History of The Review

Since its inception, the Board of Editors of the Review of Economic Studies has functioned independently of any university department or learned society. The Review of Economic Studies is essential reading for economists. It is one of the core economics journals, consistently ranking among the top five titles.

Joan Robinson
©Ramsey and Muspratt/ Wikimedia Commons

The inaugural meeting of the Board of Editors took place on the afternoon of Tuesday 17th January 1933 and was hosted by the London School of Economics.

At this meeting the Board elected the theorist Harold Barger as its first chairman and the founding Managing Editors were Abba Lerner, Walter Rudlin and Paul Sweezy. The other founding members of the board were Solomon Adler, R. Allen, Ralph Arakie, A. Emanuel, L. Fraser, R. Goldsmith, John Hicks, W. Handler, M. Joseph, Nicholas Kaldor, A. Neumann, Joan Robinson, C. Walker and Ursula Webb Hicks.

An electronic copy of the founding document setting out the rules according to which the Board and the Journal would operate is available, as is a transcribed version.

Rules

  1. The object of the Review is to supplement the facilities for the publication of new work on theoretical and applied economics, particularly by young writers.
  2. The policy and management of the Review are entirely independent of any institution or school of thought.
  3. The management of the Review is in the hands of an Editorial Committee and a Consultative Board.
  4. The Editorial Committee is responsible for all executive work, apart from the management of subscriptions, but including publication. At least one member shall be resident in the USA.
  5. The Editorial Board is primarily a consultative body but is ultimately responsible for policy decisions. Any member who becomes a Reader or Professor in a British University must resign his membership.
  6. Joint meetings of the Committee and Board shall be held at least twice, yearly, to review the financial position and to take decisions on editorial and business policy.
  7. In the event of the cessation of the publication or winding up of the organisation neither the members of the committee nor the board shall have any claim whatever in the assets of the organisation, which will be offered by the Board to educational institutions.

Transcribed version of the founding document.

Current & Past Board Members

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The information provided is accurate to the best knowledge of the current directors, but those with corrections or other relevant information are encouraged to contact the directors via the Editorial Office at ann.law@restud.com.