Martin Persson

Assistant Professor of Accountancy

Contact

396 Wohlers Hall

1206 S Sixth St

Champaign, IL 61820

217-300-8547

mpersson@illinois.edu

Listings

Educational Background

Ph.D., Accounting, Royal Holloway, University of London, 2013
M.Sc., Accounting, Organizations and Institutions, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2010
B.Sc., Accounting, Jacksonville University, 2008

Positions Held

Assistant Professor of Accountancy, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019 to present
Assistant Professor of Managerial Accounting and Control, Ivey Business School, Western University, 2014-2019

Recent Publications

Dean, G., Persson, M., & Wells, M. Forthcoming. 50 Years of Accounting Thought: The Revolutionary Antecedents of Fair Value Accounting. Accounting History Review. link >
Zeff, S., , P., & Persson, M. Forthcoming. Robert K. Mautz (1915–2002): A Thought Leader in Accounting and Auditing. Accounting Historians Journal. link >
Persson, M., & Radcliffe, V. Forthcoming. The Future of Accounting History: Methods, Topics, and Engagement. Accounting Historians Journal. link >
Moehrle, S., & Persson, M. (2024). Gordon Peter Wilson (1946-2020): Mentor, Coach, Confidant, and Friend. Accounting Horizons, 38 (2), 225-235. link >
Persson, M. (2023). The American Institute of Accountants’ Aptitude Testing Experiment in the 1940s: An Initiative to Increase the Supply of Able Accountants. Accounting History, 29 (2), 236-264. link >

Other Publications

Articles

Persson, M., & DeMaris, E. (2023). E. Joe Demaris on the Accounting Profession and its Forgotten Mission. Accounting Historians Journal, 50 (1), 57-67. link >
Lazdowski, Y., & Persson, M. (2022). Norval Hawkins: Ford Accountant and Salesman Extraordinaire. Accounting Historians Journal, 49 (2), 59-71. link >
Graham, C., Persson, M., Radcliffe, V., & Stein, M. (2022). The State of Ohio’s Auditors, the Enumeration of Population, and the Project of Eugenics. Journal of Business Ethics, 187 (3), 565-587. link >
Moehrle, S., Persson, M., & Reynolds-Moehrle, J. (2022). Nicholas Dopuch (1929–2018): Editor, Mentor, and Harbinger of a Quantitative Accounting Research Revolution. Accounting Horizons, 36 (2), 167–177. link >
Dean, G., Persson, M., & Sargiacomo, M. (2021). Frank Lewis Clarke (1933–2020): An International Journey Highlighting Conventional Accounting Solecisms. Accounting Horizons, 35 (1), 205-219. link >
Zeff, S., & Persson, M. (2020). Donald T. Nicolaisen: An Internationalist SEC Chief Accountant (1944–2019). Accounting Horizons, 34 (2), 185-191. link >
Clarke, F., Dean, G., & Persson, M. (2019). Antecedents of the international association for accounting education and research (1966-1983): A review of early initiatives to develop an international academic accounting association. Journal of International Financial Management & Accounting, 30 (2), 163-178. link >
Persson, M., & Fafatas, S. (2018). Accounting Measurements, Profit, and Loss: A Science Fiction Play in One Act by Harold C. Edey. Accounting History Review, 28 (1-2), 31-60. link >
Persson, M., Radcliffe, V., & Stein, M. (2018). Elmer G Beamer and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants: The Pursuit of a Cognitive Standard for the Accounting Profession. Accounting History, 23 (1-2), 71-92. link >
Persson, M., & Napier, C. (2018). RJ Chambers on Securities and Obscurities: Making a Case for the Reform of the Law of Company Accounts in the 1970s. ABACUS, John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd Melbourne, 54 (1), 36-65. link >
Persson, M., & Napier, C. (2015). R. J. Chambers and the AICPA's Postulates and Principles Controversy: A Case of Vicarious Action. Accounting Historians Journal, 42 (2), 101-132. link >
Persson, M., Radcliffe, V., & Stein, M. (2015). Alvin R. Jennings: Managing Partner, Policy-Maker & Institute President. Accounting Historians Journal, 42 (1), 85-104. link >
Persson, M., & Napier, C. (2014). The Australian Accounting Academic in the 1950s: RJ Chambers and Networks of Accounting Research. Meditari Accountancy Research, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, 22 (1), 54-76. link >

Book Reviews

Persson, M. (2019). Understanding Mattessich and Ijiri: A Study of Accounting Thought. ( 4 ed vol. 24,). Accounting History, SAGE Publications Sage UK: London, England. link >
Persson, M. (2016). The Social Life of Money. ( 1 ed vol. 26, pp. 45-49). Accounting History Review, Routledge. link >

Books and Monographs

Baker, C., & Persson, M. (2021). Historical Developments in the Accountancy Profession, Financial Reporting, and Accounting Theory. London: Emerald Group Publishing. link >
Persson, M. (2019). Harold Cecil Edey: A Collection of Unpublished Material from a 20th Century Accounting Reformer. London: Emerald Group Publishing. link >
Clarke, F., Dean, G., & Persson, M. (2018). Accounting Thought and Practice Reform: Ray Chambers’ Odyssey. London & New York: Routledge. link >
Persson, M. (2016). A. C. Littleton's Final Thoughts on Accounting: A Collection of Unpublished Essays. London: Emerald Group Publishing. link >

Case Studies

Persson, M., & Stein, M. (2019). The Evolution of the Coca-Cola Company’s Financial Disclosures (Case: 9B19B004). London, ON: Ivey Publishing. link >
Persson, M., & Stein, M. (2017). Tesla’s Non-GAAP Accounting Measurements: Revenue Recognition and Stock-Based Compensation (Case Study 9B17B019). London, ON: Ivey Publishing. link >
Persson, M., Radcliffe, V., & Stein, M. (2015). Penn West Petroleum Ltd (Case Study 9B15B007). London, ON: Ivey Publishing. link >

Other Publications

Persson, M. (2025). Accounting History Publications 2024. ( pp. 1-6). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2024). Accounting History Publications 2023. ( 1-2 ed vol. 34, pp. 123-128). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2023). Accounting History Publications 2022. ( 1 ed vol. 33, pp. 37-52). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2022). Accounting History Publications 2021. ( 3 ed vol. 31, pp. 335-340). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2021). Accounting History Publications 2020. ( 1 ed vol. 31, pp. 113-120). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2020). Accounting History Publications 2019. ( 2 ed vol. 30, pp. 243-250). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2019). Accounting History Publications 2018. ( 1 ed vol. 29, pp. 141-147). Accounting History Review. link >
Persson, M. (2018). Accounting History Publications 2017. ( 1 ed vol. 29, pp. 149-157). Accounting History Review. link >

Honors and Awards

Highly Commended Manuscript Award, Accounting History, 2025
Listed among Teachers Ranked as Outstanding by their Students, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2023, 2024, 2025
Listed among Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
Voted the Most Valuable Professor (MVP) by Student Athletes, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2023
Barbara D. Merino Award for Excellence in Accounting History Publication, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2017, 2023
Emerald Literati Outstanding Author Contribution Award, Emerald Group Publishing, 2016, 2020, 2023
Thomas J. Burns Biographical Research Award, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2015, 2018, 2022
Best Paper Award, Accounting Historians Journal, 2015, 2022

Grants

Gies Research Funding Award, Gies College of Business, 2021 to present

Service

Editorial Board Member, Accounting History Review (AHR), 2025 to present
Chair of the Accounting Horizons Memorial Committee, American Accounting Association, 2025 to present
Fellow of the Public Voices Fellowship, University of Illinois Foundation, 2025 to present
Member of the John Rovensky Fellowship in US Business or Economic History Committee, University of Illinois Foundation, 2025 to present
Vice-President, Communications, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2024 to present
Consulting Editor, Accounting Historians Journal (AHJ), 2022 to present
Member of the Nominating Committee, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2019 to present
Official Bibliographer, Accounting History Review (AHR), 2018 to present
Editorial Board Member, Accounting History (AH), 2016 to present
Member of the Accounting Horizons Memorial Committee, American Accounting Association, 2019-2025
Vice-President, Partnerships, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2020-2024
Member of the Notable and Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award Screening Committee, American Accounting Association, 2021-2022
Editorial Board Member, The International Journal of Accounting (TIJA), 2019-2022
Associate Editor, Accounting Historians Journal (AHJ), 2019-2022
Member of the 2019-2020 Distinguished Contributions to Accounting Literature Award Selection Committee, American Accounting Association, 2019-2021
Member of the Scientific Committee of the European Accounting Association’s Annual Congress, European Accounting Association, 2018-2021
Member of the Canadian Academic Accounting Association’s Task Force to establish a Canadian Accounting Hall of Fame, Canadian Academic Accounting Association, 2018-2021
Section Liaison, Academy of Accounting Historians, American Accounting Association, 2018-2021

Teaching Interests

My teaching integrates technical accounting rigor with a historical and institutional perspective. In courses such as Financial Reporting Standards (ACCY 510), I encourage students to master the mechanics of financial reporting while engaging critically with the profession's conceptual and ethical foundations. I am particularly interested in case-based and discussion-driven pedagogy that links contemporary standard-setting debates to their historical antecedents, preparing students to become thoughtful practitioners and reflective professionals.

Research Interests

My research explores how individuals, ideas, and organizations have shaped the evolution of accounting theory, professional practice, and financial reporting since the early twentieth century. It centers on three interrelated themes: (1) the development of accounting thought and measurement; (2) the institutionalization of the accounting profession and its boundaries of authority; and (3) the role of accounting in processes of enumeration, governance, and exclusion. My current projects include studies on minority faculty in accounting before the Civil Rights Act of 1968, Civil War–era enumeration practices, the fiduciary obligations of corporate trusts, and the historical origins of double-entry bookkeeping. Across these works, I seek to demonstrate that accounting is not merely a technical craft but a social institution that constructs legitimacy and mediates access to economic and moral authority.

Current Courses

Financial Reporting Standards (ACCY 510) Stakeholders' needs for reliable and relevant information about the performance of firms, as well as managers; economic self-interests, influence managers' selection of accounting policies and financial reporting methods. This course selectively surveys both academic research and professional standards to focus on the measurement, classification and disclosure of financial transactions. Cases, class discussion and research projects emphasize independent thinking, group processes, and communication.