Academic exclusion: the case of Alexander Del Mar

Alexander Del Mar's prescient and profound contributions to monetary economics have been basically disregarded for the duration of a century. This paper sets out Del Mar's contributions to monetary economics and economic statistics and demonstrates the striking relevance of his contributions to modern monetary thought. The contemporary arbiters and judges of intellectual merit were aware of Del Mar's writings but Del Mar was excluded from contemporary reference and recognition. His exclusion had led to his having been denied his rightful place in the history of economic thought. One explanation for the silencing of Del Mar is that his intellectual position placed him in opposition to the views of the leaders of the profession. Del Mar was also forthright in his criticisms of his contemporaries' views and was open in his writings in commenting on prior anti-Semitism. We present evidence suggesting that prejudice and bigotry in high places in academia were involved in Del Mar's exclusion from the consolidating profession of academic economists in the late 19th century.