Devons, Ely

Ely Devons, 1913-1967, was educated at Hanley High School, Portsmouth Grammar School, and North Manchester Municipal High School. He went on to study at Manchester University, where he obtained a degree in Economics in 1934 and an MA in Economics in 1935. His career in statistics began when he was appointed economic assistant to the Joint Committee of Cotton Trades Organisations in Manchester, 1935-1939. He was subsequently a statistician for Cotton Control at the Ministry of Supply, 1939-1940, and for the Economic Section of the War Cabinet Offices, and Chief Statistician for the Central Statistics Office, 1940-1941. From 1941 to 1945 he was Chief Statistician, Director of Statistics, and Director General of Planning, Programmes and Statistics at the Ministry of Aircraft Production. After World War II, Devons returned to Manchester University, becoming Robert Ottley Reader in Applied Economics in 1945 and became Robert Ottley Professor of Applied Economics, 1948-1959. He then moved to the London School of Economics, where he held the post of Professor of Commerce, 1959-1965. He was a member of the council of the Royal Economic Society 1956-1964, and a member of the Local Government Commission 1959-1965.