Melvin Thomas Copeland

Melvin Thomas Copeland (July 17, 1884 – March 27, 1975) was professor at Harvard Business School from 1916 to his retirement in 1953. He was known for coining the term "marketing" in a course in 1915.

Early life Copeland was born on July 17, 1884, in Brewer, Maine. He graduated summa cum laude in 1907 from Bowdoin College with a Bachelor of Arts. He received both an A.M. and a Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1910. He taught economics at Harvard while working on his PhD. He was a Sheldon Traveling Fellow.

Copeland conducted research studies of various industries. He was a member of the Massachusetts Commission on Cost of Living from 1916 to 1917. He was secretary to the Commercial Economy Board of the Council of National Defense from 1917 to 1918. He was executive secretary of the conservation division of the War Industries Board in 1918.

Copeland was president of the Bowdoin Club of Boston from 1923 to 1924. He was a director of the alumni found of Bowdoin. In 1934, he was added to Bowdoin's alumni council. Copeland died on March 27, 1975, at his home in Annisquam, Massachusetts. He was buried in Mount Adnah Cemetery.

Works Copeland wrote six books while teaching, including Cotton Manufacturing Industry of the U.S., The Executive at Work Problems in Marketing and Principles of Merchandising. After he retired, he wrote And Mark an Era, a history of Harvard Business School, and The Sage of Cape Ann, a story about the Gloucester area.

Awards and legacy In 1911, Copeland received an honorary Doctor of Science degree from Bowdoin College. The Melvin T. Copeland Award was established in his honor upon his retirement in 1953.