A.W.(Bob) Coats
Encyclopedia
Alfred William Bob Coats (September 3, 1924, Southall
, West London, England
- April 9, 2007, Middleton-on-Sea
, Sussex
, England
) was a British economist
, economic historian and historian of economic thought. He has made important contributions to the study of the history, methodology, sociology, professionalisation and internationalisation of economics, and has for many decades been a central figure in professional societies in these specialised fields.
. His studies were interrupted by war service (in the RAF and as an intelligence officer in Palestine
) for three and a half years who has covered a broad range of topics over his long career. He obtained his BSc and MSc at the University of London
in 1948 and 1950 respectively. An English speaking Union scholarship enabled him to work in the USA on a PhD on the development of American economic thought, first at Pittsburgh University, subsequently at Johns Hopkins
. He initially undertook a study into the work of John Bates Clark
, but soon broadened the subject, resulting in hist thesis Methodological Controversy as an Approach to the History of American Economic Thought, 1885 - 1930 that he completed in 1953.
He returned to England that same year to accept an appointment as Lecturer in Economic History at the University of Nottingham
, where he remained until his retirement in 1992, with the exception of two years as a 'founding father' of the (then) new University of York
(1962–1964). Since 1964 he held a full Professorship in Economic and Social History.
Coats has introduced the 'sociology of economics' approach in Britain, moving from the organisation of economics to the role of economists in government. In this area he has edited a number of important collections of articles, mostly written by 'insiders'.
He was a very active member and organiser in the professional organisations in his fields of interest, especially through his editorial work and numerous contributions to the most important journals.
Southall
Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, and part of the London Borough of Ealing. It is situated west of Charing Cross. Neighbouring places include Yeading, Hayes, Hanwell, Heston, Hounslow, Greenford and Northolt...
, West London, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
- April 9, 2007, Middleton-on-Sea
Middleton-on-Sea
Middleton-on-Sea is a small village and civil parish in the Arun District of West Sussex, England, and is part of the built-up area of Bognor Regis, lying to the east of the town and neighbouring Felpham...
, Sussex
Sussex
Sussex , from the Old English Sūþsēaxe , is an historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. It is bounded on the north by Surrey, east by Kent, south by the English Channel, and west by Hampshire, and is divided for local government into West...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
) was a British economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, economic historian and historian of economic thought. He has made important contributions to the study of the history, methodology, sociology, professionalisation and internationalisation of economics, and has for many decades been a central figure in professional societies in these specialised fields.
Life and work
Bob Coats studied economics at the University College of the South and West (now the University of ExeterUniversity of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
. His studies were interrupted by war service (in the RAF and as an intelligence officer in Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
) for three and a half years who has covered a broad range of topics over his long career. He obtained his BSc and MSc at the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
in 1948 and 1950 respectively. An English speaking Union scholarship enabled him to work in the USA on a PhD on the development of American economic thought, first at Pittsburgh University, subsequently at Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
. He initially undertook a study into the work of John Bates Clark
John Bates Clark
John Bates Clark was an American neoclassical economist. He was one of the pioneers of the marginalist revolution and opponent to the Institutionalist school of economics, and spent most of his career teaching at Columbia University.-Biography:Clark was born and raised in Providence, Rhode...
, but soon broadened the subject, resulting in hist thesis Methodological Controversy as an Approach to the History of American Economic Thought, 1885 - 1930 that he completed in 1953.
He returned to England that same year to accept an appointment as Lecturer in Economic History at the University of Nottingham
University of Nottingham
The University of Nottingham is a public research university based in Nottingham, United Kingdom, with further campuses in Ningbo, China and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia...
, where he remained until his retirement in 1992, with the exception of two years as a 'founding father' of the (then) new University of York
University of York
The University of York , is an academic institution located in the city of York, England. Established in 1963, the campus university has expanded to more than thirty departments and centres, covering a wide range of subjects...
(1962–1964). Since 1964 he held a full Professorship in Economic and Social History.
Coats has introduced the 'sociology of economics' approach in Britain, moving from the organisation of economics to the role of economists in government. In this area he has edited a number of important collections of articles, mostly written by 'insiders'.
He was a very active member and organiser in the professional organisations in his fields of interest, especially through his editorial work and numerous contributions to the most important journals.
Major publications
- "The Historist Reaction in English Political Economy 1870-90," Economica, 1954, N.S., 21(82), pp. 143-153
- "Is There a Structure of Scientific Revolutions in Economics?" Kyklos, 1969, 22(2), pp. 289–296. Abstract.
- (ed.) The Classical Economists and Economic Policy, 1971
- (co-ed. with R.D. Collison Black and Craufurd Goodwin) The Marginal Revolution in Economics, 1972
- (ed.) Economists in Government, an International Comparative Study, 1981
- (ed.) The Role of Economists in International Agencies: An Exploratory Study, 1986
- On the History of Economic Thought. British and American Economic Essays (vol. I), 1992
- The Sociology and Professionalisation of Economics. British and American Economic Essays (vol. II), 1993. Chapter-preview links.
- "Memoirs of an Economist Watcher", Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 1996, 18(2), pp. 250–270. Abstract.
- (ed.) The Post-1945 Internationalisation of Economics, Annual Supplement History of Political Economy, 1996
- (ed.) The Development of Economics in Western Europe after 1945, 2000
- "The Role of Economists in Government and International Agencies: A Fresh Look at the Field", History of Economics Review, 2001
Secondary sources
- R. Backhouse, B. Caldwell, C. Goodwin, M. Rutherford - "A. W. (Bob) Coats, 1924–2007", History of Political Economy 40(3): 421-446 (2008)
- M. Blaug (ed.) - Who's who in economics (3d edition), 1999.
- N. De Marchi - "Bob Coats and the historicizing of economic policy", in Historians of Economics and Economic Thought. The Construction of Disciplinary Memory, ed. Steven G. Medema and Warren J. Samuels, 2001.
- P. Groenewegen - "Obituary Professor A.W. (Bob) Coats", History of Economics Review, 45, Winter 2007.
- J. Maloney - "Obituary A.W. Bob Coats, 1924 - 2007", European Journal of the History of Economic Thought, 15:1, March 2008.
External links
- A History of the HOPE Group, Duke University website
- A.W. Coats, Former NIAS Fellow (with 1973 photograph) Website of the Netherlands Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences (retrieved 11 July 2008)