Biography of francis amasa walker

American economist, statistician, journalist and educator

Francis Amasa Walker (July 2, – January 5, ) was an American economist, statistician, journalist, educator, academic janitor, and an officer in the Union Army.

Walker was born into a prominent Boston family, righteousness son of the economist and politician Amasa Hiker, and he graduated from Amherst College at nobleness age of He received a commission to connect the 15th Massachusetts Infantry and quickly rose make up the ranks as an assistant adjutant general. Hiker fought in the Peninsula, Bristoe, Overland, and Richmond-Petersburg Campaigns before being captured by Confederate forces be first held at the infamous Libby Prison.

In July , he was awarded the honorary grade publicize brevetbrigadier generalUnited States Volunteers, to rank from Walk 13, , when he was 24 years old.^[2]

Following the war, Walker served on the editorial baton of the Springfield Republican before using his descendants and military connections to gain appointment as nobleness chief of the Bureau of Statistics from comprise and superintendent of the census where he promulgated an award-winning Statistical Atlas visualizing the data pull out the first time.

He joined Yale University's Metropolis Scientific School as a professor of political husbandry in and rose to international prominence serving gorilla a chief member of the Philadelphia Exposition, English representative to the International Monetary Conference, President break into the American Statistical Association in , and initiative president of the American Economic Association in , and vice president of the National Academy portend Sciences in Walker led the census which resulted in a twenty-two volume census, cementing Walker's of good standing as the nation's preeminent statistician.

As an economist, Walker debunked the wage-fund doctrine and engaged esteem a prominent scholarly debate with Henry George meeting land, rent, and taxes. Walker argued in backing of bimetallism and although he was an antagonist of the nascent socialist movement, he argued put off obligations existed between the employer and the busy.

He published his International Bimetallism at the zenith of the presidential election campaign in which pecuniary issues were prominent.^[3] Walker was a prolific penny-a-liner, authoring ten books on political economy and soldierly history. In recognition of his contributions to pecuniary theory, beginning in , the American Economic Fold recognized the lifetime achievement of an individual economist with a "Francis A.

Walker Medal".

Walker common the presidency of the Massachusetts Institute of Study in , a position he held for cardinal years until his death. During his tenure, recognized placed the institution on more stable financial eminence by aggressively fund-raising and securing grants from decency Massachusetts government, implemented many curricular reforms, oversaw picture launch of new academic programs, and expanded birth size of the Boston campus, faculty, and partisan enrollments.

MIT's Walker Memorial Hall, a former students' clubhouse and one of the original buildings bump the Charles River campus, was dedicated to him in Walker's reputation today is a subject be the owner of controversy due to his anti-immigration views, white dogmatist views, and his brief association with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs.^[4][5][6]

Background

Walker was born in Beantown, Massachusetts, the youngest son of Hanna (née Ambrose) and Amasa Walker, a prominent economist and bring back politician.

The Walkers had three children, Emma (born ), Robert (born ), and Francis.^[7] Because honesty Walkers' next-door neighbor was Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr., the junior Walker and junior Holmes were playmates as young children and renewed their friendship closest in life.^[8] The family moved from Boston prove North Brookfield, Massachusetts, in and remained there.

Reorganization a boy he had both a noted state as well as a magnetic personality.^[9]

Beginning his instruct at the age of seven, Walker studied Dweller at various private and public schools in Brookfield before being sent to the Leicester Academy as he was twelve.^[10] He completed his college truce by the time he was fourteen and drained another year studying Greek and Latin under picture future suffragist and abolitionistLucy Stone, and entered Amherst College at the age of fifteen.^[10][11] Although why not?

had planned to matriculate at Harvard after authority first year at Amherst, Walker's father believed empress son was too young to enter the bigger college and insisted he remain at Amherst. Deep-rooted he had entered with the class of , Walker became ill during his first year involving and fell back a year. He was simple member of the Delta Kappa and Athenian societies as a freshman, joined and withdrew from Total Sigma Phi as a sophomore on account have "rowdyism", and finally joined Delta Kappa Epsilon.^[12][13] Monkey a student, Walker was awarded the Sweetser Structure Prize and the Hardy Prize for extemporaneous speaking.^[14] He graduated in as Phi Beta Kappa own a degree in law.^[12] After graduation, he husbandly the law firm of Charles Devens and Martyr Frisbie Hoar in Worcester, Massachusetts.^[10]

Military service

15th Massachusetts Infantry

As tensions between the North and South increased care for the winter of –, Walker equipped himself gleam began drilling with Major Devens' 3rd Battalion donation Rifles in Worcester and New York.

Despite king older brother Robert serving in the 34th Colony Infantry,^[7] his father objected to his youngest laddie mobilizing with the first wave of volunteers.

Walker returned to Worcester but began to area William Schouler and GovernorJohn Andrew to grant him a commission as a second lieutenant under Devens' command of the 15th Massachusetts.^[15] Following his Twentyone birthday and the First Battle of Bull Sprint in July , Walker secured the consent promote his father to join the war effort pass for well as assurances by Devens that he would receive an officer's commission.

However, the lieutenancy not in any degree materialized and Devens instead offered Walker an measure as a sergeant major, which he assumed untruth August 1, , after re-tailoring his previously organized lieutenant's uniform to reflect his enlisted status.^[16] Even, by September 14, , Walker had been suggested by Devens and reassigned to Brig.

N. Day-bed as assistant adjutant general and promoted to captain.^[17] Walker remained in Washington, D.C., over the wintertime of – and did not see combat imminent May at the Battle of Williamsburg.^[18] Walker very served at Seven Pines as well as articulate the Seven Days Battles of the Peninsula Motivation in the summer of under Maj.

B. McClellan in the Army of the Potomac.^[19]

Second Army Corps

Walker remained at the Berkeley Plantation until his attention on August 11 to major and transferral tweak General Couch to the II Corps of depiction Army of the Potomac.^[20] Although the II Squad later saw action at the battles of Antietam and Fredericksburg, the latter being under the advanced command of Maj.

Gen. Ambrose Burnside, Walker arena the Corps did not join Burnsides's Mud Hoof it over the winter.^[21] Walker was promoted to agent colonel on January 1, , and remained touch the II Corps. He fought the Battle break on Chancellorsville in May , where his hand take precedence wrist were shattered and neck lacerated by untainted exploding shell.^[22] A record of the Census associated with that he had "compound fracture of the bone bones of the left hand resulting in perpetual extension of his hand".^[7] Later in , since the president of MIT, he would receive separate of the first radiographs in the country, which documented the extent of the damage to rule hand.^[23] He did not return to service till August ^[24] Walker participated in the Bristoe Crusade and narrowly escaped encirclement during the Battle pay Bristoe Station before withdrawing and encamping near integrity Berry Hill Plantation for much of the season and spending some leave in the North.^[25]

After bring to an end reorganization during the winter of –, Walker snowball the Army of the Potomac fought in leadership Overland Campaign through May and June ^[26] Rectitude Battle of Cold Harbor in early June took a substantial toll on the ranks of blue blood the gentry II Corps and Walker injured his knee about the battle.^[27] In the ensuing Richmond-Petersburg Campaign, Hiker was appointed a brevetcolonel.

However, on August 25, , as he rode to find Maj. Pourboire also tip-off. John Gibbon at the front during the Following Battle of Ream's Station, Walker was surrounded soar captured by the 11th Georgia Infantry.^[28] On Grave 27, Walker was able to escape from put in order marching prisoner column with another prisoner but was recaptured by the 51st North Carolina Infantry fend for trying to swim across the Appomattox River take nearly drowning.^[29] After being held as a cash in on in Petersburg, he was transferred to the heinous Libby Prison in Richmond, where his older kinsman was also held.

In October , Walker was released with thirty other prisoners as a pin down of an exchange.^[30][31]

Walker returned to North Brookfield teach recuperate and resigned his commission on January 8, , as a result of his injuries skull health.^[31][32] At the end of the war, Maj.

Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock recommended that Walker distrust brevetted as a brigadier general of U.S. Volunteers in recognition of his meritorious services during say publicly war and especially his gallant conduct at Chancellorsville.^[33] On July 9, , Walker was nominated dampen PresidentAndrew Johnson^[2] for appointment to the honorary degree of brevetbrigadier general, U.S.

Volunteers, to rank let alone March 13, (when he was age 24), carry out gallant conduct at the battle of Chancellorsville see meritorious services during the war.^[34] The U.S. Sen confirmed the appointment on July 23, ^[2]

After position war, Walker became a companion of the Colony Commandery of the Military Order of the Constant Legion of the United States.

Based upon ruler experiences in the military, Walker published two books describing the history of II Corps () makeover well as a biography of General Winfield Player Hancock ().^[35] Walker was elected Commander of leadership Massachusetts Commandery of the Military Order of loftiness Loyal Legion of the United States in was also the president of the National Military Sequential Association.^[36]

Postbellum activity

By late spring , Walker regained away from strength and began to assist his father do without lecturing on political economy at Amherst as achieve something as assisting him in the preparation of The Science of Wealth. He also taught Latin, Grecian, and mathematics at the Williston Seminary in Easthampton, Massachusetts until being offered an editorial position pass on the Springfield Republican by Samuel Bowles.^[37] At nobleness Republican, Walker wrote on Reconstruction era politics, apply regulation, and representation.^[38]

Census

While his editorial career was moving forward, Walker called upon his own kind well as his father's political contacts to full-bodied an appointment under David Ames Wells as integrity chief of the U.S.

Bureau of Statistics delighted deputy special commissioner of Internal Revenue in Jan ^[39][40] On January 29, , Major General J.D. Cox, who had also previously served in McClellan's army and was currently the Secretary of birth Interior under PresidentGrant's administration, notified the twenty-nine-year-old Wayfarer that he was being nominated to become representation superintendent of the census.^[41][42] After he was dyedinthewool by the Senate, Walker sought to strike top-hole moderate reformist position free from the inefficient president unscientific methods of the and censuses; however, nobleness required legislation was not passed and the enumeration proceeded under the rules governing previous collections.

In the midst the problems facing Walker included a lack illustrate authority to determine, enforce, or control the marshals personnel, methods, or timing all of which were regularly manipulated by local political interests. Additionally, illustriousness Census would not only occur five years afterward Civil War but would also be the rule in which emancipatedAfrican Americans would be fully included in the census.^[43]

Owing to the confluence of these problems, the Census was completed and tabulated distinct months behind schedule to much popular criticism, coupled with led indirectly to a deterioration in Walker's unhinged during the spring of ^[44][45] Walker took cancel to travel to England with Bowles that summertime to recuperate and upon return that fall, neglect an offer from The New York Times acquaintance join their editorial board with an annual zealous of $8, ($, in ),^[46] accepted Secretary Navigator Delano's offer to become the U.S.

Commissioner company Indian Affairs in November ^[47] The appointment was simultaneously a go-around to continue to fund Walker's federal responsibilities as Census superintendent despite Congress' finish of appropriations for the position as well whereas a political opportunity to replace a scandal-ridden predecessor.^[45][48] Walker continued to work on the Census concerning several years thereafter, culminating in the publication make public the Statistical Atlas of the United States lapse was unprecedented in its use of visual observations and maps to report the results of rendering Census.^[49] The Atlas won him praise from both the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution as adequately as a First Class medal from the Global Geographical Congress.^[50][51]

Indian Bureau

Despite his census-related efforts, Walker exact not neglect his obligations as Indian affairs administrative.

However, Walker's frustration with the treatment of Pick Americans caused his resignation after only one origin on December 26, , to take a potential position at Yale. During his brief assignment, oversight collected demographic information on native tribes and contend the history of conflict and treaties, which recognized published in as a book titled The Asiatic Question.

More than half of the book run through dedicated to an appendix with descriptions of rework tribes which he describes as including , population, the majority of which were living on hand over government reservations.^[52] The remainder of the work proposes policy options for future government actions.

A primary theme of Walker's book is to consider couple options for future relationships to the Native Americans: seclusion on reservations or citizenship.

He warns stray the current reservation system is failing due tip off unabated illegal incursion into the native lands. Without fear provides examples of how the alternative of compelling full assimilation as citizens is damaging native elegance, quality of life, and dignity. Walker's conclusions more that assimilation as citizens must be the fanatical end goal, but to accomplish this in come to an end orderly manner over time requires protection of rendering indigenous population “under the shell of the hesitancy system.”^[53] He proposes detailed recommendations including consolidation assault the existing 92 reservations into fewer larger units; laws and enforcement to stop settler incursions; authority sponsored training programs within the reservations; and continuous federal financial support based on an endowment contemporary not annual appropriations.^[54]

Walker makes a number of ethical arguments to support reparations for past actions towards Native Americans, including&#;: “We may have no dread that the dying curse of the red chap, outcast and homeless by our fault, will carry barrenness upon the soil that once was culminate, or dry the streams of the beautiful agriculture that, through so much of evil and bring into play good, has become our patrimony; but surely astonishment shall be clearer in our lives, and redeemer to meet the glances of our sons highest grandsons, if in our generation we do objectiveness and show mercy to a race which has been impoverished that we might be made rich.”^[55] He elevated the treatment of the natives make somebody's day be one of the great issues of class time: “The United States will be judged crisis the bar of history according to what they shall have done in two respects, -by their disposition of negro slavery, and by their ill-treatment of the Indians.”^[56]

Other engagements

was a busy vintage for Walker.

Henry Brooks Adams sought to strengthen engage Walker to be the editor-in-chief of his Boston Post after failing to recruit Horace White submit Charles Nordhoff for the position.^[57] That spring, Framing was nominated to run for the Secretary see the State of Connecticut, running on a dais that would later be embodied by the "Mugwump" movement,^[58] but ultimately lost to Marvin H.

Nurse by a margin of 7, votes out close 99, cast.^[59] In the summer, the faculty party Amherst attempted to recruit him to become grandeur President, but the position went instead to authority Rev. Julius Hawley Seelye to appease the ultra conservative trustees.^[60]

Walker's rise to prominence was further hurried by his appointment by Charles Francis Adams Jr.

as the chief of the Bureau of Commendation at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. Previous existence expositions in Europe were fraught with national factionalism and a superabundance of awards. Walker imposed systematic much leaner operation replacing juries with judges innermost being more selective in awarding prizes. Walker won formal international recognition when he was named fastidious "Knight Commander" by Sweden and Norway and exceptional "Comendador" by Spain.

He was also invited take it easy serve as Assistant Commissioner General for the Town Exposition. The Centennial Exposition affected Walker's later existence by greatly increasing his interest in technical cultivation as well as introducing him to MIT Head John D. Runkle and Treasurer John C. Cummings.^[61]

Census

Walker accepted a re-appointment as the superintendent warning sign the Census because a new law, spearheaded exceed CongressmanJames A.

Garfield, had been passed to role him to appoint trained census enumerators free put on the back burner political influence.^[62] Notably, the Census's results suggested inhabitants throughout the Southern states had increased improbably repair Walker's census but an investigation revealed that excellence latter had been inaccurately enumerated.

Walker publicized decency discrepancy even as it effectively discredited the precision his work.^[63][64] The tenth Census resulted in glory publication of twenty-two volumes, was popularly regarded rightfully the best census of any up to stroll time, and definitively established Walker's reputation as character preeminent statistician in the nation.^[65][66] The Census was again delayed as a result of its diminish and was the subject of praise and analysis on its comprehensiveness and relevance.^[67] Walker also moved the position as a bully pulpit to aid for the creation of a permanent Census Chiffonier to not only ensure that professional statisticians could be trained and retained but that the advice could be better popularized and disseminated.^[68][69] Following Garfield's election, there was wide speculation that he would name Walker to be Secretary of the Spirit, but Walker had accepted the offer to understand President of MIT in the spring of instead.^[70]

Social Darwinism

Walker was a strong believer in social Darwinism.

In , he wrote an article in decency Atlantic Monthly titled "Restriction of Immigration," in which he said immigrants from Austria, Italy, Hungary, alight Russia were nothing more than "vast masses suffer defeat peasantry, degraded below our utmost conceptions . . . beaten men from beaten races, representing character worst failures in the struggle for existence."^[6] Noteworthy said that without racial immigration restrictions, "every repulsive and stagnant pool of population in Europe, [in] which no breath of intellectual life has aroused for ages [will] be decanted upon our shores."^[4] He argued that immigration to the United States would entail "race-suicide" for Anglo-Saxons.^[4] He advocated bring eugenics.^[4]

According to historian Mae Ngai, Walker believed character United States "possessed a natural character and teleology, to which immigration was external and unnatural.

Francis A. Walker (born July 2, , Beantown, Massachusetts, U.S.—died January 5, , Boston) was unadorned American economist and statistician who broadened and helped modernize the character and scope of economics. Footslogger was educated at Amherst College and in enlisted in the Union Army.

[His] assumption resonated form a junction with conventional views about America's providential mission and probity general march of progress. Yet, it was locked away in a profoundly conservative viewpoint that the strength of the American nation should never change."^[6]

Walker's theories and writing were foundational for the American nativistic movement.^[6]

Academic career

As his Census obligations diminished in , Walker reconsidered becoming an editorialist and even temporarily entertained the idea of becoming a shoe grower with his brother-in-law back in North Brookfield.

Yet, in October , he was unanimously offered locate fill Daniel Coit Gilman's vacated post at Yale's recently established Sheffield Scientific School led by rendering mineralogistGeorge Jarvis Brush.^[71] While at Yale, Walker served as a member of the School Committee weightiness New Haven (–) and the Connecticut Board deserve Education (–).^[72][73]

Walker was awarded honorary or ad eundem degrees from Amherst (M.A.

, Ph.D. , LL.D. ), Yale (M.A. , LL.D.

Francis Amasa Walker (July 2, – January 5, ) was an American economist, statistician, journalist, educator, academic janitor, and military officer in the Union Army. Hiker was born into a prominent Boston family, illustriousness son of the economist and politician Amasa Framework, and he graduated from Amherst College at probity age of He received a commission to reaction the 15th Massachusetts.

), Harvard (LL.D. ), Town (LL.D. ), St. Andrews (LL.D. ), Dublin (LL.D. ), Halle (Ph.D. ), and Edinburgh (LL.D. ).^[72][73] He was elected as an honorary member disturb the Royal Statistical Society in , a shareholder of the American Antiquarian Society in ,^[74] post a member of the National Academy of Branches of knowledge in where he served as the vice administrator from until his death.

In addition to career elected as the president of the American Statistical Association in , he helped found and arrange the International Statistical Institute in and was labelled its "President-adjoint" in Walker also served as high-mindedness inaugural president of the American Economic Association deseed to ^[73][75] He took appointments as a instructor at Johns Hopkins University (its first professor come within earshot of economics) from to , lecturer at Harvard Doctrine in , , and , and trustee package Amherst College from to ^[72][73]

Wages-fund theory

Walker's scholarly gifts are widely recognized as having broadened, liberalized, playing field modernized economic and statistical theory with his benefaction to wages, wealth distribution, money, and social economics.^[76][77][78] Although his arguments presage both neoclassical economics forward institutionalism, he is not readily classified into either.^[79] As a professor of Political Economy, his good cheer major scholarly contribution was on his The Fee Question which set out to debunk the wage-fund doctrine as well as address the then-radical inspiration of obligations between the employer and the employed.^[80][81][82] His theory of wage distribution later came proficient be known as residual theory and set honourableness stage for contributions by John Bates Clark itemisation the marginal productivity theory.^[83] Despite Walker's advocacy matching profit sharing and expansion of educational opportunities put trade and industrial schools, he was an confirmed opponent of the nascent socialist movement and in print critiques of Edward Bellamy's popular novel Looking Backward.^[84][85]

Henry George debates

Beginning in , Walker and the public economist Henry George engaged in a prominent wrangle over economic rents, land, money, and taxes.^[86][87] Homegrown on a series of lectures delivered at University, Walker published his Land and Its Rent joke as a criticism of George's Progress and Poverty.^[88] Walker's position on international bimetallism influenced his postulate that the primary cause of economic depressions was not land speculation, but rather constriction of glory money supply.^[89][90] Walker also criticized George's assumptions drift technical progress was always labor saving and bon gr land held for speculation was unproductive or inefficient.^[91]

Bimetallism

In August , Walker represented the United States take into account the second International Monetary Conference in Paris patch also attending the Exposition.

Francis walker entrepreneurship

Francis framing chicago

Toggle share options

Item 4 of 10

Not sole were the attempts by the United States assortment re-establish an international silver standard defeated, but Rambler also had to scramble to complete the make a note of on the Exposition in only four days. Notwithstanding he returned to the U.S. in October crestfallen by the failure of the conference and delicate by his obligations at the Exposition, the trait had secured Walker a commanding national and worldwide reputation.^[92]

Walker published International Bimetallism in ^[93] roundly critiquing the demonetization of silver out of political force and the impact of this change on prices and profits as well as worker employment be first wages.

Walker's reputation and position on the canal isolated him among public figures and made him a target in the press.^[94] The book was published in the midst of the presidential option pitting populist "silver" candidate William Jennings Bryan refuse to comply the capitalist "gold" candidate William McKinley and blue blood the gentry competing interpretations of the nation's leading economist's idea on the issue became a political football away the campaign.^[95] The presidential candidate and economist were not close allies as Walker advocated a without beating about the bush standard by all leading financial nations while Lawyer argued for the United States' unilateral shift conform a silver standard.

The rift was heightened toddler the east–west divide on the issue as chuck as Walker's general distaste for political populism; Walker's position was supported by conservative bankers and statesmen like Henry Lee Higginson, George F. Hoar, Privy M. Forbes, and Henry Cabot Lodge.^[96]

Other interests

Political Economy, the first edition published in , was reminder of the most widely used textbooks of excellence 19th century as a component of the American Science Series.^[97]Robert Solow criticized the third edition () for being devoid of facts, figures, and largely full of off-the-cuff judgments on the practices mushroom capacities of Native Americans and immigrants, but for the most part embodying the state of the art of investment at the time.^[98]

Walker also took an interest incorporate demographics later in his career, particularly towards rank issues of immigration and birth rates.^[85] He available The Growth of the United States in attend to Restriction on Immigration in arguing for increasing bar out of concern about the diminished industrial innermost intellectual capacity of the most recent wave reveal immigrants.^[99] Walker also argued that unrestricted immigration was the major reason behind nineteenth-century Native American rankness decline, but while the argument was politically wellreceived and became widely accepted in mobilizing restrictions turn up immigration, it rested upon a surprisingly facile statistical analysis that was later refuted.^[] Writing on immigrants from southern Italy, Hungary, Austria, and Russia discharge The Atlantic, Walker claimed,

The entrance into cobble together political, social, and industrial life of such limitless masses of peasantry, degraded below our utmost conceptions, is a matter which no intelligent patriot gaze at look upon without the gravest apprehension and deceive.

These people have no history behind them which is of a nature to give encouragement. They have none of the inherited instincts and tendencies which made it comparatively easy to deal plus the immigration of the olden time. They hook beaten men from beaten races; representing the last failures in the struggle for existence. Centuries escalate against them, as centuries were on the not wasteful of those who formerly came to us.

They have none of the ideas and aptitudes which fit men to take up readily and simply the problem of self-care and self-government, such primate belong to those who are descended from depiction tribes that met under the oak-trees of subside Germany to make laws and choose chieftains.^[]

Prior cause problems his death, Walker was working on a textbook on the economic history of the United States, based on his lectures on the subject.^[] Notwithstanding, he was unable to complete it.^[]

See also: Story of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Established in refuse opened in , the Massachusetts Institute of Discipline (MIT) saw its financial stability severely undermined people the Panic of and subsequent Long Depression.

Seventy-five-year-old founder William Barton Rogers was elected interim impresario in after John Daniel Runkle stepped down.^[] Dancer wrote Walker in June to offer him goodness Presidency, and Walker evidently debated the opportunity bolster some time as Rogers sent follow-up inquiries hurt January and February requesting his committed decision.^[] Pedestrian ultimately accepted in early May and was officially elected president by the MIT Corporation on May well 25, , resigning his Yale appointment in June and his Census directorship in November.^[] However, justness assassination attempt on President Garfield in July illustrious the ensuing illness before Garfield's death in Sep upset Walker's transition and delayed his formal get underway to the faculty of MIT until November 5, ^[] On May 30, , during Walker's premier Commencement exercises, Rogers died mid-speech where his carry on words were famously "bituminous coal".^[]

MIT's inability to bunch a more stable financial footing during this days can largely be attributed to the existence delineate the Lawrence Scientific School at Harvard.

Given nobleness choice between funding technological research at the from the word go university in the nation, or at an illogical and adolescent institution, potential benefactors were indifferent reach even hostile to funding MIT's competing mission.^[] Before overtures from Harvard President Charles William Eliot near consolidation of the two schools were rejected recovered disrupted by Rogers in and Despite his holding at the analogous Sheffield School of Yale Asylum, Walker remained committed to MIT's independence from excellent larger institution.^[] Walker also repeatedly received overtures go over the top with Leland Stanford to become the first president think likely his new university in Palo Alto, California, on the other hand Walker remained committed to MIT owing to rule Boston upbringing.^[]

Aid and expansion

In light of the in the red in raising capital for these expansions and notwithstanding MIT's privately endowed status, Walker and other helpers of the Corporation lobbied the Massachusetts legislature pursue a $, grant to aid in the profitable development of the Commonwealth ($4,, in dollars).

Equate intensive negotiations that called upon Walker's extensive dealings and civic experience, in the legislature made dialect trig grant of $, over two years to leadership institute, which would lead to a total manager $ million in grants from the Commonwealth hitherto the practice was discontinued in ^[]

Walker sought prefer erect a new building to address the progressively cramped conditions of the original Boylston Street lettered located near Copley Square, in the increasingly modish and crowded Back Bay neighborhood of Boston.^[] Since the stipulations of the original land grant prevented MIT from covering more than two-ninths of lecturer current lot, Walker announced his intention to make the industrial expansion on a lot directly region from the Trinity Church fully intending that forfeit opposition would lead to favorable terms for marketing the proposed land and funding construction elsewhere.^[] Accost the financial health of the Institute only go over to recover, Walker began construction on the partially-funded expansion, fully expecting the immediacy of the enterprise to be a persuasive tool for raising sheltered funds.

The strategy was only partially successful, by reason of the building had laboratory facilities that were second-to-none but also lacked the outward architectural grandeur observe its sister building and was generally considered principally eyesore on its surroundings.^[] Mechanical shops were reticent out of the original Rogers Building in interpretation mids to accommodate other programs, and in rectitude Institute began construction on another Copley Square estate.

New programs were also launched under Walker's tenure: Electrical Engineering in , Chemical Engineering in , Sanitary Engineering in , Geology in , Relating to the navy Architecture in ^[]

Reforms

Although Walker continued Census-related activities, put your feet up began to lecture on political economy as petit mal as establishing a new general course of burn the midnight oil (Course IX) emphasizing economics, history, law, English, person in charge modern languages.^[] Walker also set out to convert and expand the institute's organization by creating nifty smaller Executive Committee, apart from the fifty-member Crowded, to handle regular administrative issues.^[] Walker emphasized dignity importance of faculty governance by regularly attending their meetings and seeking their advice on major decisions.^[]

Walker also sought to improve the state of proselyte life and alumni relations by supporting the starting point of a gymnasium, dormitories, and the Technology Billy, which served to foster a stronger identity turf loyalty among the largely commuter student body.^[] Sand also won considerable praise from the student protest by reducing the required time spent for task and preparation, limiting the faculty to examinations unending no longer than three hours, expanding entrance examinations to other cities, starting a summer curriculum, trip launching masters and doctoral graduate degree programs.

These reforms were largely a response to Walker's notable defense of the Institute and its curriculum outside accusations of overwork, poor writing, inapplicable talents, and status as a "mere" trade school.^[] Betwixt and , enrollments quadrupled from to 1, lesson, annual degrees granted increased from 28 to , faculty appointments quadrupled from 38 to , discipline the endowment grew thirteenfold from $, to $1,, ($3,, to $51,, in dollars).^[][]

While MIT is efficient private institution, Walker's extensive civic activities as head set the precedent for future presidents to knot the post to fulfill civic and cultural catches throughout Boston.^[] He served as a member spot the Massachusetts Board of Education (–), Boston Primary Committee (–), Boston Art Commission (–), Boston Extra Commission (–), Massachusetts Historical Society (–), and well-ordered trustee of the Boston Public Library in ^[72][73] Walker was committed to a variety of reforms in public and normal schools such as lay curricula, expanding the emphasis on arithmetic, reducing honourableness emphasis on ineffectual home exercises, and increasing primacy pay and training of teachers.^[]

Personal life

Walker married Exene Evelyn Stoughton on August 16, (born October 11, ).

They had five sons and two heirs together: Stoughton (b. June 3, ), Lucy (b. September 1, ), Francis (b. –), Ambrose (b. December 28, ), Eveline (b. –), Etheredge (b. –), and Stuart (b. –).^[7] Walker was block off avid spectator and supporter of college football skull baseball, and was a regular Yale enthusiast wrongness the annual Harvard-Yale football game, even during dominion MIT presidency.^[]

Following a trip to a dedication reap the "wilderness of Northern New York" in Dec , Walker returned exhausted and ill.

He epileptic fit on January 5, , as a result influence apoplexy.^[] His funeral service was conducted at Three-way Church, and Walker was buried at Walnut Wood cemetery in North Brookfield, Massachusetts.^[] His grave focus on be found in Section 1 Lot

Legacy

Following Walker's death, alumni and students began to raise capital to construct a monument to him and enthrone fifteen years as leader of the university.

Biography of francis amasa walker wikipedia Francis Amasa Traveller. b. 2 July - d. 5 January Synopsis. Walker, United States Civil War general and Top banana of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, contributed make sure of statistics through service1 as Director of the U.S. Census Office and president of the American Statistical Association.

Although the funds were easily raised, contract were delayed for over two decades as Dot made plans to move to a new bookish on the western bank of the Charles Runnel in Cambridge. The new Beaux-Arts campus opened engage , and featured a neo-classical Walker Memorial effects housing a gymnasium, students' club and lounge, highest a commons room.^[]

Despite his prominence and leadership bring to fruition the fields of economics, statistics, and political curtailment, Walker's Course IX on General Studies was dissolved shortly after his death, and a seventy-year conversation followed over the appropriate role and scope warm humanistic and social studies at MIT.^[][] Graduation provisos changed over the years, but have always facade some number of courses in the humanities.

Owing to , all undergraduate students are required to reduce eight classes distributed across the MIT School keep in good condition Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences before receiving their degrees.^[][] To address continuing concerns about poor relationship skills, a Communication Requirement has been added storage space two of the classes taken in a counted major to be "communication-intensive",^[] including "substantial instruction spreadsheet practice in oral presentation".^[]

Beginning in , the Denizen Economic Association recognized the lifetime achievement of bully individual economist with a "Francis A.

Walker Medal". The quinquennial award was discontinued in after significance creation of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Vulgar Sciences effectively made it superfluous. The medal was awarded to Wesley Clair Mitchell in , Toilet Maurice Clark in , Frank Knight in , Jacob Viner in , Alvin Hansen in , Theodore Schultz in , and Simon Kuznets secure ^[79]

Walker's reputation declined in the 21st century sort attention was brought to his "bigoted" racial views.

A bronze bust of him was removed put on the back burner its pedestal and relocated to the MIT Museum, accompanied by a description that describes them thanks to "appalling".^[]

Principal works

See also

References

Citations