London School of Economics and its problems 1919 - 1937

THIS book is a sequel to another book written by Janet Beveridge, my wife, that is being published at nearly the same time. Janet's book is called An Epic of Clare Market and tells the story of the birth of the London School of Economics and Political Science in 1895 and its development to 1919. My book tells the story of the same School and of the main problems facing it in the eighteen years following, from 1919 to 1937. I became Director of the School in October 1919 and Janet became its Secretary soon after, so that this book is an account of what we did together in the School of Economics. She was then Jessy Mair, her first husband and my cousin and friend David Beveridge Mair living into 1942. She and I were married in December 1942 and she became Janet Beveridge. She was Jessy Mair throughout the period of this book, but I call her Janet throughout unless there is any special reason for using her earlier name.

My Janet naturally continued to be deeply interested, to the end of her life last April, in the School where she had spent so many happy and productive years from 1919 to 1937, and within the past few years she wrote for the journal of the Students' Union of the School, called the Clare Market Review a number of articles on her experiences there. I have quoted from her articles freely in this book, as they deserve most eminently, for they are delightful reading. I have kept myself straight on her articles throughout, as she would have wanted me to do so.

The period covered in this book is from 1919 to 1937, but I am writing it, in 1959, about a living institution which has grown and changed continually since I left it. No doubt its more recent history will be put on record before long and I make no attempt to anticipate that record. But, every now and again, I cannot ignore wholly the possibility that what I am writing about the past has no relevance to conditions at the School today. The Commerce Degree, for instance, which was the financial basis of the School's new start in 1919, has dis appeared as a separate degree.