Warren Benjamin Catlin papers

The Warren Benjamin Catlin papers date from 1905 to 1969 and measure 9.5 linear feet. The papers are arranged in seven series: Course Material, Academic Administrative Records, Correspondence, Talks and Lectures, National War and Labor Board, Research and Subject Files, and Writings and Publications.

The Course Material series (1923-1953) contains lecture notes, exam questions, resources, and other content from Catlin’s tenure as a professor of Economics and Sociology at Bowdoin College. They are arranged by course number and provide an insight into his teaching methods and the Economic theories taught at the time.

The Academic Administrative Records series (1929-1951) consists of correspondence, committee meeting minutes, and tuition reports from Bowdoin.

More general correspondence can be found in the Correspondence series (1918-1967). This includes personal letters to family members as well as professional correspondence from organizations like the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Shoe Worker’s Protective Union along with other research institutions.

The Talks and Lectures series (1932-1943) is made up of finished and draft versions of various speeches, lectures, and talks that Catlin gave while a professor at Bowdoin. Much of them deal with organized labor, the early twentieth century American economy, and his perspective on the major labor and economic issues of the day.

Catlin served on the War and Labor Board during World War II and his records of his time in service can be found in the National War and Labor Board series (1943-1945). Much of the material is the official reports created by the Board during the war as well as records of issues and cases of contention within the Board.

The Research and Subject Files series (1905-1968) contains an alphabetical collection of Catlin’s personal and academic topical files, including material on foreign trade, Marxism, minimum wage, pensions, tariffs, and newspaper clippings on unionism, socialism, and labor politics. The series also includes biographical information, additional professional correspondence, and material from Catlin’s organizational involvement such as committee work and conferences.

Catlin’s published and unpublished writings can be found in the Writings and Publications series (1910-1967). Much of the series is made up of drafts of his book manuscripts, book reviews, and handwritten notes (often written on the back of mass-produced correspondence that he had received and saved to use as scratch paper). Most of the writings are on the topics of labor, capitalism, class, unions, profits, and the study of economics. A complete revision copy of his monograph "The Labor Problem" can be found in the series. This edition includes Catlin's handwritten revision notes for its 1935 re-printing.