FOREWORD 
Migration and Business Cycles presents the results of investi- 
gations made by the National Bureau of Economic Research at the 
request of a committee of the National Research Council. It forms 
part of two series of studies. One series, planned by the Committee 
on Scientific Problems of Human Migration, deals with the charaec- 
ter, causes, and effects of mass-movements of men. The second 
series, planned by the National Bureau, deals with the character, 
causes, and effects of cyclical fluctuations in economic activities. 
The Committee on Scientific Problems of Human Migration was 
appointed in October, 1922, by the National Research Council on 
recommendation of the Council’s Division of Anthropology and 
Psychology. Its duties were 
(1) carefully to consider, from the point of view of natural 
science, the complex migrational situation resulting from the 
World War and from the virtual elimination of space as a 
barrier to movements of man and to race intermixture; 
2) to prepare a research program which might reasonably be 
expected to yield ultimately such reliable information con- 
cerning physical, mental, and social characteristics, relations 
and values of ethnic groups (races and peoples) as is neces- 
sary for the understanding and wise regulation of mass- 
movements of mankind; and 
(2) to initiate, organize, support, coordinate, or otherwise further, 
in accordance with the best judgment of the group, impor- 
tant investigations.: 
The members of this Committee as originally organized were Dr. 
Raymond Dodge, then Professor of Psychology at Wesleyan Univ- 
ersity, Dr. Frank R. Lillie, Professor of Zoology at the University of 
Chicago, Dr. John C. Merriam, President of the Carnegie Institu- 
tion of Washington, Miss Mary Van Kleeck, Director of Industrial 
Studies in the Russell Sage Foundation, Dr. Clark Wissler, Curator 
See the report of Dr. Robert M. Yerkes, Chairman of the Committee, Journal of 
Personnel Research, October, 1924, vol. iii, p. 189. 
MN