On Another Side of Sweezy
by: Joyce Manansala, Communications Head of 6th International Conference
Paul Sweezy (April 10, 1910 – February 28, 2004) is best remembered for his contributions to economic theory, being the leading Marxian economist in the United States, and probably the world, during his lifetime. Robert Pollin, a professor of economics at the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachuesetts - Amherst and a student of Sweezy, shares stories about Sweezy and how he is, for him at least, the most widely recognized and respected.
Pollin tells that Paul was that superstar graduate student and junior faculty member at Harvard before he got involved in Marxian economics. He became Joseph Schumpeter’s, the renowned most prestigious economist in the world, protégé. Pollin says that in this early phase of Paul’s career, while still a graduate student, did he create the “kinked demand curve” which explained for how oligopolistic firms set their prices. Of course, as what happened, this became an important contribution to microeconomics and industrial organization.
When he became a professor, Pollin says Paul was “an amazingly clear and committed teacher but wasn’t into any kind of theatre of teaching or histrionics.” And so from 400 students showing up for class, the number goes down to 30-40 – those who really wanted to hear Paul’s versions of Marx.
Pollin tells more about Paul and the way he dressed. In Pollin’s words, “Paul was completely unadorned, completely without pretension, and paid not the slightest bit of attention to how he dressed.” It is said that his favorites included two loud short-sleeved shirts, which were orange, and blue and that he’d wear these on alternating days. His students would normally joke about this and even say, "it’s a good thing he has on his blue shirt today. Otherwise, we might be going over the material from last week’s class."
Pollin ends his thoughts on Paul being handsome in his younger years, and his attraction for women remaining powerful over the years. Paul Samuelson himself wrote about it, in an article in Newsweek called, I believe, "When Gods Strode The Earth." Samueulson was writing about a debate at Harvard between Schumpeter and Sweezy. In the article, Sweezy was referred to as “the God"-he was so smart, so rich, so handsome, and so Marxist. Even at Paul’s mid seventies, Pollin tells a story about a woman professor at a conference how she became fascinated at Paul even uttering, "Look at Sweezy. He is so beautiful."
For more information about Paul Sweezy’s major political and intellectual contributions, refer to article Remembering Paul Sweezy: "He was an Amazingly Great Man" by Robert Pollin (link below).
http://www.counterpunch.org/2004/03/06/quot-he-was-an-amazingly-great-man-quot/
