Summary Information
Arthur P. Becker Papers 1936-1978
UWM Manuscript Collection 35
7 cubic ft. (9 boxes)
UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Papers (mainly 1960-1975) of an economics professor at the
University of Wisconsin-Extension from 1948-1956, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
from 1956-1978. The collection documents his professional and volunteer activities with
groups such as the Committee on Taxation, Resources and Economic Development and the
Wisconsin Property Owners League. Collection also contains Becker's personal and
professional correspondence, conference materials, published and unpublished works, and
teaching materials. Also contains records concerning UW-Milwaukee committees on which Becker
served, including the Academic Program and Curriculum Committee and the Management Science
Ph.D. Review Committee, and his role in founding the UWM Credit Union and his work with the
Milwaukee Urban Observatory. English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-mil-uwmmss0035 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Arthur Peter Becker was born on April 28, 1918 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the son of Peter
Joseph and Theresa (Hanascek) Becker. Peter and Theresa were both born near Tremesvar,
Austria-Hungary in 1892 and 1897, respectively. They emigrated to the United States sometime
before 1917. Peter Becker owned and operated Park View Tailors and Cleaners at 3200 West
Lisbon Avenue in Milwaukee. The Becker's also had another child, George C., born in 1917,
who was a professor of biology at UW-Stevens Point. Peter Becker died in 1971 and Theresa
Becker in 1972.
Arthur Becker graduated from Washington High School in 1935 and attended Wisconsin State
Teacher's College from 1935 to 1937. He received a B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. from UW-Madison in
economics in 1939, 1940 and 1943 respectively. Becker also served as a teaching assistant at
UW-Madison. Becker married Bernita Mae Thompson in 1941 and they had six children: Jan
Peter, Bonita Louise, Lee Arthur, Nancy Marie, Arthur Earnest, and Karen Ann.
Becker began his teaching career as an instructor at the University of Connecticut from
1942-1944. After serving as an instructor at the University of Kansas City in the summer of
1944, Becker transferred to Eastern New Mexico University in 1944-1945 as an assistant
professor and chair of the economics department before moving to Morningside College (Sioux
City, Iowa) from 1945-1946, where he served as professor of economics and also chaired the
department. Becker then became a professor of economics at Ohio State University from
1946-1948. Becker was appointed professor at the University of Wisconsin-Extension from 1948
and then served with UWM from 1956-1978. Becker also served as head of the Economics
Department at UW-Extension from 1948-1956 and at UWM from 1957-1963. Becker was a
Fulbright-Hays Faculty Scholar in 1968 to study land taxation in Mexico.
Becker founded the Economic Policy Association of Milwaukee in 1954 and the UWM Credit
Union in 1962. He served as a member of the Milwaukee Redevelopment Authority from
1963-1978, and its vice-chair from 1973-1978. He also served as chair of the Milwaukee Urban
Institute Director from 1970-1975 and implemented a study of the fiscal behavior of local
governments in conjunction with eight other Urban Observatories, the Department of Housing
and Urban Development, and the National League of Cities. He also served as Chair of the
Milwaukee Association for the Observance of United Nations Day from 1965-1967, and the
Milwaukee Chapter of United World Federalists.
Becker was especially active in the Committee on Taxation, Resources and Economic
Development (TRED), and its affiliated association, the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation. The
Schalkenbach Foundation was a foundation established to promote the principles of nineteenth
century economist Henry George. George had dedicated his life's work to the advancement of
uniform taxation, or a single tax, on natural resources. Becker served as a member of the
Board of Directors of the Schalkenback Foundation from 1962-1973.
Becker co-founded TRED in 1962 as a national study group of academic economists whose
purpose was to stimulate research, writing and discussion in the field of natural resource
taxation and in relation of this taxation to other concerns of economists as to the
allocation and utilization of natural resources, economic development, income distribution
and employment. TRED would have the government finance its necessary activities by
collecting the unearned income arising from land and natural resources. TRED asserted that
an adequate tax on land would encourage speculators to put it to use or to sell it to
someone who would; when land is used, jobs are created and prosperity results.
Becker frequently wrote in periodicals and books about land-value taxation. His monographs
include:
- The Erosion of the Ad Valorem Real Estate Tax Base,
1972
- Land and Building Taxes; Their Effect on Economic
Development, 1969
- Land-Value Taxation and Contemporary Economic Thought,
(ed.), 1964
- Local Government Finance in the Milwaukee Standard Metropolitan
Area, 1974
- Public Utility Valuation and the Economic Theory of Regulation;
or The Economic Basis for an Investment Rate in Public Utilities, 1943
- Recent Developments in General Property Tax Assessments in
California (ed.), 1965
- The Wisconsin State Tax Dilemma,
1963
Scope and Content Note
Collection documents the professional and volunteer activities of Arthur Peter Becker, a
professor of economics from 1948-1978 at the University of Wisconsin-Extension and the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Most of the records date from 1960-1975.
Scope and content notes for each series are included in the contents list.
Arrangement of the Materials
The collection is divided into 3 series:
-
General Files, 1944-1978
-
UW-Milwaukee Files, 1944-1978
-
Non-UW-Milwaukee Files, 1936-1978
There is some overlap between the first series and the last two. Becker sometimes put
similar materials concerning his personal, professional, and UWM activities into general
subject folders. In other cases, he maintained distinctly separate folders for his various
activities.
In each series the material is arranged alphabetically by name, subject, or name of office,
and chronologically thereunder. Boxes 1-8 contain letter-sized material and box 9 contains
legal-sized material.
Preferred Citation
Citation Guide for
Primary Sources
Related Material in the UWM Libraries
Administrative/Restriction Information
There are no access restrictions on the materials, and the collection is open to all
members of the public in accordance with state law.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel,
privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection (Wisconsin
Statutes 19.21-19.39).
An unknown donor donated the collection before 1989.
Mark Shelstad processed the collection from August to October 1992 at the Archives.
Contents List
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Series: 1. General Files, 1944-1978 : These files contains a conglomeration of material in which Becker did not make
distinctions between his personal, professional, and UWM activities. The series includes
correspondence regarding the Taxation, Resources and Economic Development (TRED), and
people associated with it, such as Weld Carter, Violetta Peterson and Perry Prentice
(who was a Vice-President at Time magazine). The topics of discussion with Carter,
Peterson and Prentice concern TRED Conferences, publication of books by TRED, and TRED's
sometimes adversarial relationship with the Robert Schalkenbach Foundation. Becker's
professional contacts with other economists can also be found in his
correspondence.
The general files series also contains miscellaneous files and
photographs. The miscellaneous files contain materials that Becker filed in
chronological order, without distinction between personal and professional activities.
It contains correspondence with other economics and about TRED, memorandums from the UWM
Economics Department and other UWM materials. The photographs are undated portraits
shots of Becker.
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Academic Program and Curriculum Committee
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Box
3
Folder
27
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Audit Subcommittee, 1975-1976
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Box
3
Folder
28-32
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General File, 1973-1976
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Box
3
Folder
33
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Social Science Subcommittee, 1974-1976
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Box
1
Folder
2
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Alyea, Paul, 1962-1975
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Box
1
Folder
1
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Anderson, William H., 1961-1965
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Box
3
Folder
34
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Annual Summary of Academic Activities, 1962-1976
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Box
1
Folder
3
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Beck, Morris, 1966-1969
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Box
1
Folder
4
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Behrens, John, 1971-1975
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Box
1
Folder
5
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Berkman, Herman G., 1961-1963
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Box
1
Folder
6
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Bickley, John, 1966
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Box
1
Folder
7
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Break, George, 1966-1978
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Box
1
Folder
8
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Brown, Harry G., 1977-1978
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Box
1
Folder
9
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Browning, Clyde, 1962-1968
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Box
1
Folder
13
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Bruce, Paul, 1971
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Box
1
Folder
10-12
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Brueck, Robert L., 1966-1969
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Box
1
Folder
14-17
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Carter, Weld S., 1961-1978
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Box
1
Folder
18
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Cher, Yung-Ping, 1965-1972
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Classes
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Box
3
Folder
35
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Senior Seminar in Urban Economics, 1972-1973
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Box
3
Folder
36
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Urban Economics Seminar, 1973
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Box
1
Folder
19
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Cord, Steven, 1965-1977
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Box
1
Folder
20
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Doering, Werner W., 1967
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Box
1
Folder
21-22
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Doyle, Richard, 1975-1977
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Box
1
Folder
23-24
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Falk, Karl, 1961-1978
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Box
1
Folder
25
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Federal Reserve Bank Bill, 1959
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Box
1
Folder
26
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Fordemwalt, Andy, 1970-1973
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Box
1
Folder
27
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Fuller, Aaron, 1976
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Box
1
Folder
28-29
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Gaffney, M. Mason, 1962-1975
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Box
1
Folder
30
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Gaston, Paul, 1960-1963
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Box
1
Folder
31
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George, Henry, School of Social Science, 1965-1973
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Box
1
Folder
32
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Goldfinger, Alexander, 1972
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Box
1
Folder
33
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Gray, Horace, 1962-1970
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Box
1
Folder
34
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Groves, Harold, 1963-1969
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Box
1
Folder
35
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Harris, C. Lowell, 1969-1975
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Box
1
Folder
36
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Harris, Morgan, 1976
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Box
1
Folder
37
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Heilbrun, James, 1966-1967
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Box
1
Folder
38
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Hill, Carol V., 1970-1976
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Box
1
Folder
39-40
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Lampard, Eric, 1962-1966
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Box
2
Folder
1-2
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Lindholm, Richard, 1964-1977
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Box
1
Folder
41
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Lindholm, Richard, 1964-1977
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Box
2
Folder
3
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Lissner, Will, 1965-1978
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Box
2
Folder
6
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Mai, Ludwig, 1962-1969
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Box
2
Folder
4
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McCelland, Harold, 1970-1977
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Box
2
Folder
5
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McGuire, Carl, 1962-1974
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Box
2
Folder
20
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Millman, Jerome, 1961-1965
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Box
2
Folder
7-18
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Miscellaneous, 1944-1978
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Box
3
Folder
12-18
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Miscellaneous, 1964-1978
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Box
2
Folder
19
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Morrow, Lloyd, 1975-1977
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Box
2
Folder
22
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Neutze, Max, 1966-1969
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Box
2
Folder
21
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Newcomb, William, 1958-1978
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Box
2
Folder
23-25
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Peterson, Violetta, 1950-1976
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Box
3
Folder
18
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Photographs, undated
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Box
2
Folder
26
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Pleydell, Albert, 1963-1968
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Box
2
Folder
27
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Pollack, Richard, 1960-1972
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Box
2
Folder
28-30
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Prentice, Perry, 1966-1977
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Box
2
Folder
31
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Rodda, Albert S., 1974-1975
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Box
2
Folder
33
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Shapiro, Harvey, 1966-1968
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Box
2
Folder
32
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Sleastone, Don, 1966
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Box
3
Folder
1
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Smale, John G., 1961-1965
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Box
3
Folder
2
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Strasma, John, 1966-1967
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Box
3
Folder
3
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Teague, Keith, 1969-1973
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Box
3
Folder
4
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Tideman, Henry, 1972-1974
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Box
3
Folder
5
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Truehart, William, 1976-1977
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Box
3
Folder
6
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Vaqar, Nasrollah, 1961-1964
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Box
3
Folder
7
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Wasserman, Louis, 1951-1964
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Box
3
Folder
8
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Welch, Ronald B., 1966-1972
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Box
3
Folder
9
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Wolfe, Myer, 1962-1964
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Box
3
Folder
10
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Woodruff, A.M., 1965-1967
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Box
3
Folder
11
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Zingler, Ervin, 1961-1965
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Series: 2. UW-Milwaukee Files, 1944-1978 : These files include records of committees that Becker served on, such as the Academic
Planning and Curriculum Committee, the Management Science Ph.D. Review Committee;
subject files from the Economics Department, the Milwaukee Urban Observatory and the UWM
Credit Union; and teaching material. The records reflect Becker's role as chair of the
Social Science Subcommittee on the Academic Planning and Curriculum Committee; director
of the Milwaukee Urban Observatory's Municipal Finance Project; and foundation of the
UWM Credit Union.
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Box
3
Folder
19
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College of Letters and Science, Department Chair, Minutes,
1956-1962
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Credit Union
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Box
3
Folder
37
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Annual Meetings and Reports, 1962-1977
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Box
4
Folder
1-2
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Annual Meetings and Reports, 1962-1977
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Box
4
Folder
3-5
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Board of Director's Minutes, 1974-1978
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Box
4
Folder
6
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By-Laws, Guidelines and Policies, 1961-1971
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Box
4
Folder
7
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Insurance Policies, 1975
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Box
4
Folder
8
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Miscellaneous, 1974-1977
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Box
4
Folder
9-10
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Newsletters and Publicity, 1962-1978
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Box
4
Folder
11
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Operational Security Analysis, 1968
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Box
4
Folder
12-18
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Economics Department, 1958-1978
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Box
4
Folder
20-21
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Management Science Ph.D. Review Committee, 1972-1976
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Milwaukee Urban Observatory
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Box
4
Folder
22
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Municipal Finance Project, Director's Meeting Minutes,
1970-1973
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Box
4
Folder
23-24
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Municipal Finance Project, First Year Project, 1970-1973
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Box
4
Folder
25-27
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Municipal Finance Project, Miscellaneous, 1970-1975
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Box
5
Folder
1
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Municipal Finance Project, Prospectus, 1970
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Box
5
Folder
4-7
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Municipal Finance Project, Reports, Volume 1, 1973
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Box
5
Folder
8
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Municipal Finance Project, Reports, Volume 2, 1974
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Box
5
Folder
9
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Municipal Finance Project, Reports, Volume 3, 1975
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Box
5
Folder
2-3
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Municipal Finance Project, Second Year Project, 1971-1973
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Box
5
Folder
10
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Miscellaneous, 1944-1970
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Box
5
Folder
11
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University Economics Club, 1963
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Box
5
Folder
12
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Urban Planning Steering Committee, 1973
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Box
5
Folder
13
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Visitor Program Service Symposium, 1978
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Series: 3. Non-UW-Milwaukee Files, 1936-1978 : These files contain correspondence and subject files from Becker's service with
institutions and organizations other than UW-Milwaukee. It includes teaching and class
materials that Becker created while he was at UW-Madison. The series also contains files
regarding his founding and development of the Taxation, Resources and Economic
Development (TRED); miscellaneous committees and panels that Becker served on; various
speeches, presentations that Becker gave before panels and committees; unpublished
works; and his association with the Beloit Chapter of the Wisconsin Property Owners
League, which favored using land-value taxation.
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Box
5
Folder
14-15
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Bibliography on Urban and Regional Economics, 1967-1968
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Box
5
Folder
16
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Collier's Encyclopedia, Articles,
1960-1967
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Box
5
Folder
17
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Curriculum Vitae and Bibliographical Listings, 1970-1978
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Box
5
Folder
18
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Institute on Land-Value Taxation and Contemporary Economic Problems Research,
1961-1965
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Box
5
Folder
19-20
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Letters of Appointment, 1940-1950
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Box
5
Folder
21-23
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Mayor's Citizen Committee for Tax Revenue Distribution, 1960-1964
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Box
5
Folder
24
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Men's Sketch Club of Milwaukee, 1960-1961
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Milwaukee Department of City Development, Redevelopment Plans
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Box
9
Folder
1
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Menomonee Valley Industrial Areas, "A-C," 1976-1978
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Box
9
Folder
2
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Menomonee Valley Industrial Areas, "E-F," 1976-1978
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Box
9
Folder
3-4
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Miscellaneous, 1978
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Box
5
Folder
25
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Special Committee on Assessment Freezes, 1964-1965
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Box
9
Folder
26-27
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Milwaukee Division of Economic Development, Public Finance Information System
Proposal
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Box
3
Folder
21
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Morningside College Graduation Address, 1946
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Box
5
Folder
28
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National Tax Association, One Way to Better Cities Film, 1970
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Box
5
Folder
29
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New York City Land Value Tax Study, 1969-1979
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Ohio State University
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Box
3
Folder
20
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Economics 406, 1946
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Box
5
Folder
30-31
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Poetry and Writings, 1936-1939
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Box
6
Folder
1
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Redevelopment Authority of the City of Milwaukee, 1964, 1978
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Box
6
Folder
2-13
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Robert Schalkenbach Foundation, 1961-1978
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Box
6
Folder
14
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Seals of Membership in Honor Societies and Associations,
1967-1973
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Box
6
Folder
15-21
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Speeches and Presentations of Papers, 1947-1977
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Box
6
Folder
22
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State and Local Tax Problem Symposium, 1967
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TRED
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Box
6
Folder
23
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Book Sales and Prices, 1965-1977
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Box
6
Folder
24-31
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Conferences, 1962-1969
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Box
7
Folder
1-7
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Conferences, 1971-1978
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Box
7
Folder
8
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General File, 1963-1970
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Box
3
Folder
19
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University of Connecticut, Economics 111, 1943-1943
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Box
3
Folder
23-26
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University of Wisconsin, Class Papers, 1940-1942
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Box
3
Folder
22
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University of Wisconsin, Economics 250, 1941-1942
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Box
7
Folder
9
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University of Wisconsin, Press, 1965-1977
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Box
8
Folder
1-2
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University of Wisconsin, Press, 1965-1977
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Box
8
Folder
3
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Unpublished Manuscripts, 1948-1950
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Box
8
Folder
3
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Urban Affairs Quarterly, 1965-1974
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Box
8
Folder
5
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Urban Redevelopment Laws, 1964-1967
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Box
9
Folder
5
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Urban Redevelopment Laws, 1964-1967
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Box
8
Folder
6
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Wisconsin Land Resources Committee, 1972-1975
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Box
8
Folder
7-10
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Wisconsin Property Owners League, Beloit Chapter, 1969-1978
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