List Members,
I too would like to recall Mark Blaug.  I presented a paper at the HES annual meeting held at Carnegie Mellon in 1984 (as I recall).  My paper
argued that there are "philosophical foundations" of the Classical School.  The room was very full and there sat Mark right in the middle.
As soon as my presentation was done  Mark moved for my jugular.  Other scholars in the room jumped in saving me from I thought
would be certain ruin.  Years later at the British HES in 1998 I presented a paper on Malthus, again, and it too argued for philosphical 
influences.  That meeting was held at the University of Bath and the occasion was typical of why I truly enjoyed attending HES 
meetings until a few years ago.  There were a small number of people in attendance.  Every day after sessions we headed to the 
pub and then to dinner.  This allowed for much conversation.  One evening I was seated next to Mark while having a beer and he 
told me that he remembered the earlier occasion and that he completely agreed now that there are philosophical influences and 
encouraged me to continue my research and writing pointing these out.  He was my "ultimate" dissertation advisor.  His Economic
Theory in Retrospect was a book that was capable of producing a solid theoretician.  His ability to change is his hallmark.  The
humanities in economics has suffered big losses this year including Mark.

Mark represents the great idea that the founders of HES aspired to:  Use the occasion as a way to support scholars in the history of 
thought.  Avoid petty destructive criticism.  Make positive contributions to the work of others.  I believe that some more modern
members have lost sight of this value.

Scot Stradley






Scot A. Stradley, Ph.D.
Professor of Finance
Offutt School of Business
Concordia College
Moorhead, MN 56562

________________________________________
From: Societies for the History of Economics [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Steve Kates [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Monday, November 21, 2011 6:28 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [SHOE] Mark Blaug

I would just like to say a few words about Mark. He apparently had a reputation for being hard and difficult but my own experience was of someone who was generous with his time and willing to help someone trying to think through difficult problems in the history of thought, and this was when I was merely a PhD candidate just beginning my work in the field. I had always been intimidated by his Economic Theory in Retrospect which even when I was at university, was the touchstone of what I thought it meant to be a true scholar. It set a standard I knew I could never hope to repeat. It is the only book from my university days that still sits on my shelf. I am very sorry to hear that he has passed away. Economics has lost one of its great historians.

Dr Steven Kates
School of Economics, Finance
    and Marketing
RMIT University
Level 12 / 239 Bourke Street
Melbourne Vic 3000

Phone: (03) 9925 5878
Mobile: 042 7297 529


>>> Roger Backhouse <[log in to unmask]> 11/21/2011 9:54 am >>>
Ruth Towse has just given me the news that Mark died, peacefully at
home, on November 18th. He had been very ill for the past year.

Many of us will remember Mark, and he will be greatly missed.

Roger Backhouse