Sir Alexander Kirkland Cairncross (11 February 1911 – 21 October 1998), known as Sir Alec Cairncross, was a British economist. He was the brother of the spy
John Cairncross
John Cairncross (25 July 1913 – 8 October 1995) was a British civil servant who became an intelligence officer and spy during the Second World War. As a Soviet double agent, he passed to the Soviet Union the raw Tunny decryptions that may h ...
and father of journalist
Frances Cairncross
Dame Frances Anne Cairncross, (born 30 August 1944 in Otley, England) is a British economist, journalist and academic. She is a senior fellow at the School of Public Policy, UCLA.
She formerly chaired the executive committee of the Institute ...
Lesmahagow
Lesmahagow ( ; or ''Lesmahagae'', ) is a small town in the historic county of Lanarkshire on the edge of moorland, near Lanark in the central belt of Scotland. Lesmahagow was also a civil parish. It lies west of the M74 motorway, M74, and sout ...
, Lanarkshire, the seventh of eight children of Alexander Kirkland Cairncross, an ironmonger. He was educated at Lesmahagow Higher Grade School and
Hamilton Academy
Hamilton Academy was a Boarding school, boarding and day school in Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Hamilton, South Lanarkshire, Scotland. It was founded in 1588 as a boy's school and was open for nearly four centuries. In the late 19th century, ...
, then won two scholarships to study economics at
Glasgow University
The University of Glasgow (abbreviated as ''Glas.'' in post-nominals; ) is a public research university in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by papal bull in , it is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ...
. From there, he attained a further research studentship to study at
Trinity College, Cambridge
Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
, and in 1935 was awarded the second PhD in economics bestowed by the university (the first, according to Cairncross himself, was given to Ronald Walker).
Cairncross was instrumental in founding the Scottish Economic Society and was, in 1954, the first editor of its ''
Gazetteer for Scotland
The ''Gazetteer for Scotland'' is a gazetteer covering the geography, history and people of Scotland. It was conceived in 1995 by Bruce Gittings of the University of Edinburgh and David Munro of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and co ...
Cairncross served as an economic adviser to the
UK government
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Master
Master, master's or masters may refer to:
Ranks or titles
In education:
*Master (college), head of a college
*Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline
*Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...
of
St Peter's College, Oxford
St Peter's College is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford. Located on New Inn Hall Street, Oxford, United Kingdom, it occupies the site of two of the university's academic halls of the Univers ...
(1969–78), Chancellor of the University of Glasgow (1972–96), and was an Honorary Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...
. At
Guildhall, Swansea
The Guildhall () is one of the main office buildings of the City and County of Swansea Council. The Guildhall complex, which includes the City Hall, Brangwyn Hall (concert hall) and the County Law Courts for Swansea, is a Grade I listed buildi ...
he gave the Presidential Address as President of the
British Association
The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chief ...
for 1970–1971. Cairncross was made a Fellow of the British Academy in 1961.''Who's Who 1974'', London : A. & C. Black, 1974, p. 497. Cairncross also received an
Honorary Doctorate
An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or '' ad hon ...
from
Heriot-Watt University
Heriot-Watt University () is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and was subsequently granted university status by roya ...
in 1969, and in 1992 was elected an Honorary Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh
The Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was establis ...
.
In 1970 he was invited to deliver the MacMillan Memorial Lecture to the
Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland
The Institution of Engineers in Scotland (IES) is a multi-disciplinary professional body and learned society, founded in Scotland, for professional engineers in all disciplines and for those associated with or taking an interest in their work. I ...
. He chose the subject "Economic Growth".
Recognition
The Scottish Economic Society instituted the Cairncross Prize in his memory.
Family and death
Cairncross married Mary Frances Glynn in 1943; the couple had five children: two daughters and three sons. He died in
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 ...
on 21 October 1998.
Publications
* ''Introduction to Economics'' (1944, 1st ed.; 1973, 5th ed.)
*''Home and Foreign Investment, 1870-1913'' (1953)
*''Monetary Policy in a Mixed Economy'' (1960)
*''Economic Development and the Atlantic Provinces'' (1961)
*''Essays in Economic Management'' (1962)
*''Control over Long-Term Capital Movements'' (1973)
*''Britain's Economics Prospects Reconsidered'', ed. (1971)
*''Years of Recovery: British Economic Policy 1945-51'' (1985)
*'Goodbye, Great Britain': The 1976 IMF Crisis (1992) (with
Kathleen Burk
Kathleen Mildred Burk (born March 1946) is Professor Emerita of Modern and Contemporary History at University College London. Her field of research is international history, especially politics, diplomacy and finance.
Early life and career
Burk g ...
)
*The Heath Government and the British Economy (chapter in "The Heath Government 1970 - 74 : A Reappraisal" , editors Stuart Ball and Anthony Selsdon) (1996)