Economics | Washington Area Economic History Seminar

A Brief History

Founded in the mid-1970’s by Cynthia Taft Morris, the Washington Area Economic History Seminar (WAEHS) holds monthly meetings throughout the academic year. The seminar traditionally meets on the first Friday of the month and invites prominent economic historians to present their current work. Past speakers include Nobel laureates Douglass North and Robert Fogel.

Cynthia Taft Morris, a retired Distinguished Economist in Residence at American University and a past president of the Economic History Association, hosted the seminars at AU for many years before it expanded to include other sites such as the University of Maryland, College Park, the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Johns Hopkins University, and George Mason University.

The current organizers of the WAEHS are John Wallis, University of Maryland, College Park, and David Mitch, University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

 

Spring 2010 Speakers

Robert Margo, Boston University

 

Fall 2009 Speakers

Martha Bailey, University of Michigan

Jean-Laurent Rosenthal, California Institute of Technology

Alexander Engel, University of Gottingen, Germany

 

Visit the archive to view past speakers and presentation topics.

UPCOMING SEMINARS

Did Railroads Induce or Follow Economic Growth? Urbanization and Population Growth in the American Midwest, 1850-1860

March 5 at the University of Maryland College Park

Download Announcement

Download Papers:

"Did Railroads Induce or Follow Economic Growth?
Urbanization and Population Growth in the American Midwest, 1850-60"

“Agricultural Improvements and Access to Rail Transportation: The American Midwest as a Test Case, 1850-1860”