The number of classes under the economics section has dipped slightly in recent years.

"We probably have less classes than in the past," Jorgenson says, "but with a considerable rate of variety."

However, Jorgenson stresses the department's ability and willingness to offer topical courses from younger Faculty who are excited about their subject, and says the decrease in the number of courses may actually demonstrate a greater commitment of Faculty to undergraduate education.

"Though classes have been getting larger because the concentration is getting larger, we have gradually decided to concentrate on basics, teaching economic theory and econometrics," Jorgenson says. "These courses can involve as many as four professors."

Furthermore, he says, "People are more and more committed to individually supervising student research, in terms of theses," therefore spending more time with concentrators than if they were simply teaching another lecture class.

Classic Memories

Past and present graduates agree that providing a large quantity of high-quality classes is something Harvard does well.

"I think there were plenty of classes," says William S. Shin '97. "There were way too many to get a sampling of them, but in a good way."

Rita R. Riley '47 says that the tutorial system was the key to her educational experience, and that despite the war, "I could still take whatever I wanted."

Alumni say they remember the variety of classes in the course book was almost overwhelming.

"I remember as a freshman looking at the course catalog," says Joseph D. Halpern '67. "I was reading about a class on the early philosophy of Wittgenstein. I remember thinking who was Wittgenstein and why does he have any early or late philosophies?.... There was a lot of choice."

Halpern says he feels the classes available when he was here were more than satisfactory--they were entertaining.

"I had tremendous choice," Halpern says. "There were always easy classes that were popular and en vogue."

"There was a class called 'Frogs and Flicks' taught by Lawrence Wiley. That was a class basically on French culture that showed a movie every week."

"Everyone went to the class to watch the movies," Halpern says. "Nothing changes."