BUILDING
BAKER LIBRARY'S
COLLECTIONS

Baker Old Class Collection: Historical Business Games

Immediately following the establishment of the Harvard Business School in 1908, books and periodicals were purchased to support teaching and research. Over time, the collection has grown to include trade publications, government documents, corporate histories and publications, and business directories from the late 19th century to the first decades of the 20th century. Ongoing efforts to grow the collection focus on building on its strengths and expanding its scope to include non-traditional sources. The historical business games on display are useful for the study of economics and merchandising.

Angell, Norman. The Money Game, How to Play It: A New Instrument of Economic Education. New York: E. P. Dutton & Co., 1929.

First published in 1928, six years before Monopoly, The Money Game is a book on money, a discussion of economic theory, and a game. The player’s goal is to either break the bank or earn the largest return on their investments at the end of the game.

Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company. Blondie Goes to Leisureland: A Westinghouse Game. Mansfield, Ohio: Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Co., 1940.

The goal of this game is to reach “Leisureland,” where an “all-electric home” awaits to ease the burden of household chores. While electrical appliances made housework less demanding, they did not fundamentally shift responsibility for the tasks away from women.

Kress Collection: Translations of Economic Works

The Kress Collection of Business and Economics, first introduced in 1938, serves as a valuable resource for scholars across many fields. The collection includes various business and economics materials from the 15th to the 20th century. Active efforts to grow the collection and broaden its international scope continue. Translations of key works are essential to understanding the dissemination and interpretation of economic thought.

Smith, Adam. An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations. 2 vols. London: Printed for W. Strahan, and T. Cadell, 1776.

Smith, Adam. Vizsgálódás a Nemzeti Vagyonosság Természetérol és Okairól. 5 vols. Translated by Enyedy Lukács and Pólya Jakab. Budapest: Pallas Irodalmi és Nyomdai Részvénytársaság, 1891-1894.

This Hungarian translation, one of the earliest translations of Wealth of Nations in Eastern Europe, was completed decades before translations in other countries in the former Eastern bloc. Lukács Enyedi, a national economic writer, and Jakab Pólya, a lawyer and academic, translated it, with an introduction by renowned economist

Marx, Karl. Das Kapital: Kritik der Politischen Oekonomie. Erster Band. Buch 1. Der Produktionsprocess des Kapitals. Hamburg: Verlag von Otto Meissner; New-York: L. W. Schmidt, 1867.

Marx, Karl. Il Capitale, Critica dell’Economia Politica. Translated by Gerolamo Boccardo. In Biblioteca dell’Economista: Raccolta delle Più Pregiate Opere Moderne Italiane e Straniere di Economia Politica. Torino: Unione Tipografico-Editrice, 1886.

This first Italian translation of Das Kapital was published in 1886 after being serialized in the journal Biblioteca dell’Economista from 1882 to 1884. In doing the translation, Geralamo Boccardo, editor of the journal since 1876, shifted the series away from classical economic works. Although it was the standard Italian translation for almost a century, Boccardo’s work was primarily circulated among academics and had limited impact among

HBS Faculty Collections: Andrew F. Brimmer Papers

The Harvard Business School (HBS) Archives collects the papers of faculty to document the history and impact of HBS research and teaching. These collections provide insight into the evolution and impact of business theory and education from the founding of the school in 1908 to the present day. Baker Library recently acquired and made available the papers of distinguished economist and monetary policy expert Andrew Brimmer (1926-2012), who was the Carroll-Ford Visiting Professor of Business at Harvard Business School from 1974 to 1976. The extensive collection documents his work as an academic, economist, and economic consultant with his firm Brimmer & Company.

Members of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, ca. 1972. Andrew F. Brimmer papers. 

In 1966, Andrew Brimmer (standing, second from right) was appointed to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Previously, he served in the Kennedy Administration as deputy assistant and assistant secretary for economic affairs at the U.S. Department of Commerce. He served on the Federal Reserve Board until joining the HBS faculty in 1974.

Brimmer, Andrew F., et al. The Neglected Black Majority. S.l. : A. P. Randolph Educational Fund, 1971.

Brimmer was a prolific writer and speaker on economic and financial issues. Copies of his speeches and reports on such issues as monetary policy and economic development are part of the collection. During his career, Brimmer wrote and published more than 100 articles and authored 10 books on topics ranging from general economics to international finance. 

HBS Administrative Records: Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad

The Harvard Business School (HBS) Archives collects records that document the school’s history and global impact. The collection includes administrative, operational, programmatic, and academic records, providing documentary evidence of decisions, program development, and pivotal events. Among the vast collections are records of international schools that HBS helped establish. The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) was founded in 1961 as a partnership between HBS, the Government of India, and the Ford Foundation. HBS faculty members were sent to Ahmedabad to help set up the program, develop the curriculum, and train local faculty. The IIMA records contain materials related to this partnership, including documentation of curriculum development, school policies, and the architecture and design of the campus.

Indian Institute of Management pamphlet, undated. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad records.

Since the 1930s, Harvard Business School (HBS) has helped establish graduate schools of business around the globe. This effort intensified after World War II, with HBS helping found schools in Italy, Turkey, Japan, Mexico, Switzerland, Spain, France, and India. The partnerships allowed HBS to expand its knowledge of global business issues, enhance case writing, and train international faculty in the case method. 

Kamla Chowdhry (detail), program catalog, 1963. Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad records. 

Kamla Chowdhry (1920-2006) was an Indian educator and social psychologist. She was invited by Vikram Sarabhai, a prominent Indian scientist and entrepreneur, to help establish the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) in 1961. She was also a visiting professor at Harvard Business School in 1968. The IIMA archives include extensive correspondence between Chowdhry and HBS faculty and administrators about IIMA courses, faculty, and teaching. 

Indian Institute of Management, 1975. HBS Archives Photograph Collection: Subject Files & Events.

The Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA) campus was designed by renowned architect Louis Kahn. The IIMA archives include records documenting the architectural plans and design decisions for the campus, as well as design decisions for the IIMA logo.

Contemporary Business Archives: Muriel Siebert Collection

Documenting the contributions of women business leaders and entrepreneurs is a priority for Baker Library’s contemporary archival collecting program. The Muriel Siebert papers, donated in 2020, include Siebert’s personal and professional records, of particular note, are the extensive video and audio recordings of interviews and presentations.

Muriel Siebert (1928-2013), an American businesswoman, was the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange and the first woman to own and direct a brokerage firm that was a member of the NYSE. She was a pioneer in the discount brokerage field. Throughout her career, Muriel Siebert was actively involved with a wide range of non-profit, civic and women’s organizations serving as a prominent mentor, strong advocate and role model for women in business. Her philanthropy was well known, particularly her commitment to promoting financial literacy.

Muriel Siebert at the New York Stock Exchange, 1960s. Muriel Siebert Collection.

In 1954, Muriel Siebert came to New York City, joining Bache and Co., as a researcher. She moved rapidly through several brokerage firms before establishing her own firm, Siebert & Company, in 1969. On December 28, 1967, Siebert became the first woman to own a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, joining 1,365 male members. She remained the sole female member for ten years. 

Truth in Savings brochure, 1980s. Muriel Siebert collection. 

Governor Hugh Carey appointed Siebert as New York Superintendent of Banking in 1977. The first woman to hold the post, she managed all the banks in the state during a particularly volatile time. In the Iranian hostage crisis, Siebert directed the effort to freeze Iranian assets in NYC banks. As Superintendent, she emphasized efforts to educate citizens on financial issues. 

Muriel Siebert Senate brochure, 1982. Muriel Siebert collection. 

Siebert announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate in May 1982, running as a Republican for the Senate seat of Daniel Patrick Moynihan. With the slogan 'Muriel Siebert Knows the Economy and How to Put It to Work for You', she positioned herself as a skilled businesswoman who could make the hard decisions in a time of economic malaise. She finished second in the Republican primary. 

Contemporary Business Archives: Henri Termeer Papers

A significant lack of records documenting the modern global business world severely limits possibilities for academic research. To address this, Baker Library is actively working to collect the archival records of innovative companies and leaders who have played important roles in the contemporary business environment and in shaping their individual industries.

As chairman and CEO of Cambridge-based Genzyme, Inc., Henri Termeer (1946-2017) was a recognized leader and pioneer in the biotechnology field. Joining the firm as president in 1983, Termeer led Genzyme to become one of the world’s largest biotechnology companies and a pioneering developer of treatments for rare genetic diseases, helping to cement the reputation of Massachusetts as a hub of biotech research and development. The Henri Termeer papers contain a wide array of archival records documenting Termeer’s leadership of Genzyme and his role as an advocate and mentor within the global biotechnology industry.

Henri Termeer and Senator Ted Kennedy, undated. Henri Termeer papers. 

In the 1990s, Termeer championed the orphan drug movement, promoting the needs of rare disease patients. Recognizing the importance of government, particularly in supporting R&D investment, he became a vocal advocate for representing the interests of Genzyme and the biotechnology industry to Congress. Termeer worked closely with Senator Ted Kennedy, one of the nation’s top healthcare legislators. 

Cerezyme product monograph cover, 1998. Henri Termeer papers.

In 1991, the FDA approved the first treatment for Gaucher disease, a rare genetic disease. Genzyme’s drug, Ceredase, reversed symptoms and halted the disease for patients who had suffered for years. It was Genzyme’s most successful product and a key milestone in its history. Cerezyme was the successor drug to Ceredase. Many HBS cases have been written on Genzyme.

Historical Business Manuscripts: Henry Villard Collection

Baker Library's holdings include significant collections of historical business records that document the development of American capitalism in the 19th and 20th centuries. Collections such as the Henry Villard business papers detail the emergence of railroads, utilities, and other industries that were key to the dynamic growth of the American economy. Henry Villard (1835-1900) was a financier who organized syndicates that invested heavily in the railroad industry after the Civil War. In 1881, Villard acquired a controlling interest in the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, one of the first transcontinental rail lines. Harvard first acquired the Villard papers by donation from his heirs in 1922. Later additions, including one received by gift in 2023, have enhanced the collection. The Villard papers, particularly an extensive set of letter books containing his outgoing correspondence, provide insight into a volatile period of expansion in the American West.

Travelogue kept by Lord Carrington, August-December 1883.

Lord Carrington (Charles Robert Wynn-Carrington, 1843-1928) was a member of the British delegation invited to join Villard’s Northern Pacific excursion. Carrington candidly describes his impressions of America, including his transcontinental crossing and the cities of the eastern and northwestern U.S. and Canada. The volume was donated to Baker Library in 2023 by a descendant of Henry Villard.

Villard Arch, Fargo, 1883. Henry Villard business papers. 

Photographer F. Jay Haynes captured images as the Villard excursion crossed the Northern Pacific’s new line. Haynes’s photographs were later released as a published set. By publicizing and romanticizing the railroad, Villard hoped to encourage development and settlement along its route.

Historical Business Manuscripts: Reed & Barton Collection

The historical business manuscripts collections at Baker Library offer a comprehensive view of American industry and manufacturing from the late 18th to the 20th century. The records of Reed & Barton, a noted silver goods manufacturer founded in 1824 in Taunton, Massachusetts, illustrate the library’s continuing efforts to build its business manuscripts holdings. Reed & Barton donated its earliest records to the library in 1940; a significant addition was acquired in 2016, upon the company’s bankruptcy and final dissolution. The Reed & Barton collection includes financial accounts, board minutes, advertising, and other materials that document the company’s nearly 200 years of operation. Like most of the library's historical business records, the Reed & Barton collection contains rich evidence for the study of diverse subjects, including technology, innovation, labor and management, design and culture, and business practice.

Reed & Barton price book, ca. 1900. Reed & Barton additional records. 

The price book was used in the factory to record product lines, styles, and patterns. Manufacturing companies like Reed & Barton maintained extensive production records to monitor their output and track supplies, orders, and inventory.

Product photograph from “Sterling Silver Catalog No. 1”, ca. 1895. Reed & Barton records. 

The Reed & Barton records are particularly strong in advertising materials, such as this 1890s cataog image. 

Reed & Barton. 'The Silver Lining' employee newsletter, VII, no. 12 (May 1949).  Reed & Barton additional records. 

'The Silver Lining,' Reed & Barton's employee newsletter, was published from the 1940s to the 1990s. It contained updates on human resources issues, product news, and social activities. Company newsletters in Baker's special collections provide insight into corporate culture and management decision-making.