Alfred Chandler, a preeminent figure in the field of business history, died in May, 2007.  He represented another example of the passing of a legendary generation of scholars in this decade, figures like Milton Friedman and John Galbraith.  In contrast to the latter two, relatively little has been written about Chandler.  He deserves full recognition in the form of a definitive biography and critical evaluation. 

We propose a modest beginning to this.  He is viewed by many as the founder of the modern version of business history, and we need to trace out the shifting of scholarship from writing pleasant company histories to delineating major trends in corporate structure and managerial roles.  In addition, his key emphsasis on power (his concept of "the visible hand") on the second Industrial Revolution and on the implications of large-scale enterprise are major contributions.

Finally, Chandler's work should be analyzed in light of several factors: these include the ideological shift in this country since 1981 in both political and economic terms, the changing role that business, especially big business, plays in society and the interface between government and business.  The role of the business historian is, among others, to see a bigger picture that is detailed rather than vague, to discern processes of change that reshape society, and to evaluate critically the players in the scenarios.  We are indebted to Alfred Chandler for filling these.