Briefs, Goetz A. (Goetz Antony), 1889-1974

Dr. Goetz A. Briefs was born Jan. 1, 1889 in Eschweiler, Germany. He was educated in Munich, Bonn and Freiburg, receiving a Ph.D. from Universität Freiburg in 1912. Dr. Briefs' was lecturer at Freiburg (1913), substitute professor of economics at Giessen (1916-18), assistant professor at Freiburg (1919), professor of economics at Würzburg, (1921-23), professor at Freiburg (1923-26), and professor at Berlin (1926-34). He served as visiting professor during the summers of 1926-32 at the universities of Vienna, Berne, and Salzburg. Dr. Briefs came to the United States in 1934 and became a visiting professor at Catholic University of America in that year. He joined the Georgetown University faculty as a full professor in 1937 and became professor emeritus upon his retirement in 1957. Dr. Briefs was active in government service, both in Germany and the United States. In Germany he was the economics expert for the Ministry of the Interior (1915-16), director of the Institute of Industrial Relations (1926-34), and a member of the Unemployment Insurance Commission of the Ministry of Labor (1929). He was twice offered cabinet posts in the Weimar Republic. In the United States, Dr. Briefs served as a consultant to the Antitrust Division of the Dept. of Justice, the Office of Strategic Services, and the Dept. of Defense. He published numerous articles in the field of economics and on the "ethos problem and authored more than ten books, including Laissez-faire Pluralismus (1966), The proletariat: a challenge to Western civilization (1911), and Unionism reappraised (1960). Professor Briefs died on May 18, 1974.

From the description of The Goetz A. Briefs papers. Part II, 1948-1987 (bulk 1948-1971) (Georgetown University). WorldCat record id: 83266972