Research On The Business Historical Society At Harvard Business School（1925-1953）

The Business Historical Society was founded in 1925 at the Harvard Business School and ended in 1953 due to a lack of funding,as a joint venture between businessmen and scholars.The Society’s early mission is to collect original archives and promote the study of early American Business History,and it agreed with the HBS from its inception to deposit the original business archives in the Baker Library,which is used by the community to study the history of the Business History.At the same time,the Business Historical Society emphasized the importance of original records to the study of business history,and actively urged companies to establish independent records management systems,which largely changed the general lack of attention to business records at the time.With the increasing of the archives of the Baker Library,the Society’s focus began to shift towards promoting the study of American Business History.By founding the Journal of Business and Economic History,sponsoring the publication of books on business history,holding academic conferences on business history,and establishing scholarships for Business History research,and many other means,the Society built a bridge between business historians and businessmen at the same time it has promoted Business History research,and increased its influence in the business and academic communities,thus achieving the goal of combining practical and academic aspects of Business History.The Business Historical Society was not only an important organization in the development of early American Business History,but also an important catalyst in bringing the study of American Business History out of the “ivory tower” and truly transforming its academic function into a social one.In the twenty-eight years of its existence,the Society’s initiative to expand the influence of corporate history research by fostering interaction between the academic and business communities is still relevant to the corporate history community in China and around the world.