Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1966-1997 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
1.82 m of textual records (14 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Lawrence Berk Smith (1939 - ) was a housing specialist and Professor of Economics at the University of Toronto between 1966 and 1998.
Born in Toronto in 1939, Professor Smith graduated from Forest Hill Collegiate Institute in 1958. He then attended University College, University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Commerce in 1962. Professor Smith went on to study economics at Harvard University. There, he acquired an AM in 1964 and Ph.D in 1966.
While attending Harvard University, Professor Smith was a Teaching Fellow and Instructor in Economics. Upon completing his doctorate in 1966, he joined the faculty of the University of Toronto as an Assistant Professor in Economics. In 1969, he was appointed Associate Professor and in 1972, full Professor. He remained in this position until his retirement in 1998. In addition to teaching at the University of Toronto, Professor Smith was also visiting scholar in the Graduate School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles, from 1973 to 1974. His research interests are housing and mortgage markets, monetary theory and policy, as well as macro-economic policy.
During his teaching career, Professor Smith held numerous administrative positions in the University of Toronto. These include Member of the Presidential Advisory Committee on Student Housing, 1969-1971, as well as Director of Economics and Associate Chairman of Department of Political Economy, 1975-1979.
In addition to being an academic, Professor Smith has also served as a private consultant to various government and private organizations, most notably the Task Force on the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
This accession consists of the professional records of Lawrence Berk Smith and documents his career as an economist and professor at the University of Toronto. Most of this accession pertains to Professor Smith’s teaching, publishing and consulting activities. Types of records include professional correspondence, subject files, research notes, course outlines, exams, manuscripts, speeches, consultant’s reports, and committee briefs. No personal or family records are contained herein.
The accession is arranged in the following six series:
Series 1: Subject Files
Series 2: Teaching
Series 3: Publications
Series 4: Administration
Series 5: Addresses and Conferences
Series 6: Consulting
Series 1 consists of subject files broadly documenting Lawrence Smith’s teaching, publishing, administrative and consulting activities. Series 2 and Series 3, the largest series in this accession, contain records pertaining to Smith’s teaching and scholarly writings. Series 4 contains records dealing with administrative matters when Professor Smith was Director of Economics and Associate Chairman of Department of Political Economy. Series 5 documents speeches given and conferences attended by Smith in his capacity as an academic and consultant. Finally, Series 6 pertains to Lawrence Smith’s career as an economic consultant for various public and private organizations.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Series 6 (student recommendation files) are restricted. All other records are open.
Conditions governing reproduction
Language of material
Script of material
Language and script notes
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
File lists for series 1, 3, and 6 only.
Uploaded finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
For records related to the administration of the Department of Economics, please see the following accessions from the University of Toronto Department of Political Economy: A1965-0065, A1969-0007, A1974-0004, A1976-0025, and A1979-0028.
Notes area
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Description control area
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Dates of creation revision deletion
-Original finding aid by Loryl MacDonald, Nov 1998
-Added to AtoM by Karen Suurtamm, May 2016