In October 1946 newly appointed senator Ralph Flanders offered Grover Ensley a staff position as economics specialist. Ensley brought impressive credentials to the job, proving to be "the right man in the right place at the right time." Ensley joined the staff of the Joint Economic Committee in 1949 and quickly advanced to the position of executive director. In October 1955 Nation's Business reported, "Dr. Grover W. Ensley is staff director of what has been called the country's most important economic policy group. This is Congress' over-all Joint Economic Committee. The committee, which was formed in 1946, has been a major force in shaping American economic policy not only in Congress but in [Eisenhower] Administration and business world as well. Its studies and publications are must reading among economists." Ensley's tenure on Capitol Hill coincided with a period of rapid growth in the size and functions of congressional staff. In the following interviews, with wit, clarity, and insight, Grover Ensley provides an outstanding example of the imagination and productivity that senior staff brought the multiple challenges of the post war era.
Scholarly citation: "Grover W. Ensley: Executive Director, Joint Economic Committee, United States Congress (1949–1957),” Oral History Interviews, October 29 to November 1, 1985, Senate Historical Office, Washington, D.C.
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