Not Falling Far From the Gee

Merrill Kaey Gee is a Mechanical Engineer with a Masters degree in both Engineering and Physics. But he has always had a passion for Economics. With some much debate focusing on the economy during the presidential campaigns, I thought it would be good to see how the interest in economics started in the Gee family.


How did you become interested in Economics?
When I was in high school taking a speech class there was a book called Economics in one lesson on the table of books in our class. I was just fascinated by it. The teacher said if I liked it that much I could keep it. So I still have it.

Did you continue studying Economics?
No, I just didn’t have time because I had physics and other things. But I picked it up again after I heard a talk by Joseph Kearl. At that time Chrysler had gotten a big loan from the government to rescue them. The chairman of the board went around the country talking about how evil Japan was and how we needed tariffs to protect Americans but particularly the auto industry. Kearl gave a talk at BYU explaining the effects of tariffs. And it was so clear and cogent, that I went and asked for a copy of his talk. Which he gave me. But about that time, I came in contact with the foundation of economic education. So I started reading (they had an updated version of the first book I read). I started reading books by Henry Haslett. About the same time Milton Friedman came out with Free to Choose. I saw the TV show and then I read the book. Then I read Ludwig von Mises…and I am still studying his works.

Why didn’t you major in it?
Well I really wasn’t interested in it during college, I took the class in college and had the book by Paul Samuelson. It was a lot of charts and graphs justifying government action. When I went to BYU the Economics department was Keynesian very liberal. By the time Kearl was there about 15 years latter it was monetarist, much more conservative.

What has been your favorite book on economics?
Probably economics in one lesson, that or Free to Chose.

What is it that you like about economics?
Well, I really think economics…I enjoyed Adam Smiths book that was a favorite…Political economy (that is what we are talking about with Adam Smith, Milton Friedman, and Henry Hasslet) is really applied ethics, how to apply moral principles to your daily interactions with people in terms of economic interactions, which are very critical and that constitutes most of our interactions.

Why did you decide to major in physics?
That is a sad story. I started in EE but my cousin Martel was getting his PhD in physics, he convinced me that I would be better off in physics so I did. I don’t really regret it because physics was more rigorous than engineering so when I switched it was a little easier.

Why did you decide to get a Masters?
I started out to get a PhD, they were encouraging it, but I was drafted. I got a NDEA fellowship to get a PhD, because of the space race the government wanted more physicist. But after I got out of the army the bottom had dropped out of physics so I dropped the NDEA fellowship. At the graduation banquet (for masters in physics), the department chairmen said he didn’t want to discourage us, but he had called all over the country and as far as he could tell the next opening for a physicist would occur in 1985 that was 13 years away. Only two physicist got jobs. One was a women, who when she reported to work she was told she was only hired because she was a women, they had no work for her. They wanted her to go to Stanford and get another degree and they would put her name on the staff list. To get government contracts they needed a woman. The other that got a job, was my lab partner, not a good student. And we always felt, but he denied it, the only reason he got a job was that his father was the president of the company that hired him. So I went back to school and got a degree in Engineering. Everyone in my class besides those two got MBA’s or masters in Engineering.

What would be your dream job?
I don’t really know anymore… I wouldn’t make any money, but it would be fun to be a commentator on Economic issues.

Have you ever wanted to go back to Germany?
Well, I don’t like to fly. Before I was married I thought about it several times, since then I haven’t really desired to go back.

If you could go anywhere on a trip where would you go?
Probably Yellowstone.

Since this is an election year, what things are you looking for in a candidate?
Well I am Jeffersonian, so one that believes in the roles in the different levels of government. And a candidate that agrees to play by the rules. Every part of government has it own rules, and none really think they are bound by those rules. It is especially true in the national election.

Are there any key issues for you?
I think the most important one on the federal level is the restraint in spending. That is really it, I think Economic issues, particularly on the federal level should be restricted.

What Economic policies would you like to see changed?
Just about all the federal policies that are not constitutionally based: Social security, National endowment for the arts, Medicare, PBS, on and on and on.

Are there any candidates that you like?
I like Ron Paul, but I don’t think he has a china man’s chance.

Of all the candidates that have a chance, who do you like most?
Well there are only three left. I don’t like any of them. I will probably vote for Ron Paul as a write in.