From Edwin Browne
In 1960 or 1961 Ludwig von Mises was one of my professors at NYU’s Graduate School at Trinity Place in Manhattan. In many ways he shaped my thinking and was a most unforgettable person.
I remember him standing in front of our class frantically brushing off his suit jacket and trousers. He then looked at the students in our class and said “Is what I am doing rational?” The class was dead silent. Then he said, “Of course what I am doing is rational if I perceive I have lice on my clothing!” Everyone in the class laughed. It was then that he said “All human action is rational! It is only our perceptions that are sometimes in need of correction.” He believed that people were rational and would always work toward the goals that they desired and if left alone society and economics would work itself out to the best advantage of all. It seemed to me that he was optimistic and had faith that the systems inherent in nature and our society would adjust to the most workable and efficient solutions to problems if left alone. He believed in a free economic system. That’s how I remember Ludwig von Mises. I liked him and I believed he liked me; especially when he asked for my copy of “Human Action” and signed it for me.
As for me, I was raised in Queens, NYC and later lived in a bedroom community in Northern New Jersey. Except for weekends I commuted daily to Manhattan most of my working life. I am now 77 year and retired in a resort area of Delaware.
In my business career I worked for in Manhattan for Wall Street banks and financial companies and eventually became an audit manager with Coopers and Lybrand’s National Practice and Peat Marwick and Mitchell Headquarters Professional Practice Department. I then accepted a mid management executive position with ITT World Headquarters on Park Avenue from where I worked internationally with ITT’s 350 subsidiary companies. I retired from ITT at 62 and then took an internal consulting position with New Jersey Transit’s Headquarters from which I retired at age 70. Bored with the idea of staying home, I established my own LLC and worked as a business consultant until age 72. Prior to attending college I worked as a union carpenter and served in the Army in Korea during the Korean War. I have had two marriages, six children, and thirteen grandchildren.
What makes me smile is seeing what is happening to day with our government and economy I realize that much of what Ludwig taught was absolutely correct!
That would make anyone of his students smile.
