Willford I. King
Encyclopedia
Willford Isbell King was a noted American
statistician, economist, and chairman of the Committee for Constitutional Government, Inc.
King was born in Cascade, Iowa
in 1880. King received his education from one-room schoolhouse teachers in Nebraska
. He attended the University of Nebraska, graduating 1905. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison
in 1913.
He went to Washington, D.C.
to become a statistician with the United States Public Health Service
from 1917 – 1920. In 1920, he moved on to become the economist for the National Bureau of Economic Research
. In 1927, King moved on from public service to become an economics professor at New York University
.
During the Great Depression
, King opposed the New Deal
. Instead, he advocated a sliding scale of wages based on production, no government intervention in business, currency expansion, the reduction of taxes in upper brackets, and the abolition of all levies on incomes of corporations and from invested capital.
In 1933, he founded the Committee on Economic Accord. In 1945, King retired from NYU to become chairman of the Committee for Constitutional Government, Inc., he later would serve as an advisor.
King and his wife Jane Elizabeth Patterson, had three children, Harold J., Hugh P., and Floria Jane.
King died at his home on October 17, 1962.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
statistician, economist, and chairman of the Committee for Constitutional Government, Inc.
King was born in Cascade, Iowa
Cascade, Iowa
Cascade is a city in Dubuque County and Jones County, Iowa, United States. The Dubuque County portion is part of Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the Jones County portion is part of Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,958 at the 2000 census, but is now...
in 1880. King received his education from one-room schoolhouse teachers in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
. He attended the University of Nebraska, graduating 1905. He received his Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree from University of Wisconsin–Madison
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
in 1913.
He went to Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to become a statistician with the United States Public Health Service
United States Public Health Service
The Public Health Service Act of 1944 structured the United States Public Health Service as the primary division of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare , which later became the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The PHS comprises all Agency Divisions of Health and...
from 1917 – 1920. In 1920, he moved on to become the economist for the National Bureau of Economic Research
National Bureau of Economic Research
The National Bureau of Economic Research is an American private nonprofit research organization "committed to undertaking and disseminating unbiased economic research among public policymakers, business professionals, and the academic community." The NBER is well known for providing start and end...
. In 1927, King moved on from public service to become an economics professor at New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
.
During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, King opposed the New Deal
New Deal
The New Deal was a series of economic programs implemented in the United States between 1933 and 1936. They were passed by the U.S. Congress during the first term of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The programs were Roosevelt's responses to the Great Depression, and focused on what historians call...
. Instead, he advocated a sliding scale of wages based on production, no government intervention in business, currency expansion, the reduction of taxes in upper brackets, and the abolition of all levies on incomes of corporations and from invested capital.
In 1933, he founded the Committee on Economic Accord. In 1945, King retired from NYU to become chairman of the Committee for Constitutional Government, Inc., he later would serve as an advisor.
King and his wife Jane Elizabeth Patterson, had three children, Harold J., Hugh P., and Floria Jane.
King died at his home on October 17, 1962.
Works
- The Handbook of Accepted Economics
- Keys to Prosperity
- The Elements of Statistical Method
- Income in the United States: Its Amount & Distribution 1909-1919
- The Wealth and Income of the People of the United States
- various articles on economics