[Ads-l] Antedating of "Technocrat"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Interesting search, Fred. Here is the plural form “technocrats” a bit earlier.

Date: January 7, 1932
Newspaper: The Daily Times-News
Newspaper Location: Burlington, North Carolina
Article: Norman Thomas Views Technocracy Failure
Author: Sidney B. Whipple  (United Press Staff Correspondent)
Quote Page 8, Column 4
Database: Newspapers.com

[Begin excerpt]
"The technocrats are arrogant," Norman Thomas, national leader of the
Socialist Party said today in an exclusive United Press interview.
"Behind their system I can see only one possibility in their minds --
the setting up of a dictatorship of engineers. That is fascism, or at
least it lends itself beautifully to fascism."
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Sun, Oct 27, 2024 at 6:08 PM Shapiro, Fred <fred.shapiro at yale.edu> wrote:
>
> technocrat (OED 4 Dec. 1932)
>
> 1932 Sydney Morning Herald 6 Feb. 12/8 (Newspapers.com)
>
> We live to-day under the rule of super-craftsmen — economic technicians.  He may be the big banker financing the machine, its brain like Ford's that directs it, or the super-engineer who designs it.  In either case we call him a technocrat, and our new form of government a technocracy.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org