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Bureau of Business and Economic Research records

 Collection
Identifier: A091

Overview

In 1939, Northeastern University (NU) became the first private institution in the country to found a Bureau of Business Research. The Bureau was created to "...make studies and conduct research into the problems of New England business development, expansion of the New England market for New England industry...and investigations into special problems of individual business concerns..." (NU Review, Nov/Dec. 1939, Vol. 1, No. 2). The Bureau began under the guidance of Dr. Asa S. Knowles, then dean of the College of Business Administration, the parent College for the Bureau. In 1952, Dr. William H. Miernyk took over the administration of the Bureau, changed the name to the Bureau of Business and Economic Research (BBER), and revived interest in the organization among the business and economics faculty at NU. By 1959, the BBER had several ongoing research projects with particular emphasis on studies of managerial accounting for smaller businesses. After Dr. Miernyk's departure in 1961, Dr. Dean S. Ammer served first as Acting Director in 1961 and then as Director of the BBER from 1962 onwards, taking the BBER towards even larger projects involving long term international economic studies, automation studies, and the publication of a monthly newsletter for businesses involved in the NU Cooperative Education program. In 1966, the BBER began to struggle with staffing and administration difficulties as its parent Department of Economics shifted from the College of Business Administration to the College of Liberal Arts. The BBER survived through the 1980s finally dissolving due to diminishing student and faculty interest.



Dates

  • Creation: 1955-1977

Creator

Conditions Governing Access:

The collection is unrestricted

Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use:

Requests for permission to publish material from this collection should be discussed with the University Archivist.

Extent

0.30 cubic feet (1 container)

Language

English

System of Arrangement:

Alphabetical

Physical Location

32/4

Related Materials:

There is supplementary information about the BBER in Office of the President (Knowles) records (A003).
Mention of the BBER can also be found in other Northeastern publications such as the Faculty Newsletter (87/1), The Federal Relations Reporter (87/5), Northeastern University Business Topics (87/5), the Faculty Handbook (87/1) and The Evening NUs (87/3).

Bibliography

  • Antoinette Frederick, Northeastern University: An Emerging Giant: 1959-1975, Boston: Northeastern University Custom Book Program, 1982.
  • Northeastern University, Northeastern University Review November/December 1939, Volume 1, Number 2.
Title
Finding aid for the Bureau of Business and Economic Research Records
Author
Finding aid prepared by Hanna Clutterbuck
Date
April 2006
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Northeastern University Archives and Special Collections Repository

Contact:
Snell Library
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston MA 02115 US