Adam Smith Club (staff society : 1868- : University of Glasgow, Scotland)

Adam Smith (1723-1790) had been a student and a professor at the University of Glasgow , Scotland , during the eighteenth century. He has been called the "father" of political economy and his major work, The Wealth of Nations , (1776), is recognised, then and now, as one of the seminal works in European philosophy.

The Adam Smith Club was established in November 1868, primarily by Mr Charles Gairdner , General Manager of the Union Bank of Scotland . Mr Gairdner had been inspired by a meeting he had attended of the Adam Smith Club of London, England , which had been founded in 1821 . The Adam Smith Club in Glasgow, Scotland , was formed for those who were interested in subjects connected with political economy and met once a month between November and March/April. Initially, the Club only had twelve members, which included a chairman and secretary, consisting of staff from the University of Glasgow and gentlemen from the city. Students were not permitted to join. The secretary also appears to have dealt with the financial aspect of the Club. Meetings consisted of a dinner followed by a talk given by one of the members. Subjects varied; a few were directly linked to Adam Smith but all were connected with political economy. Although the Club had begun to expand, it lapsed between 1897-1907 . There is no official reason given for this, though it was suggested that the bitterness of political discussions had played a part.

In 1907 there was a resolution to establish a "new Adam Smith Club". Increasingly the discussions were concentrated on those in which the speaker was to some extent an expert rather than debating broad general terms. Activities were suspended during the 1914-1918 World War but continued from 1920 . In 1952 , meetings were reduced from five a year to four. In 1968 , the Club celebrated its centenary with a formal dinner. The first female member made her maiden contribution on 18th November 1992 . Records indicate the Club continued after 1995 .

From the guide to the Records of the Glasgow Adam Smith Club, staff society, University of Glasgow, Scotland, 1947-1975, (Glasgow University Archive Services)