Edward Sagendorph Mason was born on February 22, 1899, in Clinton, Iowa.
[1][2] His younger brother was Warren P. Mason, who became an electrical engineer and physicist.
[1] Mason taught a course on the history of socialism in the Department of Economics at his alma mater, Harvard University, in the 1920s and 1930s.
[2] Mason worked for the Office of Strategic Services during World War II.
He became known for his work in industrial organization, an area in which provided direct inspiration to Joe Bain for his SCP model, and in development economics.