James Wilkie Nisbet (1903–1974) was a Scottish economist. He gained a double first in economic science and philosophy, and an LLB with distinction at the University of Glasgow. Between 1926 and 1931 he served as assistant to W. R. Scott, the Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy at the University of Glasgow.[1]

After he moved to St Andrews University in 1935 as a lecturer in political economy, he was promoted to reader in 1938 and professor in 1947. He was a classical economist and a believer in free trade. He published his first book, A Case for Laissez-Faire, in 1929.[2] He also wrote on banking and finance and on how to improve living standards. His students included Sir Alan Peacock, later Professor of Economics at the University of York, and Sir John Cowperthwaite, who was Financial Secretary of Hong Kong (1961 - 71).[1] Alan Peacock described Nisbet as a wide-ranging thinker whose course in Political Economy "with its strong emphasis on the historical and political background to economic policy has not only offered a useful general education to generations of non-specialists but has also taught the would-be professional economist that he must take some responsibility for devising realistic policy measures."[3]

Nisbet retired in 1970 and died in 1974.

References

  1. 1 2 Monnery, Neil (2017). Architect of prosperity : Sir John Cowperthwaite and the making of Hong Kong. London: LPP. ISBN 9781907994692. OCLC 990638586.
  2. ↑ Nisbet, James (1929). A Case for Laissez-Faire. P. S. King & Son.
  3. ↑ Peacock, Alan (1970). "Professor James Wilkie Nisbet: an appreciation". Alumnus Chronicle, University of St Andrews. 61.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.