George Christopher Archibald
Encyclopedia
George Christopher Archibald (30 December 1926 – 22 February 1996), also known as Chris Archibald, was a British economist, a researcher and professor. He played a significant role in building the new University of Essex
into a premier UK
research centre for the social sciences
in the 1960s.
Archibald was born in Scotland
the first son of George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald
. He completed high school at Phillips Exeter Academy
in New Hampshire
, and received his bachelor's degree
in history from Cambridge University in 1943. After military service in WWII
and Palestine, he completed a bachelors of science in economics at the London School of Economics
in 1951.
After graduation Archibald taught in Otago, New Zealand, but returned to the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1955 and was appointed to the staff. He was one of the founding members of the LSE Staff Seminar on Methodology, Measurement and Testing. He left LSE in 1964 to join the staff at the newly created University of Essex, where he received a professor's chair in 1967. In 1971, he moved to the University of British Columbia
. Also in 1971 he married Daphne May Vincent Henman, his second wife. Upon the death of his father, instead of becoming Baron Archibald, he renounced the peerage, expressing the opinion that hereditary honors were empty honors. He retired from the University of British Columbia in 1991 and returned to Scotland.
University of Essex
The University of Essex is a British campus university whose original and largest campus is near the town of Colchester, England. Established in 1963 and receiving its Royal Charter in 1965...
into a premier UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
research centre for the social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
in the 1960s.
Archibald was born in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
the first son of George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald
George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald
George Archibald, 1st Baron Archibald CBE was a British Labour politician.Archibald was the son of George W. Archibald, of Glasgow, and was educated at St George's Road Elementary School and Alan Glen's High School. During the Second World War he served as Controller of the Ministry of Information...
. He completed high school at Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy
Phillips Exeter Academy is a private secondary school located in Exeter, New Hampshire, in the United States.Exeter is noted for its application of Harkness education, a system based on a conference format of teacher and student interaction, similar to the Socratic method of learning through asking...
in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and received his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in history from Cambridge University in 1943. After military service in WWII
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and Palestine, he completed a bachelors of science in economics at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1951.
After graduation Archibald taught in Otago, New Zealand, but returned to the London School of Economics (LSE) in 1955 and was appointed to the staff. He was one of the founding members of the LSE Staff Seminar on Methodology, Measurement and Testing. He left LSE in 1964 to join the staff at the newly created University of Essex, where he received a professor's chair in 1967. In 1971, he moved to the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
. Also in 1971 he married Daphne May Vincent Henman, his second wife. Upon the death of his father, instead of becoming Baron Archibald, he renounced the peerage, expressing the opinion that hereditary honors were empty honors. He retired from the University of British Columbia in 1991 and returned to Scotland.
Selected publications
- with R. G. Lipsey (1958) "Monetary and Value Theory: A Critique of Lange and Patinkin" The Review of Economic Studies 26(1): pp. 1-22, doi:10.2307/2295854, applied Patinkin's theory to stock flows and stock equilibrium and developed that relationship for the first in modern monetary economics.
- (1967) "Refutation or Comparison" The British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 17(4): pp. 279-296, doi:10.1093/bjps/17.4.279, detailed some of what measurement and testing can and cannot accomplish.
- (1992) Information, Incentives, and the Economics of Control Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, England, ISBN 0-521-33045-9 (new edition republished in 2005), is considered a staple in the field.