This is my two cents worth... I hope it addresses one issue in the original memo, namely, "Third there has to be greater alignment between research activity and Socio-economic objectives." Dear Dr. Brett: I am joining my colleagues in the History of Economics Society in requesting you that the proposal to move history of economic thought (HET) as an academic field out of the economics departments should be rescinded. Sandra Peart, the president of HES, and the executive board and many others have ably made the case that such a change would be harmful to the teaching of economics and to the research activities of scholars interested in the field. I would like to focus on another area of research which is thriving in many economics departments in the U. S. I am referring to feminist economics which has emerged as an important specialization. Its investigations and findings are used by international bodies like United Nations to formulate policies which make a real difference in the lives of women around the world. That difference is crucial for the very survival of women in poor and developing countries. An example is the "Program on Knowledge Networking and Capacity Building on Gender, Macroeconomics and International Economics" at the University of Utah which is hosted by the economics department. One of the strengths of feminist economics is to understand the weaknesses of economics as currently practiced by revealing the biases built in the making of economic theory from its inception. The androcentric hidden assumptions of the discipline can make for misguided analyses and policy prescriptions that maybe harmful to women, even if impeccable scientific tools are applied in the process. The very development of gender as a category of economic analysis is based on critically examining the history of economic thought. That does not detract from the power of economics as a science; it only enriches it. I would like to suggest that it is the purpose of universities and public institutions to encourage multi-faceted research into the economic aspects of our lives. HET and feminist economics are integral parts of some of our research programs. And so it is true for many others which my colleagues have mentioned as closely dependent on the history of economics. Removing HET from the economics departments will adversely affect their viability. Thank you. Sumitra Shah St. John's University Jamaica, NY 11439 U. S. A.