Nisbet, James W. (James Wilkie)

James Wilkie Nisbet (1903-1974), served the University of St Andrews as Lecturer, Reader and latterly as Professor of Political Economy from 1947 to 1970. He came to St Andrews after a brilliant undergraduate career at Glasgow University having gained a double first in Economic Science and Philosophy and an LL.B. with distinction. He was selected as Assistant to WR Scott, Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy (1926-31) and lectured in Political Economy until he moved to St Andrews in 1935.

Once in St Andrews he was promoted to reader after only three years and was the obvious choice to fill the Chair of Political Economy when it was created in 1947. He devised a broad course which emphasised the historical and political background to economic policy and thus offered a useful education to generations of non-specialists while teaching the future professional economist to take some responsibility for devising realistic policy measures.

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