Richard Good Smethurst (born 17 January 1941) is an economist, who was provost of

Worcester College, Oxford Worcester College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. The college was founded in 1714 by the benefaction of Sir Thomas Cookes, 2nd Baronet (1648–1701) of Norgrove, Worcestershire, whose coat of arms was ad ...

Education

Smethurst was educated at

Liverpool College Liverpool College is a coeducational day and boarding school in Mossley Hill, Liverpool, England. It was one of the thirteen founding members of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference, Headmasters' Conference. History Liverpool Coll ...

, and

Nuffield College, Oxford Nuffield College () is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is a graduate college specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. N ...

Career

In 1964, Smethurst was appointed research fellow at

St Edmund Hall, Oxford St Edmund Hall (also known as The Hall and Teddy Hall) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. The college claims to be "the oldest surviving academic society to house and educate undergraduates in any university" and was the las ...

. In the following academic year (1965/66) he was simultaneously

Fellow A fellow is a title and form of address for distinguished, learned, or skilled individuals in academia, medicine, research, and industry. The exact meaning of the term differs in each field. In learned society, learned or professional society, p ...

and tutor in

economics Economics () is a behavioral science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interac ...

and consultant to the

UN Food and Agriculture Organization The United Nations (UN) is the global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and security, to develop friendly relations among st ...

programme at the Oxford Institute of Commonwealth Studies. In 1967, he became a fellow of

where he was also tutor in economics and university lecturer in economics until 1976. Meanwhile, he was also part-time economic advisor to

Her Majesty's Treasury His Majesty's Treasury (HM Treasury or HMT), and informally referred to as the Treasury, is the Government of the United Kingdom’s economic and finance ministry. The Treasury is responsible for public spending, financial services policy, taxa ...

1969–71 and part-time policy advisor to the Prime Minister's Policy Unit 1975–76 ( Harold Wilson's second term). From 1976 until 1986 he was professorial fellow at

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engl ...

and director of Oxford University Department for External Studies. In 1978 he had been appointed a part-time member of the

Monopolies and Mergers Commission The Competition Commission was a non-departmental public body responsible for investigating mergers, markets and other enquiries related to regulated industries under UK competition law, competition law in the United Kingdom. It was a competiti ...

and in 1986 he became its deputy chairman. He held this position until 1989 when, rather than becoming its chairman, he returned to

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

as chairman of the General Board of the Faculties. In 1991 he became provost of

and in 1997 he was appointed pro-vice-chancellor of the

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

. He was appointed President of the Thames and Solent

Workers' Educational Association Workers' Educational Associations (WEA) are not-for-profit bodies that deliver further education to adults in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. WEA UK WEA UK, founded in 1903, is the UK's largest voluntary sector provider of adult edu ...

in 1992 and president of the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education in 1994. He retired as provost of Worcester in Summer 2011. Smethurst was once tutor to John Hood, subsequently

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

Private life

Smethurst is married to Sue Gillingham, an Oxford theologian and authority on the

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( , ; ; ; ; , in Islam also called Zabur, ), also known as the Psalter, is the first book of the third section of the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible) called ('Writings'), and a book of the Old Testament. The book is an anthology of B ...

Sources and further information

International Adult and Continuing Education Hall of Fame
*''Debrett's People of Today'' (12th edn, London:

Debrett's Peerage Debrett's () is a British professional coaching company and publisher and authority on etiquette and behaviour, founded in 1769 with the publication of the first edition of ''The New Peerage''. The company takes its name from its founder, John ...

, 1999), p. 1810
Georgina Ferry, 'Back from the edge'
''

Oxford Today ''Oxford Today: The University Magazine'' was a magazine for the alumni of Oxford University.Contact details< ...

'' 17:1 (Michaelmas 2004)

References

External links

Richard Smethurst interviewed by Alan Macfarlane 28 September 2010 (video)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smethurst, Richard Good 1941 births Living people People educated at Liverpool College Alumni of Worcester College, Oxford Alumni of Nuffield College, Oxford Fellows of Worcester College, Oxford Fellows of Kellogg College, Oxford Provosts of Worcester College, Oxford Pro-vice-chancellors of the University of Oxford English economists Fellows of St Edmund Hall, Oxford