist and wife of Leon Hirsch Keyserling. |
| Title: | Leon H. Keyserling papers |
| Creator: | Keyserling, Leon H. (Leon Hirsch), 1908-1987 |
| Date(s): | 1918-1990 |
| Extent: | 9.70 linear feet (11 document boxes, 1 slim document box, 2 flat boxes, 2 cassette boxes, 1 banker box) |
| Repository: | Jewish Heritage Collection, Special Collections, College of Charleston Libraries 66 George Street Charleston, SC 29424 Phone: (843) 953-8016 Fax: (843) 953-6319 URL: http://archives.library.cofc.edu |
| Call Number: | Mss 1052 |
| Language of Material: | Materials in English |
Biographical Note
American economist and lawyer Leon H. Keyserling was born on January 22, 1908, to William Keyserling (1869-1951) and Jennie Hyman Keyserling (1881-1935), in Charleston, South Carolina. Keyserling grew up on the coastal island of St. Helena and in 1918 moved to Beaufort, South Carolina, with his family. Graduating from Beaufort High School at the age of sixteen in 1924, Keyserling attended Columbia University, finishing in 1928 with a major in economics. Keyserling then entered Harvard Law School, receiving his LLB in 1931 and returning to Columbia to pursue a Ph.D. in economics. At Columbia Keyserling taught economics and conducted research for the Rockefeller Foundation while completing all the requirements for his Ph.D., except for his thesis, interrupted when he entered government service in 1933 at the beginning of the New Deal. From 1933 to 1937 Keyserling was the legislative assistant to U.S. Senator Robert F. Wagner while also serving on the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency. As legislative assistant, Keyserling helped draft the National Industry Recovery Act of 1934, the National Housing Act of 1935, the Wagner National Labor Relations Act of 1935, portions of the Social Security Act of 1935, and the U.S. Housing Act of 1937.
Beginning in 1937, Keyserling served in the United States Housing Authority, first as deputy administrator and general counsel, and then as acting administrator. As general counsel of the National Housing Agency, Keyserling drafted legislation reorganizing federal housing into one central agency, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 1942, as acting administrator of the National Housing Agency, Keyserling supervised the construction of several million units of government financed housing for war workers.
In 1940 Keyserling married Mary Dublin, also a prominent economist. Before their marriage she had been the executive director of the National Consumers League and a professor of economics at Sarah Lawrence College. In 1964, she was appointed director of the Labor Department's Women's Bureau by President Lyndon B. Johnson, serving in that position until the end of his administration in 1969.
From 1946 to 1953, Keyserling served on President Truman's Council of Economic Advisors, first as vice chairman in 1946, then as acting chairman in 1949, and finally, chairman in 1950, a position he held until 1953, the end of the Truman administration. During this time Keyserling helped formulate economic policies that enabled the nation to smoothly adjust from a wartime to a peacetime economy while meeting the country's demands for increased housing and education without inflation.
After leaving government service in 1953, Keyserling practiced as a lawyer and private consulting economist, working with various national organizations, governments, firms, and individuals. In 1971 Keyserling retired to devote his time as president and director of the Conference on Economic Progress (CEP). Founded by Keyserling in 1954, the CEP was a nonprofit research organization dealing with U.S. economic development and national economic policies. As president and director of CEP, Keyserling authored more than thirty-five book-length publications, including The Toll of Rising Interest Rates, The Coming Crisis in Housing, and Full Employment Without Inflation. During this time he also worked on the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978 with U.S. Senator Hubert Humphrey and U.S. Representative Augustus Hawkins. During his life Keyserling was the recipient of various honors and awards, including an award from the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Social Change and induction into the National Housing Hall of Fame.
Collection Overview
This collection includes biographical material, letters and correspondence, writings, congressional and other testimonies, clippings, and audiovisual recordings documenting the professional and personal activities of Leon H. Keyserling. Biographical materials include short biographies, biographical notes, resumes of career achievements, personal date books, obituaries from national newspapers, and material from Keyserling's memorial service, including William Keyserling's tribute to his uncle as well as John Kenneth Galbraith's remarks. Also included are materials relating to Mary Dublin Keyserling, such as biographical information, a "Career Record," a copy of her will, and a list of published articles. Professional letters include Keyserling's correspondence with politicians, Democratic Party organizations, researchers, book reviewers, such as Peter Irons, the author of The New Deal Lawyers, and interview requests from Studs Terkel and the BBC. Also present are correspondence between Keyserling and prominent economists such as Gar Alperovitz and David C. Colander, and between the CEP and various organizations regarding consulting fees and pamphlet distribution. Personal letters between Keyserling and various friends and family members include correspondence with his father, William Keyserling (1869-1951), his mother, Jennie Hyman Keyserling (1881-1935), and brother, Herbert Keyserling (1915-2000). Writings include his journal and magazine articles, as well as materials prepared by Keyserling for others, including U.S. Senator F. Wagner and U.S. Representative Augustus Hawkins. Also included are distribution lists of CEP publications, typescripts of speeches presented by Keyserling at conferences and symposiums, as well as poetry and writings by others about Keyserling. Transcripts of testimonies Keyserling gave before courts and congressional committees are mostly from hearings before the House Education and Labor Committee and the Joint Economic Committee. Clippings relate to Keyserling's political, professional, and personal life and also include clippings relating to Mary D. Keyserling, Harriet Keyserling, Robert F. Wagner, and various economists. Audiovisual materials include interviews and speeches on audiocassette tapes, reel-to-reel tapes, and videocassettes.
Collection Arrangement
| 1. | Biographical material, 1930-1987 |
| 2. | Letters and correspondence, 1918-1987 |
| 3. | Writings, 1933-1990 |
| 4. | Testimonies, 1956-1987 |
| 5. | Clippings, 1935-1988 |
| 6. | Audiovisual materials, 1956-1988 |
Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped by name of person, family, or organization, by topical subject, by place, and by types of material.Names
- Keyserling, Leon H. (Leon Hirsch), 1908-1987
- Truman, Harry S., 1884-1972
- Keyserling, Mary Dublin
- Council of Economic Advisers (U.S.)
- Conference on Economic Progress (U.S.)
Subjects
- Jews--South Carolina--Beaufort
- Economists--United States
- New Deal, 1933-1939
- Full employment policies--United States
Places
- Washington (D.C.)
- United States--Economic policy
Types of Material
- Articles
- Audiocassettes
- Audiovisual materials
- Black-and-white photographs
- Clippings (information artifacts)
- Color photographs
- Correspondence
- Letters (correspondence)
- Long-playing records
- Magnetic tapes
- Personal correspondence
- Poetry
- Speeches
- Testimonies
- Videocassettes
Related Resources
Related Material
Related materials in Special Collections include the Keyserling family papers - Part I, 1890-1980 (Mss 1049a), the Keyserling family papers - Part II, 1900-2004 (Mss 1049b), an oral history interview with Herbert Keyserling (Mss 1035-036), and the publications Leon H. Keyserling: A Progressive Economist by Donald K. Pickens (2009), Doctor K: A Personal Memoir by Herbert Keyserling (1999), and Against the Tide: One Woman's Political Struggle by Harriet Keyserling (1998).
Detailed Description of the Collection
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1. Biographical materials, 1930-1987
Includes short biographies and biographical notes.
Includes drafts of Keyserling's last will and testament, trust agreement, and revocable trust. Also includes correspondence regarding further changes and clarifications.
Includes obituaries from national newspapers including The Washington Post, The State, and The New York Times. Also includes typescript of obituary Mary Dublin Keyserling sent to The Washington Post.
Includes invitations and programs from Keyserling's memorial service held on September 10, 1987 at The Cosmos Club, Washington, DC. Also included is William Keyserling's tribute to his uncle as well as John Kenneth Galbraith's remarks.
Includes day books used to track personal and professional appointments.
Includes secretarial manual and instructions involving the operation of the Conference on Economic Progress.
Card files containing index cards listing the names and addresses of individuals and organizations that mass purchased pamphlets from CEP.
Includes printed announcement of Keyserling's new position as a consulting economist and general law practitioner, an invitation to the 10th Annual Award Luncheon in his honor by the American Jewish Congress and a certificate of appreciation from the Democratic National Committee. Also includes a photocopy of the certificate of incorporation of the Conference on Economic Progress as well as a survey plat and certificate for a house in Washington, D.C.
Includes photocopies of a biographical note, a career record with a synopsis and index, with a list of articles written by Mary Dublin Keyserling from 1964 to 1969. Also includes a photocopy of "Mary Dublin Keyserling Biography," a chapter from a larger work.
Includes last will and testament, codicil, and a designation of co-trustee and successor trustee.
Includes last will and testament and correspondence from Beth Keyserling Rosenfarb, younger sister of Leon H. Keyserling. Also includes an obituary for her husband, Joseph Rosenfarb.
Photo album of trip to India. Images include Keyserling speaking at the Indian Statistical Institute, India's first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and scientist Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis.
2. Letters and correspondence, 1918-1987
Correspondence regarding an interview with Keyserling about New York Governor Averell Harriman.
Correspondence regarding membership contributions.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's reluctance to make financial contributions to the organization.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's panel presentation, "Advice for the Next President," given at the annual meeting of the American Economics Association as well as information about the meeting.
Correspondence regarding meeting invitations.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's first visit to Russia and his meeting with Georgy Arbatov, Director of the Institute for Study of USA and Canada.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's presentations at the 1985 and 1987 International Atlantic Economic Conferences. Also included is a photocopied typescript of Keyserling's paper, Why Have Economists Learned So Little from U.S. Economic Experience since World War II? with corrections.
Letters to William Benton of Encyclopedia Britannica regarding Keyserling's second talk "New Frontiers for Democratic Service to the People."
Letter to Biemiller, former Democratic congressman, on his retirement, and a sympathy letter to Biemiller's wife on his death.
Correspondence between Keyserling and Dr. W. Robert Brazelton, Professor of Economics at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, regarding the early Council of Economic Advisors. Also included is correspondence regarding arranging an interview with Keyserling to discuss the Truman administration, Brazelton's book on the subject, with a list of material Keyserling provided Dr. Brazelton for his book.
A request to interview Keyserling for a documentary on the relationship between Britain and America in the twentieth century.
Correspondence regarding a quarterly meeting of board of directors.
Correspondence thanking Keyserling for his support of the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs and Keyserling's offer to participate in the Carlson Lecture Series.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's participation in a panel discussion on Southern Jewish History for the Jewish Studies Department.
Letters announcing the eleventh annual meeting of the board of directors.
Correspondence regarding a House TV Studio recording between U.S. Representative Conyers and Keyserling discussing the reasons for the malaise around full employment and planning.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's lecture, "An Alternate Economic Policy for the Eighties," presented as part of the Steinhardt Lecture Series at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's testimony at the Democratic platform hearings in Detroit in 1960, including a photocopied typescript of Keyserling's statement. Also included is correspondence regarding monetary contributions to Democratic National Committee as well a letter from Tip O'Neil asking for donations.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's request for two tickets to the 1980 Democratic National Convention in New York.
Correspondence requesting that Keyserling become a charter member of the Committee on Economic Reform and his participation in the 13th Annual Eastern Economic Association Convention 1987.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's assistance on drafting a statement for the advisory council. Also included are copies of Keyserling's typescripts, "A Democratic Call to Action" and "Toward a Long Range Purposeful Effort."
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's reasons for not signing the Statement Opposing the Sugar Price Support Program.
Correspondence with Stuart Eisenstadt regarding drafts of the Humphrey-Hawkins bill and other economic and housing matters of President Jimmy Carter's administration. Also included are photocopies of newspaper articles by Eisenstadt concerning inflation, Democrats, and the middle class.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's comments on a proposed constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget.
Correspondence regarding the Franklin Delano Roosevelt centennial in Washington, D.C. Also included are several photocopies of newspaper clippings about the centennial.
Correspondence regarding assistance Keyserling provided to the Georgetown Wagner Labor Law Moot Court competition.
Correspondence regarding contributions to Harriman's 1984 "Win the Senate Campaign" and an invitation to serve on the campaign's advisory board.
Correspondence asking for suggestions on speakers for future programs.
Correspondence regarding a gift of 516 books to the university.
Correspondence asking for Keyserling's comments on a draft of Irons's book The New Deal Lawyers. Also included is a photocopy of the book chapter, "Lawyers' Lawyers and the Wagner Act," with Keyserling's comments in margins.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's testimony before the Joint Economic Committee on the hearings of the 1987 Economic Report of the President.
Correspondence regarding the amendments to the Humphrey-Hawkins bill. Formally known as the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act, the bill strove for full employment, growth in production, price stability, and balance of trade and budget.
Correspondence with Orin Kramer, associate director of the White House domestic policy staff regarding rising interest rates and effects on the economy and the housing sector in particular.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's assistance with a book on the New Deal. Also includes Keyserling's recollections about Rex Tugwell, an agricultural economist who served as assistant secretary and undersecretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's interview for the Voice of America.
Correspondence regarding a book McHugh was preparing about Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt
Keyserling's comments on his initial exclusion from program, "In Honor of the 40th Anniversary of the Employment Act."
Keyserling's remarks at the 3rd Annual Mobilization Conference.
Letter congratulating Keyserling on his induction into the National Housing Hall of Fame as well as letters of endorsement from Strom Thurmond, Ernest F. Hollings, and Henry C. Chambers. Also included is a program from the ceremony.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's participation at the 16th annual meeting of the National Leased Housing Association. Also included is a conference program.
Letter to the editor regarding a tribute by the New York Times upon the death of Arthur F. Burns and Keyserling's correction of an erroneous story included in the tribute.
Board meeting announcements and financial statistics.
Letter declining attendance at the 5th Annual Penn School Heritage celebration.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's interest in writing articles for The Progressive.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's agreement to join the Committee for Economic Recovery and also his reluctance to accede to a request for a financial contribution as seed money.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's appearance on the television program America's Embattled Economy, speaking engagements, and Keyserling's entry in the 1990-1992 edition of The Writer's Directory.
Correspondence regarding Joseph L. Rauh, Jr.'s book review of Peter Iron's publication, The New Deal Lawyers.
Correspondence referencing dinners and recollections of their work with Senator Wagner.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's contributions to the City College of the City University of New York project and the Marvin Rosenberg and Hubert Humphrey Program in Public Affairs, and the possibility of Keyserling speaking at a lecture series.
Democrats, U.S.A. regarding the 1984 elections. Also included is the Rustin's1980 news release, "Does Anyone Remember Humphrey Hawkins?"
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's comments on the article, "The Intellectual Revolution in US Economic Policy Making" by Jim Tobin, and Keyserling's opinion of Walter Heller and his speech on the subject of President Kennedy and economic policy.
Correspondence regarding the death of Howard J. Samuels, American statesman and industrialist.
Correspondence regarding Count Hermann Keyserling and Keyserling's comments on Schlesinger's Wall Street Journal article about Margaret Thatcher.
Keyserling's comments on the selection process and criteria for the Frank E. Seidman Distinguished Award in Political Economy.
Correspondence updating each other on their lives and Keyserling's comments on unemployment statistics and his health problems.
Condolences on death of Boris Shishkin, economist and AFL-CIO Civil Rights Department director.
Letter from Keyserling regarding the endorsement of Walter Mondale's presidential candidacy by the Social Democrats, U.S.A.
Letter concerning the unprofessional and misleading conduct in regards to a supervisory position and congressional testimony on Capitol Hill.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's nomination.
General correspondence about the economy and current events including the influx of Japanese automobiles and the effect on the economy, as well as updates on Keyserling's health.
Letter from Justice Ramsey Clark welcoming Keyserling to the roll of attorneys qualified to testify before the Supreme Court.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's work on a Mary Goldwater memorial, the Theatre Lobby Trust Fund, the housing field, and death of Sophie Segal.
Correspondence regarding the possibility of Keyserling lecturing at Columbia University.
Correspondence regarding an interview with Keyserling for a publication on World War II.
Correspondence regarding the death of Myron William Thatcher and the activities of Ruth Thatcher.
Correspondence regarding the House Banking Subcommittee hearing held to gather testimony on the Bishop's Pastoral letter on the economy and Keyserling's request for copies of the Employment Act of 1946 and the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1978.
Correspondence regarding the death of Rex Tugwell, agricultural economist who served as assistant secretary and undersecretary to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Also included are obituaries, articles on Tugwell's life and career, and a pamphlet on the Rexford G. Tugwell National Award in Urban and Regional Planning.
Includes correspondence regarding the death of Justice Mathew O. Tobriner and progress of Christopher Tietze Reproductive Freedom Library.
Letter of transmittal of copies of a financial disclosure statement.
Letter, sent to Honorable Robert E. Hennegan, chairman of the National Democratic Committee, recommending Keyserling be appointed to the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
Request from Wagner, Jr. for help preparing a dossier on his father required for induction into the Housing Hall of Fame. Also included is a biography prepared by Keyserling titled "Senator Robert F. Wagner's Achievements in the Field of Housing."
Invitation to a luncheon to meet the Washington Post's national correspondents.
Correspondence regarding Westwood's review of The New Deal Lawyers by Peter Irons, comments on other articles written by Westwood, and on national politics and policies.
Correspondence regarding Wither's editorials and book.
Keyserling's comments on Wright's unpublished manuscript Vignettes, a memoir of his experiences as a civil servant, and the possibility of securing a publisher.
Correspondence includes criticism by Wyzanski of Peter Iron's book The New Deal Lawyers, and disagreement between Keyserling and Wyzanski over material in the book. Also included are Peter Irons's comments on the disagreement.
Includes correspondence regarding Alperovitz's economic ideas and publications as well as several news articles written by Alperovitz regarding "full employment." Also includes a brief background statement and Impact on Inflation on the Economy: Hearings Before the Task Force on Inflation on the Committee on the Budget, which contains Alperovitz's testimony.
Correspondence regarding Block's article, "The Shibboleth of Productivity," in the New York Times.
Letter from Lawrence Boland and Herbert Grubel, professors in economics at Simon Fraser University, asking Keyserling to fill out a questionnaire on the use of mathematics in economics; with Keyserling's reply.
Correspondence regarding Colander's selection of Keyserling's prepared statement on the Full Employment and Balanced Growth Act of 1976 for his unpublished book.
Correspondence regarding Keyserling's criticism of Federal Reserve policies in his paper "The Federal Reserve as a "Sacred Cow": The Public Should Know More About It."
Correspondence regarding Killingsworth's speech, "An Overview of the Job Market for Youth," and an article on employment policy for recessions.
Keyserling's comments on Mean's article, "Why the Marginal Income Tax Cuts are Intensifying the Recession," and his paper, "Corporate Power in the Marketplace."
Correspondence regarding consulting fees and contributions to the Conference on Economic Progress.
Keyserling's response to a request for a biography.
Correspondence regarding the distribution of Conference on Economic Progress pamphlets.
Correspondence between Keyserling and his brother and sister-in-law.
Correspondence between Keyserling and his mother.
Includes correspondence with Joseph E. Jeffs, Georgetown University, regarding the gift of a portion of Leon Keyserling's papers.
Correspondence between Keyserling and his father.
3. Writings, 1933-1990
Index of articles written by Keyserling including a separate list of New York Times Magazine articles.
Includes the articles "For a National Prosperity Budget" and "The "Great Crusade" Against Wage Earners."
Includes the article "Something for Everybody", Keyserling's review of the book, The Guaranteed Income.
Includes "What's Wrong with American Economics" reprinted from Challenge: The Magazine of Economic Affairs.
Includes "Should the President and the Congress Obey the Law? A Case Study Based Upon the 1978 Humphrey-Hawkins Act,""U.S. Economy, Performances and Prospects and Needed Corrective Policies," and "The New Deal and its Current Significance in Re National Economic and Social Policy." Also included is the typescript, "Rexford Guy Tugwell."
Chronological index of materials prepared for others by Keyserling, listing speeches, articles, letters, and testimonies.
Primarily speeches but also includes a committee printing of Wagner's Labor Relations Bill.
Includes letters, speeches, and comments relating to the Humphrey-Hawkins Full Employment Act and the Jobs Creation Act.
Draft of "Suggested Resolution in Regards to the Federal Reserve for Consideration at August 1978 Meeting of Executive Council of the AFL-CIO."
Chronological list of pamphlets written by Keyserling published through the CEP.
Distribution lists recording purchase dates, purchasers, and numbers of pamphlets ordered from the CEP.
Includes the pamphlet Israel's Needs and Our Responsibilities.
Includes journal articles and papers written about Leon Keyserling. Also includes a copy of Challenge and Decision by Edgar Ansel Mowrer, personally inscribed to Keyserling.
4. Testimonies, 1948-1987
5. Clippings, 1935-1988
Includes national and state newspapers, and magazine clippings relating to Keyserling's political, professional, and personal life.
6. Audiovisual materials, 1956-1988
2 copies
Michael J. Marlow interviews Keyserling in connection with the Franklin Delano Roosevelt retrospective.
Keyserling interviewed by Edward T. Folland, Bruce Martan, and Eileen Shancihan.
Briefing session on railroad merger problem.
Keyserling on interest rates and what the government can do.
Memorial Tribute to President John F. Kennedy at the Women's National Democratic Club, Mary Dublin Keyserling presiding.
Administrative Information
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Copyright Notice
The nature of the College of Charleston's archival holdings means that copyright or other information about restrictions may be difficult or even impossible to determine despite reasonable efforts. Special Collections claims only physical ownership of most archival materials.
The materials from our collections are made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, pursuant to U.S. copyright law. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials, including but not limited to, infringement of copyright and publication rights of reproduced materials. Any materials used for academic research or otherwise should be fully credited with the source.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item], Leon H. Keyserling papers, College of Charleston Libraries, Charleston, SC, USA.
Acquisitions Information
Materials were donated in 1999 by William Keyserling and in 2002 by Harriet Keyserling.
Processing Information
Processed by Joshua Minor, March 2012.
Encoded by Joshua Minor, March 2012.
Reviewed and uploaded by Martha McTear, June 2012.
Funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources supported the processing of this collection and encoding of the finding aid.
