Teaching at Columbia University with the Help of William F. Buckley, Jr. and Milton Friedman
By Mark Skousen
When I was president of the Foundation of Economic Education (FEE) in New York in 2002, Jo Ann and I had lunch with William F. Buckley, Jr., at his beautiful ocean-front home in Stamford, Connecticut. After lunch he showed us an array of books he had written over the years, and gave me an autographed copy of a sailing memoir. In return, at the last minute, I gave him a signed copy of “The Making of Modern Economics.” I thought nothing of it until the following month Buckley had written a favorably review of my book in “National Review,” saying every student should read it.
John Whitney, a professor at Columbia Business School, read the review and invited me to give a lecture to his MBA students at Columbia. Next thing I know he asked me to replace him at CBS when he retired. I couldn’t believe my good fortune.
But the dean still had to approve my selection. I told Milton Friedman about my potential position at Columbia Business School, and Friedman said he knew the dean, Meyer Feldberg, and agreed to write a letter of recommendation. Apparently the letter sealed the deal, and I got the position. Years later I often wondered what he wrote. So a few months ago I commissioned a Stanford grad student to see if he could find Friedman’s letter to Feldberg, and after some digging, he finally found it.
Here it is:
I can see now why I got the position! I was surprised by the enthusiasm of Milton’s letter, given our sometimes heated debates. For a few examples, see My Friendly Fights with Dr. Friedman – MSKOUSEN.COM
Unfortunately, despite Friedman’s favorable endorsement, the economics chairman was a Keynesian and didn’t appreciate my free-market views. I was let go at the B school. Afterwards, I was able to teach a class in “money and banking” in the economics department at Columbia University and a class in macroeconomics at Barnard College, but then my luck ran out.
That’s life. Now I’m enjoying a wonderful long-term position, a presidential fellow and the Doti-Spogli Chair of Free Enterprise, at Chapman University in California — thanks to President Jim Doti, who earned his Ph.D. at U of Chicago — from guess who, Milton Friedman! What goes around comes around.
God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform.
Wonderful Dr. Skousen! I wish my father, Stanley Zemelka would have met you. My parents came as refugees from Poland in 1951 under the U.S. Congressional Displaced Person’s Act. My parents were from Silesia, Poland. After WWII. my dad completed a doctorate in Econ.at Innsbrug U. He was a professor of Econ at Bellarmine, Louisville, KY. After retiring to FL. he taught econ at Rollins College, Brevard campus.
Sorry to be so long wided…I wish I could tell you more…so happy to know you…