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David (Paul A.) papers
SC1610
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Contributing Institution:
Department of Special Collections and University Archives
Title: Paul A. David papers
Identifier/Call Number: SC1610
Physical Description:
40.5 (27 cartons) Linear Feet
Date (inclusive): 1950-2010
Physical Location: Special Collections and University
Archives materials are stored offsite and must be paged 48 hours in advance. For more
information on paging collections, see the department's website:
http://library.stanford.edu/spc.
Language of Material:
English .
Paul A. David (1935-2023) was an economic historian at Stanford best known for his research
on technological change and how it affects social and economic behavior. A professor
emeritus of economics in the School of Humanities and Sciences, David led the effort to
found the Center for Economic Policy Research, now called the Stanford Institute for
Economic Policy Research, and served as a senior fellow there.
Paul David earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard University in 1956 and then
spent two years studying economic history at the University of Cambridge as a Fulbright
scholar. In 1958, he returned to Harvard to pursue a doctorate. In 1961, he accepted a job
offer from Stanford as an assistant professor of economics. He earned tenure in 1966 and
became a full professor in 1969.
In 1978, he was appointed the William Robertson Coe Professor of American Economic History.
From 1979 to 1983, David served as chair of the Department of Economics. During this time,
he proposed the creation of the Center for Economic Policy Research. He chaired the planning
group for the center.
David authored or co-authored hundreds of articles and book chapters and co-edited several
books. He served on the editorial boards of roughly 10 journals, including those of the
Journal of Economic History, Explorations in Economic History, and Historical Methods. He
also was editor of Economics of Innovation and New Technology.
Among his many honors, he was a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the
Econometric Society, the American Philosophical Society, and the British Academy. He served
terms as president of the Economic History Association and president of the Western Economic
Association International. He was a Guggenheim Fellow from 1975 to 1976.
In 1994, David was elected a senior research fellow at All Souls College at the University
of Oxford and for the next decade split his time between Oxford and Stanford. When he
officially retired from Stanford in 2002, he was appointed the first senior fellow at the
Oxford Internet Institute, where he remained active until 2008.
https://humsci.stanford.edu/feature/paul-david-who-made-stanford-leading-center-economic-history-dies-87
While University Archives is the owner of the physical and/or digital items, permission to
examine collection materials is not an authorization to publish. These materials are made
available for use in research, teaching, and private study. Any transmission or reproduction
beyond that allowed by fair use requires permission from the owners of rights, heir(s) or
assigns.
Materials are open for research use. Audio-visual materials are not available in original
format, and must be reformatted to a digital use copy.
[identification of item] Paul A. David papers (SC1610). Dept. of Special Collections and
University Archives, Stanford University Libraries, Stanford, Calif.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Administrative transfer, 2022.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Economics -- United States -- Studying and Teaching.