Jānis Labsvīrs

1907–2002
Economist, publicist, significant public worker

Janis Labsvirs was born on 13 March 1907 in Bilska parish, Valka County. He moved with his family to Smiltene in 1910 and graduated from Smiltene Trade School in 1916. He then attended Smiltene secondary school (1921–1924). He studied at the Department of Economics and Law, Faculty of Economics, University of Latvia (1924–1930), obtaining a master’s degree, and later worked as a teacher at Ventspils Vocational School, Gulbene Commercial School, and Jelgava Technical School.

In 1936 he moved to Riga where he held the post of head of the Education and Culture Department at the Labour Chamber and inspector at the Krisjanis Barons Folk University. In 1937, Labsvirs started working at the Ministry of Public Affairs, initially as head of the Propaganda Department, and a year later – as the director of the Public and Cultural Department (1938–1940).

During the German occupation, he was the director of Tukums State Gymnasium and Tukums State Commercial School (1941–1944). He fled to Germany in 1944. There he worked for the International Refugee Organisation. He was elected head of the Education and Culture Department in the Esslingen camp and organised the Esslingen Song Days. Labsvirs was a trustee of the Red Cross in Baden-Württemberg and a member of the Latvian Central Council.

In 1950 he emigrated to the United States where he developed a distinguished academic career, earning a master's degree in history from Butler University in Indianapolis (1956) and a doctorate in history from Indiana University in 1959, after which he was invited to become professor of economics at Indiana University (until 1973). Afterwards, he retained the honorary status of professor emeritus.

In 1985 Labsvirs was elected vice-president of the Latvian Academic Teachers and Scholars Association (LATSA).