William Arthur Lewis
Encyclopedia
Sir William Arthur Lewis (January 23, 1915 — June 15, 1991) was a Saint Lucia
n economist well known for his contributions in the field of economic development
. In 1979 he won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics
, becoming the first black person
to win a Nobel Prize
in a category other than peace
.
, then still a British territory in the Caribbean
, his parents having recently migrated from Antigua
. After gaining his B.Sc.
degree in 1937 and Ph.D.
degree in 1940 at the London School of Economics
, Lewis lectured at the University of Manchester
from 1948 until 1957. When Ghana
gained independence in 1957, Lewis became the country's first economic advisor, helping to draw up its first Five Year Development Plan (1959–1963). In 1959 he was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies
. In 1963 he was knighted
, and was also appointed a University Professor at Princeton University
, a position he retained until his retirement in 1983. In 1970 Lewis became director of the Caribbean Development Bank
. He received the Nobel prize
in 1979. He died on June 15, 1991 in Bridgetown, Barbados and was buried in the grounds of the St Lucian community college named in his honour.
Lewis' achievements have been recognised by the naming of "The Arthur Lewis Building
" (opened in 2007) at the University of Manchester
where he once lectured.
also named the "Lewis Model."
The point, named after him, has recently gained wide circulation in the context of economic development in China.
Saint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
n economist well known for his contributions in the field of economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. In 1979 he won the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics
Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
The Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, commonly referred to as the Nobel Prize in Economics, but officially the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel , is an award for outstanding contributions to the field of economics, generally regarded as one of the...
, becoming the first black person
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
to win a Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in a category other than peace
Nobel Peace Prize
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
.
Biography
Lewis was born in Saint LuciaSaint Lucia
Saint Lucia is an island country in the eastern Caribbean Sea on the boundary with the Atlantic Ocean. Part of the Lesser Antilles, it is located north/northeast of the island of Saint Vincent, northwest of Barbados and south of Martinique. It covers a land area of 620 km2 and has an...
, then still a British territory in the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, his parents having recently migrated from Antigua
Antigua
Antigua , also known as Waladli, is an island in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region, the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua means "ancient" in Spanish and was named by Christopher Columbus after an icon in Seville Cathedral, Santa Maria de la...
. After gaining his B.Sc.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in 1937 and Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degree in 1940 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...
, Lewis lectured at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
from 1948 until 1957. When Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
gained independence in 1957, Lewis became the country's first economic advisor, helping to draw up its first Five Year Development Plan (1959–1963). In 1959 he was appointed Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies
University of the West Indies
The University of the West Indies , is an autonomous regional institution supported by and serving 17 English-speaking countries and territories in the Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Dominica,...
. In 1963 he was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
, and was also appointed a University Professor at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, a position he retained until his retirement in 1983. In 1970 Lewis became director of the Caribbean Development Bank
Caribbean Development Bank
The Caribbean Development Bank is a financial institution which assists Caribbean nations in financing social and economic programs in its member countries...
. He received the Nobel prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in 1979. He died on June 15, 1991 in Bridgetown, Barbados and was buried in the grounds of the St Lucian community college named in his honour.
Lewis' achievements have been recognised by the naming of "The Arthur Lewis Building
Arthur Lewis Building
The Arthur Lewis Building, named after Arthur Lewis is located west of Oxford Road and south of the Manchester Business School, nearly a mile from the centre of Manchester, UK...
" (opened in 2007) at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
where he once lectured.
Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour
Lewis published in 1954 what was to be the most influential development economics article, “Economic Development with Unlimited Supplies of Labour” (Manchester School). In this work Lewis combined an analysis of the historical experience of developed countries with the central ideas of the classical economists to produce a broad picture of the development process. In his story a “capitalist” sector develops by taking labour from a non-capitalist backward “subsistence” sector. At an early stage of development, there would be “unlimited” supplies of labour from the subsistence economy which means that the capitalist sector can expand without the need to raise wages. In this publication, he introduces the Dual Sector modelDual Sector model
The dual-sector model given by Sir William Arthur Lewis winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics in 1979 is commonly known as the Lewis model, it is a model in developmental economics that explains the growth of a developing economy in terms of a labour transition between two sectors, the...
also named the "Lewis Model."
The Theory of Economic Growth
Lewis published The Theory of Economic Growth in 1955 in which he sought to “provide an appropriate framework for studying economic development,” driven by a combination of “curiosity and of practical need.”Lewisian Turning Point
According to Lewis, developing countries' industrial wages begin to rise quickly at the point when the supply of surplus labor from the countryside tapers off.The point, named after him, has recently gained wide circulation in the context of economic development in China.
External links
- Arthur Lewis Papers at the Seeley G. Mudd Manuscript Library, Princeton University
- St. Lucian Nobel Laureates
- Nobel e-Museum: Arthur Lewis
- Sir Arthur Lewis Community College, Saint Lucia
- Sir Arthur Lewis – Prize Lecture
- IDEAS/RePEc
- The Lewisian Turning Point and Its Implications to Labor Protection (The Institute of Population and Labor Economics, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences)