author
Richard T. (Richard Theodore) Ely
1854–1943
A leading American economist of the Progressive Era, he argued that scholarship should help solve real social problems. His teaching, writing, and public advocacy helped shape the reform-minded spirit later known as the Wisconsin Idea.
1 Audiobook
French and German Socialism in Modern Times
by Richard T. (Richard Theodore) Ely
About the author
Born in Ripley, New York, in 1854, Richard Theodore Ely became one of the best-known American economists of his time. He studied at Columbia University and then earned a doctorate at the University of Heidelberg, bringing German historical and social approaches to economics into American academic life.
Ely taught at Johns Hopkins University before moving to the University of Wisconsin, where he became a major figure in public-facing scholarship. He believed economists should not stay on the sidelines, and he argued that government could play a constructive role in addressing labor conditions, education, and other social problems. He was also an important organizer in the profession, helping found the American Economic Association.
Alongside his academic work, Ely wrote widely for students and general readers, producing textbooks and books on political economy, labor, taxation, property, and social reform. Today he is remembered both as a prominent economist and as a key voice in the Progressive movement in the United States.