SPECIAL PREFACE
Second World Congress of Accounting Historians Banquet Address by

M. ERNST STEVELINCK August 21, 1976

The first feeling I would wish to express is a feeling of gratitude for the work which you have accomplished. Prior to and after the First International Symposium of Accounting Historians, in my capa¬city as President of The Belgium National Committee, I tried to promote the creation of a similar committee in each country. Indeed many countries have such a committee. However, in the United States you have by far outdone all other countries as to the extent of your achievement. You not only carry the torch which lit up the Bibliotheque Royale Albert in 1970 where the first convention of Accounting Historians was held and to which experts from the four corners of the world came, but you have also fixed it on a solid basis and have helped put together all the elements needed to foster fu¬ture research in the History of Accounting which the seekers of the world are trying to compile.
I wish to say a word to express my admiration for the Account¬ing Historian Publication, the re-editing of the old accounting treaties, the organization of this Second World Symposium and your efforts towards finding the seat for the next Congress in four to five years.

It is with the greatest pleasure that I recognize some of my col¬leagues and friends who were present at the First Congress. How¬ever, it gives me even more pleasure to be meeting with distin¬guished professors, some of whom had been in touch with me by correspondence. Together, I believe we can further this relatively new science which is called Accounting History. Must we still find a spot for the history in the teaching of accounting? If I were only talking to the American historians, my address would be unneces¬sary, since the university professors present in this room have long

*Originally delivered in French. M. Stevelinck, as Secretary-General, Comité International des Historians de la Comptabilité, was in large part responsible for arranging the First World Congress of Accounting Historians in Brussels, October, 1970.

since recognized the need for the teaching of accounting history. But, we must not forget that this is an international symposium and if I only mention Europe, which I know so much better, I can say that except for Italy which has also recognized the importance of historic research, a lot remains to be achieved in this field.

The study of a discipline on the historic level does not represent for those adept in an exact science a simple fantasy. On the con¬trary it is absolutely necessary for the complete understanding of that science.

It goes without saying that at a time when the sciences are ex¬panding more and more, as they get enriched by the multitude of precious discoveries, the need is felt more than ever to study their history and to follow the various phases presented and the steps and progress of the human mind.

The story of accounting history is being read at all times. The active and rich study about unknown procedures has reappeared slowly and these procedures have taken their real place in the rec¬ord of the accounting world. One cannot readily conceive of a painter or sculptor who would not have studied the history of art, or of a composer who would not have a knowledge of the history of music. This is an intergral part of their studies and is included in their curricula. Such is not the case with accounting. Often you are taught today’s techniques without even taking a look into what was done in earlier centuries. Yet the study of the history of a sci¬ence makes you develop a larger interest and a better understand¬ing of it. While many sciences have their history, that of accounting remains to be written. It is strange that the accountant follows the guidelines without the desire to give credit or honor to those who developed them. Aside from the moral factor, he would feel real satisfaction in obtaining clarification of the terms in use and under¬standing the logic behind the procedures which brought forth the actual science.

I have been asked several times why I started the study of Ac¬counting history. It was for personal reasons and without further motivation. Yet since an answer was due to the question, I found four reasons: a scientific one, a cultural one, a utilitarian one and a recreational one. In fact the four reasons are intertwined.
The Scientific Reason: We have known accounting historians of various disciplines and their findings were so influenced. The stat-isticians, the librarians, the economists, the politicians, the special¬ist of cost accounting, the bankers, the capitalist, the tax accoun¬tants, the professors and the professional accountants all are
vi

looking at the same subject but with different views. Each selected a document or a series of documents and examined them with his personal affinity. The interest resides mostly in the synthesis of all the researches. One must also be able to limit oneself. To write the history of all countries from the beginning of time until the present would be a work too huge for one man and the result of such an undertaking could only be a summary without value.

One can leave to the Egyptians the art to decifer the paper and refer to their translations, although we have known accounting his¬torians who were not afraid to study paleography in order to be able to look at the original document.

As we said in 1958 while we were working at the Accounting Convention at the International Worlds Fair in Brussels, “the future candidate in history must be armed with the following
knowledge”:

—history of business evolution
—evolution of numeration and the instruments of computing
—evolution of writing
—etymology of the terminology used in accounting
—ancient monetary systems
—ancient commercial right
—ancient fiscal laws
—general history

In order to profit from the studies of the history of accounting, you must have been prepared through prior studies of the develop¬ment of business and the slow but constant evolution of our civili¬zation.

Cultural Reason: The history of accounting is also a cultural ele¬ment which should be a part of education. If one does not want to regress or become stagnant one must, through constant efforts, try to initiate some parallel discipline. Thus the functional will ad¬mit the humanism and the humanism the functional. Let us try to be open minded. It is not necessary to become an Encyclopedia, which would be as impossible as it would be pretentious. But let us have very precise views on different matters. Everyone must have some culture. At the beginning of life we first must acquire a technology but by and by we climbed the steps of the hierarchy and found out that we needed something besides technology. In fact we all need culture. It no longer suffices to know the rules of one profession. Everything changes; everything evolves around us.

We cannot be a more or less intelligent machine. Let us be men in the most accomplished way, and the more we shall step up, the more we shall be in need of culture. Others have written wonderful things on this subject. If we should have to mention a reference we be-lieve that we like to suggest the reading of the brochure by Joseph Basil, Professor at Louvain University and entitled “The Cultural Formation of the Corps and its leaders.” This brochure is full of wise suggestions. “Culture your thoughts to enrich your actions” is the synopsis of this book which appears on the cover page.

Utilitarian Reason: The study of the history of accounting must be used to demonstrate the unfolding of the mind and the practice of accounting through time, to identify the various factors respon¬sible for the changes, and to reveal how the changes came about. The history of accounting will seek to determine the influence of the actual environment on the present and future concept of ac¬counting. And to conclude this study will contribute to a better teaching of accounting, especially one that would be natural in un¬derdeveloped countries.
Recreational Reason: A last reason for the study of accounting history is the present need to occupy one’s leisure time. The quality of a civilization can be measured by the quality of its leisure. This is why leisure and the culture which conditions it will become the serious side of life.

We fought for the right to work, we are fighting now for the right to educate. Tomorrow we will fight for the right to have a freed culture. Beyond the work of seeking knowledge, leisure time with free work will become the third accomplishment of man’s plentitude.

When thoughts and the actions get together and work in initiative selected by free choice, one’s heart seems to be content, and man is happiest. Should leisure become boredom, we would immediate¬ly see a succession of aggressiveness and violence.

Permanent education is giving a new dimension to humanity and is the foremost characteristic of the civilization of leisure. The times when education stopped with the acquisition of a diploma are long gone. Today we are condemned for ever to the work of adaptation and recycling. The study of the history of accounting has just ar-rived at the proper time. Thanks to all of you it is in good hands.

To conclude, I would like to address a kind word to the wives of historians who are in this audience and who see their spouses bent daily over illegible scrawls, asking themselves questions as to the value of such historical research. Did you know, ladies, that most authors have dedicated their volumes of accounting history to their respective spouses? Isn’t this, ladies, the proof that all this work is really done for you?