Honoring Eldon J. Dvorak.

Hall, Darwin C. ; Neilson, William S.

Executive Vice President, WEA International

Eldon J. Dvorak is stepping down from his post as Executive Vice President of the Western Economic Association International, a job he has filled for the better part of 30 years. Presidents and board members have come and gone, but the one constant in the Association has been Eldon. Every important aspect of the Association reflects his touch and his care. We think it fitting that we pay tribute to him in this issue; his departure leaves a big hole to be filled, reflecting the significance of the role he has played.

Eldon's involvement with WEA International began in 1967 when it was still called the WEA. He first served as an organizer for the annual conference. At that time, the Association was regional, and held its conferences on the campuses of state universities. Eldon still organizes the conferences, but now the annual conference draws over a thousand participants from all over the world and has long outgrown the facilities available at most campuses. To get an idea of how the organization has grown during his tenure, 60 papers were presented in 20 sessions at the 1967 annual conference, while the 1997 annual conference had over 900 papers in 266 sessions. A fourteen-fold growth over thirty years would be the envy of most Fortune 500 companies.

In 1969 the Executive Committee appointed Eldon to the post of Business Manager of the Western Economic Journal (and an Ex Officio member of the Executive Committee). Eldon negotiated with the printer, solicited institutional subscriptions, and more generally shouldered the responsibility of generating revenue and containing costs, turning the journal into a valuable asset for the Association in the face of declining subsidies from the universities that housed the editorial team.

From 1971 up to today Eldon served as Executive Vice President. In that role he charted a course for the Association and built it from a regional association to one of international scope and purpose.

In 1982, and under Eldon's supervision, the WEA began publication of Contemporary Policy Issues, now known as Contemporary Economic Policy. It was and remains the only economics journal devoted entirely to the economic analysis of policy questions. Eldon was the founding editor, and still participates in editing the journal. As Professor Emeritus of Economics; with a Ph.D. in economics and a B.S. in journalism; as a former newspaper editor, printer, and typographer; a son, grandson, and nephew of newspaper editors; and with most of his lifetime involved in publishing, Eldon's experience and attention to detail combined to foster excellence in communication of economic ideas and analysis for decision making. He spent untold hours meticulously editing manuscripts to ensure that each article is concise, readable, and understandable, while contributing to economic literature. Some authors who read the edited page proofs are content to think they write so well, but most know they have Eldon to thank.

Four years ago, the scope of the WEA became truly international with the introduction of the biannual Pacific Rim conference. It is an unusual (and difficult) move for a "regional" association to become international, requiring both energy and dedication. Eldon provided both, and the third Pacific Rim conference will be held in Bangkok this month. We have come a long way from a small regional conference on the campus of Cal State Long Beach.

Perhaps Eldon's most surprising characteristic is that he welcomes change in the organization. It is easy to envision someone who, after devoting 15 or 20 years to an organization, becomes protective of the organization and resistant to the suggestions of others. Not Eldon. After 30 years of service he is still tinkering with the works to make it bigger and better, and he still seeks out good ideas.

The WEA International has been lucky in many ways. First, 30 years ago it found someone with enormous energy who needed a place to devote it. Second, this person turned out to be exceptional at his job. Third, this person was loyal enough to continue to dedicate his time and energy to the good of the Association for a very long time, even though other opportunities must have arisen. Fourth, this person somehow managed not to grow old with the job, retaining both the freshness and vitality that an organization like this needs to remain a force in the profession.

Thank you, Eldon, for serving so well and so long.

Darwin C. Hall Editor, Contemporary Economic Policy

William S. Neilson Editor, Economic Inquiry