Re: [OPE-L] Remembering Bob Heilbroner

From: Gerald_A_Levy@MSN.COM
Date: Mon Jan 17 2005 - 15:24:14 EST


> When did exactly you take Heilbronerīs HET?

Paolo:

Fall, 1976 and Spring, 1977.  I took some other classes that
might be described as HET, e.g. a seminar with Ed Nell mostly
on the English maginalists including Wicksteed and Marshall,
but not any more with Bob. (That seminar was itself memorable.
Ron Blackwell, Pat Clausen, Jaspal -- can't remember his last
name -- and some others [maybe even Martha?] attended.  About
5  students brought along German editions of _Capital_ to  each
class and if anyone mentioned Marx, they would take _Capital_
out of their briefcases and look for the original passages in
German!)

> I think it was in 1981 for I
> remember your very participative presence in some oval table where
> questions were discussed, I think, under his presence.

I'm not sure what that could have been but it wasn't one of his
courses.   We did have one-night-only talks sponsored by the
Economics Society during that period  so it could have been one
of those.  Or, perhaps, a meeting that was a presentation by a
candidate for a faculty position.  The only seminars I recall taking
circa 1981-2 were taught by Paolo Giussani,  Bob Brenner, and
Willi Semmler.

I don't suppose you recall what I said?

> That year, as was probably his custom, Heilbroner distributed a handout
> explaining what one should avoid while writing a paper. That handout
> encouraged a direct writing, without dubious or inappropriately
exclamative
> sentences. It made an impression on me for some of the things I was not
> supposed to do were indeed part of my habit.

Yes, I recall some hand-out like that as well.  He had high
expectations for students but was always fair.

Do you miss those days?

In solidarity, Jerry


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