Department of Economics
History of Economics at Simmons
Economics courses have been offered at Simmons since the college was founded in 1899, but it wasn't until 1966-1967 that the Economics Department was established and economics was offered as a concentration. Until that time, economics was only offered under "Courses of Instruction."
These courses supplemented the requirements for the other areas of concentration at Simmons. Originally, only three economics courses were offered to Simmons students: Principles of Economics, Economic History of the United States, and Practical Economics. The instructors for these courses were Associate Professor Jeffrey Richardson Brackett, Ph.D., Assistant Professor Susan Myra Kingsbury, Ph.D., and Henry Lefavour, Ph.D., LL.D., President of Simmons College.
At the time of the establishment of the Economics Department at Simmons in 1966-1967, the number of courses offered were thirteen with a faculty numbering six in size. Economic concentrators were required to take four specified courses (Contemporary Economic Society, Economic and Social Statistics, Money and Banking, and Intermediate Economic Theory), as well as an additional 12 semester hours of economics electives in order to meet the department requirements for a degree.
The faculty at the time of the establishment of the Economics Department were Paul Raymond Nichols, Ph.D., Professor of Economics and Acting Chair of the Department; Lawrence Smith, A.M., Visiting Professor of Economics; Sumner Maurice Rosen, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Economics; Leonard Joel Kirsh, A.M., Instructor in Economics; and Jennie J. Richmond, A.M., Instructor in Economics.
