Wroe Alderson's Marketing Theory Seminar: an experiment in higher education (1951‐1965)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the founding and history of the Marketing Theory Seminar, often called Wroe Alderson's Seminar. Design/methodology/approach – The paper offers personal reflections and historical narrative. Findings – The Marketing Theory Seminar was considered by Wroe Alderson to be the crowning achievement of his career. This paper was presented at the time of Alderson's death in 1965 to memorialize his work on the Seminar. It documents the key participants and themes of the Seminars from their inception in 1951 through 1962. Originality/value – This paper was presented at the Theory Seminar in 1965 by one of its founding organizers, Edmund McGarry, and has never been published. Copyright is held by the estate of the author. While we have been unable to contact any such persons, we have published the article with a view to bringing this important document to a wider audience. We welcome any communication from the holders of McGarry's estate.