On Joan Robinson and James Meade:
We had the first Far Eastern Meeting of the Econometric Society, in the summer
of 1971 or thereabout, inviting James Meade, Michael Bruno, and Joe Stiglitz
from abroad. After the meetings were over, I organized a three-day seminar
meeting at the gracious villa of the Development Bank of Japan in Hakone. James
Meade gave an opening lecture, really a beautiful lecture, typical of him. Then
Joe Stiglitz asked him, “What Joan Robinson would say if she were here?” Meade
was quite upset and replied, with a stern voice. “I have not come this far to
hear that name!”
On Friedman and Lloyd Metzler
No, before that. When I had an offer from the University of Chicago, I was very
concerned with [Milton] Friedman. I did not want to do anything with Milton
Friedman. But Lloyd Metzler was very insistent that I come to Chicago. One day,
Metzler came to Stanford to urge me to accept the offer from Chicago. We had
lunch together and I asked him how things were done in Chicago. I asked him the
most important thing to me, that is, what were the relations between him and
Milton Friedman. Metzler said “Oh, I am getting along with Milton very well,
because I don’t pay any attention to what he says.” That was a classic statement
typical of Metzler. A few year before that, about four years before that,
Metzler suffered from a serious disease, a brain tumor, and he had a major
operation. That was the reason why I was invited to come to Chicago, because he
was the House Keynesian. So, I was invited to come to Chicago to work with him.
Here's the link.
