Inventory of the Oskar Morgenstern Papers, 1866-1992 and undated

The papers of Oskar Morgenstern, who is associated with the Austrian school of economics, span the years 1866-1992, although the bulk of the materials date from 1917 to 1977. They consist of correspondence, diaries, subject files, printed material, audiovisual material, manuscript and printed writings and their supporting papers, and biographical and bibliographical information about his career and publications. The collection principally concerns Morgenstern's work as an economic theorist, university professor, author and lecturer, and consultant to business and government.

The first two decades of Morgenstern's career as an economist, the 1920s and 1930s, were associated with the University of Vienna where he was educated and was a faculty member until his emigration to the United States in 1938. He published major books about economic forecasting (1928) and the limits of economics (1934) and numerous other writings in which the subjects of business cycles, prices, the depression of the 1930s, economic conditions in Europe and America, currency and exchange, and economic history and theory are prominent. Information about them is scattered throughout the Correspondence, Writings and Speeches, and Subject Files Series. Morgenstern's interests and correspondents were international, although principally European and American. A considerable part of the correspondence and writings during these years, and all of the diaries, are written in German. English is also prominent, and other languages also occur.

Morgenstern's output of publications during the 1940s, his first decade at Princeton University, was less extensive than in the 1930s, but he and John von Neumann published their classic Theory of Games and Economic Behavior in 1944. As Princeton editor Sanford G. Thatcher wrote in 1987, in sheer intellectual influence, it probably has stimulated more creative thinking, in a wider variety of fields of scholarship, than any other single book Princeton University Press has published. Information about this book and subsequent international developments in game theory pervades the Correspondence, Subject Files, and Writings and Speeches Series until Morgenstern's death. The elaboration of game theory was not only theoretical but also practical, and Morgenstern's writings and projects illustrate its applications, especially in U.S. military and foreign policy during the Cold War.

The Writings and Speeches Series, including the diaries, and the Subject Files Series are extensive for the 1940s as they are for the later decades of Morgenstern's career. The Correspondence Series, however, is extensive only for the 1920s, 1930s, and 1970s. Part of his correspondence apparently did not survive. However, Morgenstern routinely placed letters and other material in his files for subjects and writings, and many letters are to be found there. There are a number of letters for some correspondents, but extensive correspondence with an individual is not characteristic of this collection. A person's letters may be filed in more than one chronological group of correspondence.

Morgenstern published prolifically during the 1950s to 1970s. His major books focused on accuracy in economics (1950), organization (1951), national defense (1958), international finance and business cycles (1959), the peaceful uses of underground nuclear explosions (1967), stock market prices (1970), political, economic, and military forecasting (1973), and expanding and contracting economies in various societies (1976). These books and numerous articles and reviews reveal his interest in economic theory, international economic problems, and the application of mathematics and economics to public policy problems. The Writings and Speeches, Subject Files, and Correspondence Series document many of his publications and such topics as the Cold War, nuclear issues, military and naval affairs (especially the U.S. Navy), defense, space, economic analysis, game theory, the stock market, business cycles, mathematics and economics, statistical validity, and his work with John von Neumann, Martin Shubik, Friedrich A. von Hayek, Gottfried Haberler, Antonio de Viti de Marco, Eveline Burns, Gerald L. Thompson, N. N. Vorob'ev, and others.

Morgenstern taught at Princeton until his retirement in 1970 when be began teaching at New York University, and both schools are represented, particularly in the Subject Files Series. These files and the Writings and Speeches Series document his relationship with public and private organizations, especially the Office of Naval Research, the Rand Corporation, various foundations and scholarly societies, and Mathematica, a consulting firm that did contract work for government and business. Morgenstern was co-founder of Mathematicirca

Morgenstern habitually incorporated into his files pertinent thoughts or information that might be useful for later consideration. Consequently, the Subject Files and Writings and Speeches Series often include letters, memoranda, lecture notes, writings by others, mathematics, printed material, and other Items. Thus, a file for a topic or publication in 1963 may contain relevant dated material from other years and decades.

The diaries, 1917-1977, are relatively complete, but Morgenstern did not write daily or every month. There are significant gaps: 1918-1920; Feb.-May 1938; March 1946-Jan. 1947; and Sept. 1951-Feb. 1952. Shorter gaps also occur in April-May 1924, Sept. 1925; June-July 1948; and April 1949. The diaries are in the Writings and Speeches Series.

Morgenstern's library of printed material was donated to New York University.

Addition (06-067) (2452 items, 13.5 lin. ft.; dated 1935-1976) contains primarily published works by Morgenstern in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and German. Includes typed manuscript portions of Theory of Games and Economic Behavior with annotations and some correspondence, as well as supporting documentation and statistics. There are also three audiotape reels with Morgenstern's lectures. This accession is closed to researchers.

Addition (13-065) (15,300 items, 25.5 lin. ft.; dated 1940s-1970s) contains primarily correspondence and chronological files. There are also conference and manuscript notes dated 1950s-1960s. This accession requires processing before use.

• Morgenstern, Oskar, 1902-
• Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957.
• Von Neumann, John, 1903-1957. Theory of games and economic behavior.
• Morgenstern, Oskar, 1902- Theory of games and economic behavior.
• Hayek, Friedrich A. von (Friedrich August), 1899-
• Haberler, Gottfried, 1900-
• De Viti de Marco, Antonio, 1858-1943.
• Shubik, Martin.
• Burns, Eveline Mabel Richardson, 1900-
• Thompson, Gerald Luther, 1923-
• Vorob'ev, N. N. (Nikolai Nikolaevich), 1925-
• United States. Navy.
• Princeton University--Faculty.
• Universitt Wien--Faculty.
• New York University--Faculty.
• Mathematica, Inc.
• Austrian school of economics.
• Economics.
• Economics--Study and teaching.
• Economists--United States--Correspondence.
• Economists--United States.
• Economic forecasting.
• Economic history.
• Economics--Statistical methods.
• Economics, Mathematical.
• Money.
• Game theory.
• Business cycles.
• Prices.
• Depressions--1929.
• International finance.
• Military policy.
• Cold War.
• Nuclear energy.
• Government consultants.
• Business consultants.
• Europe--Economic conditions.
• United States--Economic conditions.
• United States--Foreign relations.
• United States--Military policy.
• United States--Defenses.
• Diaries.
• Videocassettes.
• Audio cassettes.
• Audio reels.
• Hayek, Friedrich A. von (Friedrich August), 1899-
• Haberler, Gottfried, 1900-
• Viti de Marco, Antonio de, 1858-1943.
• Shubik, Martin.
• Burns, Eveline Mabel Richardson, 1900-
• Thompson, Gerald Luther, 1923-
• Vorob'ev, Nikolai Nikolaevich, 1925-

[Identification of item], Oskar Morgenstern Papers, David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University.

The papers of Oskar Morgenstern were received as a gift in 1987, 1990, 1991, 1993 and 1999.

Processed by: Bill Erwin, Denise Dolan, and Robb Hellwig

Completed February 25, 1991

The bulk of Morgenstern's papers came to the library in their original labeled folders. However, the order of the folders was so random throughout the cartons that the structure of his files must have been disarranged. The series in which the collection is now arranged, therefore, represent an order imposed by staff.

Morgenstern often filed his correspondence in mixed chronological and alphabetical groups that sometimes overlapped in their dating. For example, there are sets of correspondence for: 1925-1926, A-Z; 1926-1927, A-Z; 1928, A-Z; and 1928-1939, A-Z. The alphabetical part of this arrangement assists the location of letters by particular individuals, especially since numerous signatures, often the foreign ones, are incomplete or difficult to read. Letters found scattered about the cartons were placed in a separate group of chronological correspondence.

Additions processed by: John Bauman

Completed June 13, 2001

The bulk of the materials in the additions had no discernible order. Thus, it was decided that the structure and series used for the original collection would be imposed on the additions. In almost every instance files were constructed and titles supplied. Some notable exceptions were: the family Teichler folder in the Information Series, "Briefe von Oskar" in the Correspondence Series, the Luigi Einaudi file in the Correspondence Series, The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior folders in the Writings and Speeches Series, and the Merck-Knoppers and Mommsen-Krup files in the Subject Series.

This finding aid is NCEAD compliant.