Herbert Foxwell
Encyclopedia
Herbert Somerton Foxwell (17 June 1849 - 3 August 1936) was an English economist. He played an important role in the fostering of economic studies in Britain through his teaching, his work with the Royal Economic Society
and other organisations, and his prodigious book collecting
. Foxwell was probably the greatest collector of economic literature and over 70,000 books passed through his possession, most of them to form the present collection of the Goldsmiths Library, University of London
, and the Kress Collection of Business and Economics in the Baker Library, Harvard University
.His publications were mainly articles or introductions to books, most notably the article on the "Ricardian socialists
" presented as the introduction to Anton Menger
's The Right to the Whole Produce of Labour (1899).
Foxwell was born in Somerset, the son of an ironmonger and slate and timber merchant. He received his early education at the Wesleyian Collegiate Institute, Taunton
. After passing the London Matriculation examination at the minimum age, he obtained a London External BA Degree at the age of 18.
He went to St. John's College, Cambridge in 1868. He was placed senior in the Moral Sciences Tripos in 1870 and was associated with the College for the rest of his life. He was made a Fellow in 1874 and held his College lectureship for sixty years. In the University he was largely responsible for the honours teaching of economics from 1877 to 1908.
Foxwell was assistant lecturer to his friend Stanley Jevons who had held the Chair of Economics at University College London
from 1868 and then succeeded Jevons as chair in May 1881, holding the post until 1927. At the same time, Foxwell was Newmarch Lecturer in statistics at University College London and a lecturer on currency and banking from 1896 at the London School of Economics
. In 1907 he became joint Professor of Political Economy in the University of London. In addition to these appointments, Foxwell gave extra-mural lectures for Cambridge University from 1874 and for London from 1876 to 1881 in London, Leeds, Halifax and elsewhere. He also held the following appointments: external examiner for London, Cambridge and other universities; first Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of London; vice-president and president of the Council of the Royal Economic Society; member of the Councils of the Statistical Society and the British Association for the Advancement of Science; and secretary and later president of the University (Cambridge) Musical Society and the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. He also provided a course of lectures at the nstitute of Actuaries.
Foxwell was a dedicated book-collector and bibliophile. He concentrated on the purchase of economic books printed before 1848. He described his library as a collection of books and tracts intended to serve as the basis for the study of the industrial, commercial, monetary and financial history of the United Kingdom as well a of the gradual development of economic science generally. Foxwell's library provides the nucleus of the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature. When The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths purchased the library of economic literature from Foxwell in 1901 for £10,000 it contained about 30,000 books. The Company also generously provided Foxwell with a series of subventions following the purchase of the Library to enable him to make further acquisitions prior to the gift of the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature to the University of London in 1903. From the sale in 1901, Foxwell kept back duplicates that formed a second collection which he sold to Harvard University
for £4,000 in 1929. From the termination of dealings with the Goldsmiths' Company in 1903, he began creating a second major collection.
By the time of his death, Foxwell had amassed a further 20,000 volumes that were sold to Harvard University creating the focus for the Kress Library.
Royal Economic Society
The Royal Economic Society is incorporated by a Royal Charter dated 2 December 1902. It is one of the oldest economic associations in the world. Currently it has over 3,300 individual members, of whom 60% live outside the United Kingdom...
and other organisations, and his prodigious book collecting
Book collecting
Book collecting is the collecting of books, including seeking, locating, acquiring, organizing, cataloging, displaying, storing, and maintaining whatever books are of interest to a given individual collector. The love of books is bibliophilia, and someone who loves to read, admire, and collect...
. Foxwell was probably the greatest collector of economic literature and over 70,000 books passed through his possession, most of them to form the present collection of the Goldsmiths Library, University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
, and the Kress Collection of Business and Economics in the Baker Library, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
.His publications were mainly articles or introductions to books, most notably the article on the "Ricardian socialists
Ricardian socialism
Ricardian socialism refers to a branch of socialist economic thought based upon the work of economist David Ricardo. The Ricardian socialists reasoned that the free-market was the route to socialism, and that rent, profit and interest were not natural outgrowths of the free-market...
" presented as the introduction to Anton Menger
Anton Menger
Anton Menger von Wolfensgrün , Austrian, is the author of "The Right to the Whole Produce of Labor", "The Civil Law and the Poors" among others. He is Austrian economist Carl Menger's brother....
's The Right to the Whole Produce of Labour (1899).
Foxwell was born in Somerset, the son of an ironmonger and slate and timber merchant. He received his early education at the Wesleyian Collegiate Institute, Taunton
Taunton
Taunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
. After passing the London Matriculation examination at the minimum age, he obtained a London External BA Degree at the age of 18.
He went to St. John's College, Cambridge in 1868. He was placed senior in the Moral Sciences Tripos in 1870 and was associated with the College for the rest of his life. He was made a Fellow in 1874 and held his College lectureship for sixty years. In the University he was largely responsible for the honours teaching of economics from 1877 to 1908.
Foxwell was assistant lecturer to his friend Stanley Jevons who had held the Chair of Economics at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
from 1868 and then succeeded Jevons as chair in May 1881, holding the post until 1927. At the same time, Foxwell was Newmarch Lecturer in statistics at University College London and a lecturer on currency and banking from 1896 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 1907 he became joint Professor of Political Economy in the University of London. In addition to these appointments, Foxwell gave extra-mural lectures for Cambridge University from 1874 and for London from 1876 to 1881 in London, Leeds, Halifax and elsewhere. He also held the following appointments: external examiner for London, Cambridge and other universities; first Dean of the Faculty of Economics at the University of London; vice-president and president of the Council of the Royal Economic Society; member of the Councils of the Statistical Society and the British Association for the Advancement of Science; and secretary and later president of the University (Cambridge) Musical Society and the Cambridge Antiquarian Society. He also provided a course of lectures at the nstitute of Actuaries.
Foxwell was a dedicated book-collector and bibliophile. He concentrated on the purchase of economic books printed before 1848. He described his library as a collection of books and tracts intended to serve as the basis for the study of the industrial, commercial, monetary and financial history of the United Kingdom as well a of the gradual development of economic science generally. Foxwell's library provides the nucleus of the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature. When The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths purchased the library of economic literature from Foxwell in 1901 for £10,000 it contained about 30,000 books. The Company also generously provided Foxwell with a series of subventions following the purchase of the Library to enable him to make further acquisitions prior to the gift of the Goldsmiths' Library of Economic Literature to the University of London in 1903. From the sale in 1901, Foxwell kept back duplicates that formed a second collection which he sold to Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
for £4,000 in 1929. From the termination of dealings with the Goldsmiths' Company in 1903, he began creating a second major collection.
By the time of his death, Foxwell had amassed a further 20,000 volumes that were sold to Harvard University creating the focus for the Kress Library.
Publications
- The Social Aspect of Banking, 1886.
- Irregularity of Employment and Fluctuations of Prices, 1886.
- "Introduction" to A. Menger, The Right to the Whole Produce of Labour (1899).
- Papers on Current Finance, 1919.
External links
- Papers of Foxwell held by the University of London
- More of Foxwell's papers
- Further Foxwell papers
- Foxwell's library, basis of the Goldsmith's Library of Economic Literature, Senate House Library, University of London
- Herbert Somerton Foxwell Papers at Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School
- Kress Collection of Business and Economics at Baker Library Historical Collections, Harvard Business School