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Louis M. Hacker

Economic historian

Correspondence, annotated notebooks and portrait silhouettes prepared for research
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Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 1, 2026
Entity authorityQ23662211
Source-derived summary

Louis Morton Hacker (March 17, 1899 – March 22, 1987) was an American economic historian, Professor of Economics at Columbia University, and founding dean of its School of General Studies, and author. He is known as a leading proponent of adult education.

Biography

Hacker, son of Morris and Celia (Waxelbaum) Hacker, was born and raised in New York City in Williamsburg, a neighborhood in Brooklyn. After attending the Brooklyn Boys' High School, he studied at Columbia College, Columbia University and Columbia University, where he obtained his AB in 1922, and his MA in 1923.

After graduation in 1923 Hacker started as assistant editor at the New International Encyclopedia, and was contributing editor at the New International YearBook. In 1935 he started as lifelong academic career at Columbia University as lecturer in economics. In 1942 he became assistant professor, in 1944 Associate Professor, and in 1948 full Professor. After his retirement in 1967 he was appointed professor emeritus. In 1952 he was the first dean of its School of General Studies, where he served until 1958.

In 1937 he had been visiting professor at the University Wisconsin, in 1939 at the Ohio State University, in 1945 at Utah State Agricultural College, in 1953 at the University Hawaii, and in 1970 at the University Puget Sound.

Editorial summary

Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Louis M. Hacker” is economic historian. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Louis, Hacker and Economic, not as a finished interpretation.

Editorial reviewA useful biographical orientation record, particularly for establishing names, roles and a first chronology. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1899, 1987, 1922, 1923—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1899-03-17. For this dossier, Louis, Hacker and Economic is the immediate research focus.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

The phrase “economic historian” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.

Evidence profile

Biographical claims are most persuasive when dates, appointments and relationships can be traced to records created close to the events described. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q23662211. VIAF identifies the subject as 110060466. The Library of Congress control number is n50020629. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1899, 1987, 1922 and 1923.

Critical limits

Later biographies can compress uncertainty and repeat inherited reputations, so apparently settled claims may still require comparison. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Read biographical claims against dates, named institutions and the cited references. Distinguish a subject’s later reputation from evidence produced during their lifetime.

Best used for
  • Establishing names and roles
  • Building a first chronology
  • Locating cited institutions
Verify next

Personal papers, civil or court records, institutional files and the scholarship cited by the source.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Louis M. Hacker”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Louis M. Hacker primary sources, Louis M. Hacker archive and Louis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Louis M. Hacker”?
  2. Which claims depend on a single source or contested interpretation?
  3. Which primary records establish identity, chronology and institutional ties?
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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from Louis M. Hacker” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.