New York University School of Commerce - Commerce Violet Yearbook (New York, NY)

Page 29 text:

Business English HE Department of Business English continues to carry forward the aims promulgated in 1908 when the hrst course in business writing was offered at New York University. At that time the idea was advanced that in a pro- fessional school English can best be learned through tl1e practical application of the principles of rhetoric to specihc business problems. It was felt, too, that men with business experience - complemented, of course, by a full background in English grammar and rhetoric - were better equipped to teach these courses than were men wl1o had only a11 academic training. Not only have these ideas been carried forward by tl1e School of Commerce to the present day, but they have been adopted by other professional colleges as well. A, Earle lX-Ianville The curriculum of the department includes courses Clmiirmgm in the construction of business letters, in the writing of accountants, letters and reports, and in public speaking. The courses in public speaking are de signed to train tl1e student to prepare and present the type of speeches that are usually demanded in business, social, and community life. Economies HEN the School of Commerce was organized this Department of Economics was the only one of its kind in New York University. Sometime later, about IQQ3, the nucleus of the Economics was formed by members of our department. A few years later the Economics Depart- ment at the Heights was started by taking members from the Commerce department. In recent years a small department of economics has been formed in the School of Business Administration and in the Graduate School of Liberal Arts. The first chairman of tl1e Economics Department was John F. Johnson, He was followed by Willard Fisher, and then by James D. Magee. Dr. Walter E. Spahr was appoint- ed chairman in 1927. The most important change in depart- 1 ment technique, since Dr. Spahr became chairman, has been to have departmental questions passed on by members of the staff, rather than to have the chairman act as the head. This has made for greater democracy of administration in the de- partment. Another important change has been in the teaching of Statistics. Years ago little stress was laid upon this sub- ject but now three consecutive years of statistics are given. Elementary economics has been made a two-year' course. The fourth change was to create staff assis- tants, including two senior assistants and four junior assistants, all of whom are VValter E. Spahr graduate students. C7wi1'11w11 27

Page 28 text:

Accounting HE preeminence of the School of Commerce among collegiate schools of business is largely attributable to the excellence of its Department of Account- ing. Founded in 1900 by William H. Dennis, the department was successively ww-w'-G under tl1e chairn1anship of john R. VVild- man and Dean john T. Madden. Pro- fessor Arthur H. Rosenkampff is the present cl1airman. 'Www-Q, The elementary courses in accounting are designed for students desiring a gen- eral knowledge of the subject. The ad- vanced courses, on the other hand, serve to prepare students 1II?lj01NIIlg i11 acco1111ting for tl1e C.P.A. examinations, under the theory that Arthur H. Rosenkam pff C11 nirm an one trained for public accountancy, as epitomized in these examinations, will be capable of enter- ing almost any branch of private accountancy. A recent innovation, typical of the departments constant revision and improvement of sub- ject matter and method, is tl1e practice of presenting to students the last fo11r problems in the advanced accounting problems co11rse under actual C.P.A., examination conditions. Both its world-wide reputation and the highly successful business careers of its many former students testify to tl1e success of the Accounting Department. Banking and Finance OURSES in finance were given at the School of Connnerce long before the Department of Banking and Finance was formerly organized in 1915. For a time courses were given by a faculty of two, Dean joseph French johnson and Dr. Frederick A. Cleveland, the former giving courses in banking and the latter courses in corporation Hnance. I11vestment courses were added in 1904. Among the early lecturers in investments were Mr. Frank A. Vanderlip, Mr. Albert V. Atwood, and Mr. Lawrence Chamberlain. The subjects of real estate and insurance were added in 1905. Mr. Edward R. Hardy was the Hrst insurance lecturer and is still a member of the department faculty. In 1913-14, Mr. David E. Golieb gave lectures in the subjects of credit and collections. Mr. Golieb, also, is still a member of the department faculty. Formal organization of the Banking and Finance Department took place in 1915 when Dr. Charles VV. Gerstenberg became its head. Under Dr. Gerstenberg considerable expansion of the various courses took place. The subject of Federal Taxes was added to the curriculum in 1919. In the general reorganization of the faculty in 1923, Professor Major B. Foster, formerly of the Department of Economies, became chairman of this department. Since that time the de- partment has kept pace with the school in meeting the greatly increased demands for instruction and has expanded the several Helds taught into complete programs of specialization and in addition, has added a complete program of graduate work. Major B. Foster Chairman 26

Page 30 text:

General Courses ESIGNED to furnish business students with the cultural training so essential to the well-informed business man, the General Course Department was organized in September, 1926. This department gives a series of survey courses embracing the Helds of litera- ture, history, mathematics, science, psychology, so- ciology, art, government, public speaking, and ethics, all of which attempt to acquaint tl1e student broadly with the best thought in these helds. Before the General Department was organized, the curriculum of the School of Commerce consisted primarily of courses in business subjects. As a result, both on the advice of alumni and faculty, it was decided that the curriculum at Commerce was DOE broad enough to prepare the graduate to take his proper place in social affairs. Therefore, the faculty introduced into the curriculum tl1e survey type of cultural course that has now been so widely adopted . .. lEIl l.K'llIl by other universities. C Mau 1 C U Clmiiwmiz Journalism OR twenty-nine years the Department of journalism has been carrying on an important pro- gram. lnaugurated by Dean joseph F. Johnson of the School of Co1n1nerce, Accounts and Finance in 1911, the department was first headed by james M. Lee. Besides being author of History of American jozmmlism, which is used by the department today, Professor Lee also wrote Opportunities in the ATGZUSIJIIPU7' Bfzzsiness and other i1nportant books on journalism. Under his leadership, the department widened tl1e scope and improved the quality of the courses offered. When Professor Lee died in 1929, Professor Henry Bailey Rathbone was appointed to succeed him as chairman. The department con- tinued to build its reputation as a leading school of journalism, and the en- rollment of journalism majors soon ranked with those of the Departments of Accounting, Marketing, Law, and other important divisions in the School of COIHITIGFCC. On the staff of the department are to be found some of the leading journalists of today. Last year Professor Gregory Mason's book, Remembei' the Maine, was published by Henry Holt and Company. Mr. Mason is an assistant professor of journalism. The Biography of Daniel -W-W-aww ,.,..,. . Boone by Professor john Bakeless, con- taining documentary material never be- fore presented in printed form, made its fr Henry B. Rathbone appearance in the latter part of August, Clzztirmcm receiving wide acclaim in literary circles. 28