Approaching it from the other direction, there was also Keynes observing
in early 1909 that he had delivered his first economics lecture at
Cambridge "before an enormous and cosmopolitan audience – there must have
been at least fifteen, I think, but a good many of them really had no
business there, I am afraid, and I shall have to tell them that the
lectures are not suitable to their needs" (Keynes to Grant, 19 January
1909, in Harrod's 1951 biography, page 147).

Bob

On Thu, September 8, 2011 15:16, luigino bruni wrote:
> I know a similar story about Pareto: in his classes of "advanced pure
> economics" in Lausanne there were only 2 students attending. But I don't
> know if he stopped lecturing. Luigino
>
> 2011/9/8 michael perelman <[log in to unmask]>
>
>
>> I recall reading a story in one of the Adam Smith books about a
>> professor who did not have to lecture because students did not attend.
>> One day students blindsided him by coming to class, but the professor
>> dismissed the class for lack of a quorum.  Is this my memory or my
>> imagination?
>>
>> --
>> Michael Perelman
>> Economics Department
>> California State University
>> Chico, CA
>> 95929
>>
>>
>> 530 898 5321
>> fax 530 898 5901 http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
>>
>>
>