The University of Chicago Library > The Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center > Finding Aids > Guide to the Melchior Palyi Papers 1915-1970
© 2009 University of Chicago Library
Title: | Palyi, Melchior. Papers |
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Dates: | 1915-1970 |
Size: | 13 linear feet (26 boxes) |
Repository: |
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center |
Abstract: | Melchior Palyi, economist and professor. The papers contain correspondence, manuscripts, book reviews, articles, lectures, off-prints, clippings, biographical material, radio broadcasts, tape recordings, a film, books, copies of the newsletter Bulletin, and pamphlets. Papers document Palyi's work as a conservative economist. |
The collection is open for research.
When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Melchior Palyi. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library
Melchior Palyi was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1892. He received his Doctorate in Economics from the University of Munich in 1915. From 1918 to 1933 Palyi taught at the University of Munich, the University of Goettingen and the University of Kiel. In 1927, he first came to the United States as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. 1928 saw Palyi as an economist at the Deutsche Bank. Until 1931, Palyi was also a Professor of Finance at the Graduate School of Commerce in Berlin. For the next three years he held two posts important in the financial reconstruction of the German economy: he was the principal economic advisor to the Reichsbank and the Managing Director of the Institute for Currency Research, Berlin.
By 1933, Palyi had immigrated to the United States. He became a visiting professor and research economist at the University of Chicago and the University of Wisconsin. During the years 1943-1944, Palyi gave a series of radio talks on WIND, dealing with economic and social problems caused by the war in Europe. In 1945, he became a war correspondent and wrote articles for the Chicago Tribune and the Jackson Citizen Patriot newspapers. After the war, Palyi returned to Chicago and continued teaching and lecturing.
The 1950s saw Palyi producing such works as Compulsory Medical Care and the Welfare State (1950), The Dollar Dilemma: Perpetual Aid to Europe, and Managed Money at the Crossroads (1958). Palyi, as seen through his books and articles, represented the "conservative" faction of American economists during the middle of the 20th century.
In 1960, Melchior Palyi became a visiting professor and research economist at Northwestern University. From 1961 to 1968 Palyi wrote a weekly column for the Chicago Tribune entitled, "Comment," which dealt with various economic problems in the United States and the world as well as local problems. Also in 1961, Palyi produced a small but foresighted book that he entitled An Inflation Primer. This book attempted to get at the various causes for spiraling inflation and the accompanying recessionary periods. From 1962 to 1970, Palyi also wrote a regular column for the Chicago Commercial and Financial Chronicle which was entitled "Point of View."
Melchior Palyi, after 78 years of studying, advising, and teaching about world economics, died on July 29, 1970. In 1971 one of his greatest works was published posthumously. The Twilight of Gold dealt with a subject that fascinated Palyi all of his life: the gold standard. In this book he talks about the classical gold standard, the post-World War I monetary climate and its relationship to gold stabilization (which includes an interesting section entitled "Social Justice vs. Gold") and the New Gold Standard. "Prelude to Catastrophe" is a section which discusses flaws in the international credit structure and the American debt behemoth and the speculative euphoria. "Destabilization (1931-1936)" deals with the demise of the "Gold Bloc." The final section of the text proper deals with the demise of the gold standard. Additionally, there is a postscript entitled "Does History Repeat Itself?"
The Melchior Palyi papers have been arranged into five series. Series I includes biographical materials, awards, and honorary degrees. Series II contains correspondence arranged chronologically, including personal letters to Palyi and some copies of letters from him to other people. The majority of correspondence dates from 1931 to 1933. Series III contains writing by Palyi and others, including book reviews, articles, lectures and notes, as well as the WIND radio talks dealing with the war in Europe. Series IV contains The Bulletin, a privately circulated newsletter on economic and social issues. Series V includes newspaper clippings about Palyi, his minor books, and off-print copies of his articles.
The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:
http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/select.html
Series I: Biographical Materials |
Box 1 Folder 1-2 | Biographical material, awards, honorary degrees, 1942-1968 and undated |
Series II: Correspondence |
Box 1 Folder 3 | Correspondence, general, 1915-1929 |
Box 1 Folder 4 | Correspondence, Deutsche Bundesbank, 1929-1933 |
Box 1 Folder 5 | Correspondence, general, 1930 - September 1931 |
Box 1 Folder 6 | Correspondence, general, October 1931 |
Box 1 Folder 7 | Correspondence, general, November 1931 |
Box 1 Folder 8 | Correspondence, general, December 1931 - May 1932 |
Box 1 Folder 9 | Correspondence, general, June - December 1932 |
Box 2 Folder 1 | Correspondence, general, 1933-1943 |
Box 2 Folder 2 | War correspondence, 1944-1946 |
Box 2 Folder 3 | Correspondence, general, 1945-1970 |
Series III: Manuscripts |
Box 2 Folder 4 | Book reviews, 1943-1953 |
Box 2 Folder 5 | Book reviews, Chicago Tribune, financial, 1948-1965 |
Box 2 Folder 6-7 | Book reviews, miscellaneous and economic material, 1936-1965 |
Box 2 Folder 8 | WIND radio broadcasts, 1943 and Round Table, January 1 and March 26, 1939 |
Box 3 Folder 1 | WIND radio broadcasts, January - February 1944 |
Box 3 Folder 2 | WIND radio broadcasts, March - May 1944 |
Box 3 Folder 3 | WIND radio broadcasts, June - August 1944 |
Box 3 Folder 4 | WIND radio broadcasts, September - November 1944 |
Box 3 Folder 5 | Writings, 1935, 1947, undated
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Box 3 Folder 6 | Writings, 1947-1948, undated
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Box 3 Folder 7 | Writings, 1944-1945, 1952, undated
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Box 3 Folder 8-9 | Miscellaneous and fragmented articles; "Point of View"; lists of Bulletin (includes titles and dates); Monetary Inflation, 1932-1936,1942-1947, 1963-1970, undated |
Box 4 Folder 1 | The Dollar: An Agonizing Reappraisal, manuscript copy, 1966 |
Box 4 Folder 2-3 | The Dollar: An Agonizing Reappraisal, 2 corrected copies |
Box 4 Folder 4-5 | An Inflation Primer, final copy, 1960 |
Box 4 Folder 6 | An Inflation Primer, notes and corrections, undated |
Box 4 Folder 7 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, original typescript, fragmentary, undated |
Box 4 Folder 8 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, typescript, undated |
Box 5 Folder 1-6 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, typescript, undated |
Box 5 Folder 7 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, draft with corrections, sections I-II, undated |
Box 6 Folder 1 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, sections III-IV, undated |
Box 6 Folder 2 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, sections V and VII, undated |
Box 6 Folder 3 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, section VIII, A, B, C - IX, A, B, undated |
Box 6 Folder 4-5 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, Part I, 1969 |
Box 6 Folder 6 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, Part II, 1969 |
Box 7 Folder 1-2 | The Twilight [Eclipse] of Gold, Part II, undated |
Box 7 Folder 3 | Economic Systems, fragmentary, undated |
Box 7 Folder 4-6 | Reviews of Palyi's books and related correspondence, 1935-1973, undated |
Box 7 Folder 6-7 | Notes and materials on miscellaneous subjects, including lectures; French Stabilization, 1961-1962 |
Box 7 Folder 8 | Writings, 1934-1956, undated
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Box 8 Folder 1 | Discussions in Germany, 1932 |
Box 8 Folder 2 | Addresses and Lectures, 1934, 1940-1941, 1951, undated
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Box 8 Folder 3 | Addresses and Lectures, 1941, undated
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Box 8 Folder 4-5 | Palyi, lectures on economics, 1938-1955, undated |
Box 8 Folder 6-7 | Tables relating to gold, foreign market prices, etc., undated |
Box 8 Folder 8 | Banks, wholesale price tables in U.S., France, Germany, England, undated |
Box 8 Folder 9 | Research notes and tables relating to gold standard, undated |
Box 8 Folder 10-11 | Spar-Bund, Germany, 1932-1933 |
Box 9 Folder 1 | Miscellaneous manuscripts, "Devaluation: Its Rationale, If Any," etc., 1941, undated |
Box 9 Folder 2 | Principles of Mortgage Banking Regulation in Europe, undated |
Box 9 Folder 3 | The German Crisis, 1931-1937, 1967, undated |
Box 9 Folder 4 | Lectures, rough drafts, undated |
Box 9 Folder 5-6 | Lectures, notes on international finance, gold, debts, and Miscellaneous, 1929-1944, undated |
Box 9 Folder 7 | Industrial concentration studies, 1961, undated |
Box 9 Folder 8 | Miscellaneous notes on economics materials, etc., 1952, undated |
Box 10 Folder 1 | Miscellaneous notes on economics materials, etc., 1930, 1934, 1967, undated |
Box 10 Folder 2-4 | Miscellaneous published writings, 1916-1970, undated |
Box 10 Folder 5-6 | Announcements of lectures, talks and seminars, 1940-1959, undated |
Box 10 Folder 7 | Announcements of talks, lectures, and seminars, 1939-1964, undated |
Box 11 Folder 1-2 | Announcements of talks, lectures, and seminars, 1934-1965 |
Box 11 Folder 3 | Chicago Journal of Commerce, January - May, 1942 |
Box 11 Folder 4-7 | Commercial and Financial Chronicle, various editions, August 1943 - December 1953 |
Box 12 Folder 1 | Commercial and Financial Chronicle, various editions, February 1954 - September 1966 |
Box 12 Folder 2 | Offprints,1933-1970, undated
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Box 12 Folder 3-4 | Offprints, 1938-1964, undated
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Box 12 Folder 5-6 | "Point of View," September 1965 - December 1966 |
Box 12 Folder 7 | "Point of View," 1967 |
Box 12 Folder 8 | "Point of View," 1968 |
Box 12 Folder 9 | "Point of View," 1969 |
Box 13 Folder 1 | A Point of View (1970) |
Box 13 Folder 2 | Miscellaneous Articles, 1933-1961 |
Box 13 Folder 3-4 | Press Clippings, prediction of Allied victory, World War II, 1942 |
Box 13 Folder 5 | Articles about Palyi, 1927-1937 |
Box 13 Folder 6 | Articles about Palyi, 1938 |
Box 13 Folder 7 | Articles about Palyi, 1939 |
Box 13 Folder 8 | Articles about Palyi, 1940 |
Box 14 Folder 1 | Articles about Palyi, 1941 |
Box 14 Folder 2 | Articles about Palyi, 1942 |
Box 14 Folder 3 | Articles about Palyi, 1943 |
Box 14 Folder 4 | Articles about Palyi, 1944-1946 |
Box 14 Folder 5 | Articles about Palyi, 1951-1959 |
Box 14 Folder 6 | Articles about Palyi, 1960-1970 |
Box 14 Folder 7 | Articles about Palyi, undated |
Box 14 Folder 8-10 | Max Weber, "The Theory of Social and Economic Organization," undated |
Box 15 Folder 1-2 | Maurice Allais, "Quelques donnees relative: a la reforme du systeme monetaire international," 1930, 1945, undated |
Box 15 Folder 3-5 | Twilight of Gold, final proofs with introduction by Professor Klemmer, 1972 |
Series IV: The Bulletin |
Box 15 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 1-8, February - June 1941 |
Box 15 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 9-18, July - December 1941 |
Box 15 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 19-28, January - June 1942 |
Box 16 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 29-31, July - August 1942 |
Box 16 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, January 8, 1943 letter; nos. 38-48, September 1942 - June 1943 |
Box 16 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 49-58, July - December 1943 |
Box 16 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 59-69, January - June 1944 |
Box 16 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 70-78, July - December 1944 |
Box 16 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 79-88, January - June 1945 |
Box 16 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 89-99, July - December 1945 |
Box 16 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 100-111, January - June 1946 |
Box 16 Folder 9 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 112-120, July - December 1946 |
Box 17 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 121-132, January - June 1947 |
Box 17 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 133-143, July - December 1947 |
Box 17 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 144-154, January - June 1948 |
Box 17 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 155-165, July - December 1948 |
Box 17 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 166-174, January - June 1949 |
Box 17 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 175-183, July - December 1949 |
Box 17 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 184-194, January - June 1950 |
Box 17 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 195-208, July - December 1950 |
Box 17 Folder 9 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 209-221, January - June 1951 |
Box 18 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 222-230, July - December 1951 |
Box 18 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 231-240, January - June 1952 |
Box 18 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 241-251, July - December 1952 |
Box 18 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 252-262, January - June 1953 |
Box 18 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 263-273, July - December 1953 |
Box 18 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 274-284, January - June 1954 |
Box 18 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 285-293, July - December 1954 |
Box 18 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 294-303, January - June 1955 |
Box 18 Folder 9 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 304-309, July - December 1955 |
Box 18 Folder 10 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 310-319, January - June 1956 |
Box 19 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 320-331, July - December 1956 |
Box 19 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 332-342, January - June 1957 |
Box 19 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 343-352, July - December 1957 |
Box 19 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 353-363, January - June 1958 |
Box 19 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 364-372, July - December 1958 |
Box 19 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 373-385, January - June 1959 and February 12, 1959 speech |
Box 19 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 386-397, July - December 1959 |
Box 19 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 398-408, January - June 1960 |
Box 19 Folder 9 | M. Palyi, Bulletin, nos. 409-415, July - December 1960 |
Box 20 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 416-431, January - June 1961 |
Box 20 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 432-442, July - December 1961 |
Box 20 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 443-454, January - June 1962 |
Box 20 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 455-467, July - December 1962 |
Box 20 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 468-480, January - June 1963 |
Box 20 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 481-490, July - December 1963 |
Box 20 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 491-501, January - June 1964 |
Box 20 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 502-511, July - December 1964 |
Box 20 Folder 9 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 512-524, January - June 1965 |
Box 21 Folder 1 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 525-535, July - December 1965 |
Box 21 Folder 2 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 536-544, January - June 1966 |
Box 21 Folder 3 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 545-555, July - December 1966 |
Box 21 Folder 4 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 556-564, January - June 1967 |
Box 21 Folder 5 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 565-576, July - December 1967 |
Box 21 Folder 6 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 577-587, January - June 1968 |
Box 21 Folder 7 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 588-591, 594-597, 599, July - June 1969 |
Box 21 Folder 8 | M. Palyi, The Bulletin, nos. 615-624, July - 1970 |
Box 21 Folder 9 | Tape recording, "Freedom and Monetary Policy," March 6, 1963, University of Illinois |
Box 22 Folder 1 | Film, "The Dollar: An Agonizing Reappraisal," 1966 |
Series V: Books and Pamphlets |
Subseries 1: German-language Books and Articles |
Box 22 Folder 2-4 | Mutliple volumes of Pitaval, 1904-1909 |
Box 22 Folder 5 | Multiple volumes of Der Pitaval der Gegenwart, 1910-1911 |
Box 23 Folder 1 | Articles
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Box 23 Folder 2 | Articles
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Box 23 Folder 3 | Articles
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Box 23 Folder 4 | Articles
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Box 23 Folder 5 | Articles
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Box 23 Folder 6 | Several writings of Max Planck, 1938-1941 |
Box 23 Folder 7 | Articles
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Box 24 Folder 1 | Articles
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Subseries 2: French-language Books and Articles |
Box 24 Folder 2 | Articles
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Box 24 Folder 3 | H. Rheinstrom. L'influence du régime national-socialiste sur le droit privé allemand, 1947 |
Subseries 3: English-language Books and Articles |
Box 24 Folder 4 | Collection of University of Chicago Round Table transcripts
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Box 24 Folder 5 | A World to Live In - Published collection of writings on the problems of reconstruction after the end of World War II, 1942 |
Box 24 Folder 6-7 | Bretton Woods Agreements Act, "Hearings before the Committee on Banking and Currency," 1945 |
Box 25 Folder 1 | Bretton Woods Agreements Act, "Hearings before the Committee on Banking and Currency," 1945 |
Box 25 Folder 2 | Publications
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Box 25 Folder 3 | Proceedings of conference held by the Russian anti-Communist weekly Possev and titled "Towards Freedom," 1956 |
Box 25 Folder 4 | Publications
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Box 25 Folder 5 | Publications
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Box 25 Folder 6 | Publications
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Box 25 Folder 7 | Publications
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Subseries IV: Pamphlets |
Box 26 Folder 1 | Anti-Nazi pamphlets titled "Sozialistische Aktion," 1934-1938 |
Box 26 Folder 2 | German- and English-language collection of pamphlets titled "Deutschland-Berichte der Sozialdemokratischen Partei Deutschlands," 1937-1938 |
Box 26 Folder 3 | Two clandestine anti-Hitler pamphlets, undated |
Box 26 Folder 4-5 | Collection of Information Bulletin magazines published by the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1943-1947 |
Box 26 Folder 6 | Collection of Soviet war documents published by the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1943 |
Box 26 Folder 7 | Ilya Ehrenburg "We Will Not Forget" (published by the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics), 1944 |
Box 26 Folder 8 | Collection of English-language pamphlets published by the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, 1946-1948 |
Box 26 Folder 9 | Russian-language anti-Communist pamphlet, 1952 |
Box 26 Folder 10 | Russian-language pamphlet titled "Perezov," 1952 |
Box 26 Folder 11 | Volume devoted to Soviet-German battles in World War II, published by the Embassy of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, undated |