Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Abraham Berglund Papers, Accession #1984-c, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection is an archival transfer from the Papers of the Bursar Office to the Albert and Shirley Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia in 1994.

Biographical/Historical Information

Abraham Berglund, a professor of commerce and business administration at the University of Virginia, (1922-) was born in San Francisco, California on December 10, 1875 to Hans Berglund and Anna Christina Berglund and died on May 28, 1942. His parents were natives of Sweden. His father, who engaged in the shipping industry in San Francisco, was a noted world traveler, and his mother also had traveled extensively.

Professor Berglund received his B. A. degree in 1904 from the University of Chicago and was a student of [Dr. Laughlin], Dr. Thorstein Veblen, and H. J. Davenport. He developed a lifelong passion for economic inquiry. He became a graduate student in economics at Columbia University and was awarded the degree of doctor of philosophy in 1907. At Columbia he was a student of Professor John Bates Clark who greatly influenced Professor Berglund with his teaching and research.

Also in 1907 he married Miss Edna Margery Glass of Winfield, Kansas. Professor Berglund taught at the Cathedral School (St. John the Divine) and at the New York Military School in Manlius. His thesis was a notable investigation of the United States Steel Corporation. It was noted for its high merit and industrial analysis. In 1922 he began his career of research, writing and teaching economics at the James Wilson School of Economics and the McIntire School of Commerce, at the University of Virginia.

Scope and Content

This collection contains 106 items, 0.5 linear feet, and is chiefly concerned with the correspondence of University of Virginia Professor Abraham Berglund from the Economics Department in the James Wilson School of Economics and the McIntire School of Commerce from 1917 to 1931 in Charlottesville, Virginia.

There are five letters from Professor Berglund to the President   of the University of Virginia, Edwin Anderson Alderman, notifying the President   (as requested) about the publication of Professor Berglund's article in the Quarterly Journal of Economics and mentioning the difficulties in the department due to the resignation of [Professor Hawkins]. Berglund writes that he would like to meet with the President   to discuss "certain matters of a departmental character." (December 1, 1923) Other letters to President   Alderman from Professor Berglund concern the future needs of the Economics Department (February 21, 1924); requests for building costs of an Ocean Freight Carrier and Passenger Steamer from a colleague of President   Alderman (November 11, 1924), mention of a questionnaire from [Professor Marshall] (December 11,1925) (questionnaire not included); a rough draft of a letter answering a request for feedback on the subject of freshman residences (n.d.), and a letter of support for University Librarian Harry Clemons to remain at the University of Virginia instead of accepting a position at his Alma Mater, Wesleyan College (December 7, 1928).

There are also letters in the collection asking Professor Berglund for references and letters of introduction for several students and colleagues including George Talmage Starnes (October 11, 1924), Herman P. Thomas (April 19, 1924, October 3, 1924, November 2, 1924, 1925), Raymond B. Pinchbeck (February 20,1925, February 25, 1925, March 19, 1925) E. C. Crowell (March 1, 1924, May 2, 1926), and W. Edwards Beach (February 28,1925).

There are letters from Professor Berglund to leaders in the Steel Corporation, Railroad Industry (December 6, 1928), Ship Building Industry and United States Commerce Department, requesting statistical information and data for articles and books that he is writing on various aspects of the economic industry. Some of these correspondents are Senator Claude A. Swanson for copies of the Merchant Marine Acts passed by Congress in 1920 (December 5, 1928), Judge E. H. Gary, United States Steel Corporation (December 31, 1923, January 2, 1924), Mr. W. J. Filbert, Comptroller, United States Steel Corporation (March 25, 1924), Waller R. Staples, Counsel Norfolk & Western Railway (April 4, 1924), L. Van Middlesworth, Vice President   of the Operating Department, United States Shipping Board (May 24,1924, July 11, 1925), and the Bureau of Labor Statistics (December 1, 1923).

There is correspondence regarding faculty and teaching at the University of Virginia including a list of students whose thesis Professor Berglund has approved (May 15, 1925), and academic forms including forms for absences. Topics in these letters include advice on dissertations (October 2, 1924, January 20, 1925, February 3, 1925), advice on helping a particular student with low grades (January 29, 1924), extension classes (July 27,1925), salaries (July 22, 1925), a schedule of examinations (September 6, 1924), controversies about faculty reporting income tax (February 17, 1932), a review of E. D. McCallum's book, "The Iron and Steel Industry in the United States " by Abraham Berglund (March 8, 1932), suggestions for textbooks (July 4, 1924, September 27, 1924, December 30, 1924, September 5, 1925, September 19, 1925), invitations to esteemed members of society to lecture in Professor Berglund's classes including William S. Battle and Judge E. E. Cassell (July 1, 1924), as well as Francis Edward Steele (April 14, 1924), a list of Professor Berglund's publications that has to be turned in to Professor Ivey Forman Lewis (May 5,1924, June 30, 1926). Other academic faculty correspondents include George B. Zehmer (July 22, 27, 1925), Charles G. Maphis (November 14, 1924, November 27, 1924), John C. Metcalf (May 15, 1925), Davis R. Dewey (December 6, 1928), Albert G. A. Balz (May 28, 1929), and James S. Wilson, Acting Assistant to Dean (September 12, 1924).

There are also letters among colleagues giving praise and criticisms to Professor Berglund or requesting copies of Professor Berglund's articles. Correspondents include Paul M. Tyler (December 18, 1923), Meredith B. Givens (September 11, 1924, February 8, 1925, February 25, 1925), Albion W. Small (October 1, 1924), E. L. Bogart (April 8, 1930), William S. Ripley (October 20, 1923), Vanderveer Custis (August 24, 1924), Julius Klein (March 7, 1928), and William Frank Taussig from Harvard (October 4, 1923, April 2, 1924, April 9, 1924, October 8, 1924).

There is friendly correspondence from colleagues of Professor Berglund, including one letter from Tipton Snavely in which Snavely describes his trip to the University of Texas for a conference. He writes that he met some students from Washington and Lee on the train who had just finished a heavy night of drinking and "they left all of their fire water behind them or drank it all perhaps." (June 13, 1924)

Another friendly correspondence is from Hugh E. Agnew (August 26, 1917) in which he describes that he is encountering businessman who accuse the University of Virginia of teaching socialism and that it is difficult for the University to receive funding with this being a prominent perception outside the community. Agnew writes, "I'm glad to hear that you have something that is likely to improve conditions there, for it is certainly a close approximation to hades for many members of the faculty the way it is now. Besides the University is getting a bad name with other institutions."

There are also letters about Berglund's support for certain legislation including the National Child Labor Amendment which gives Congress the power to restrict persons under eighteen years of age from working (January 3, 1925); the work of Senator Claude A. Swanson for America to become a member nation of the World Court (April 6, 1928); and a petition and request for support of Thorstein Veblen to become President of the American Economics Association (May 23, 1925).

Under Miscellaneous, there is a Certification of Membership for Professor Berglund to Alpha Kappa Psi Fraternity.