Sir Arthur Lewis

Biography

Saint Lucian Authors & Artists

Date of Birth (DOB): 1/23/1915
Died: 6/15/91
From: Saint Lucia
Best Known for: The 1979 Nobel Prize winner for Economics

Bio: Born in St. Lucia on January 23, 1915, fourth son of George Ferdinand and Ida Lewis. Arthur Lewis in 1947 married Gladys Jacobs and had two daughters, Elizabeth and Barbara.At the age of 10 he gained a scholarship age to enter St. Mary's College, he completed the Secondary School program in four years at the tender age of 17. He graduated from the London School of Economics, with a Bachelor of Commerce and in 1940, Arthur Lewis successfully completed the requirements for a Ph.D. in Industrial Economics. in 1978 was knighted by Her Majesty the Queen.

In his Theory of Economic Growth, Sir Arthur had consistently contended that if there was a choice between foreign investment and domestic capital, the latter should be preferred. In the absence of domestic capital, foreign investment should, given its scarcity and competing claims for its use, be encouraged and offered incentives provided that the net results are favorable to the domestic economy and contribute to the development of entrepreneurial, management and administrative skills, the relative lack of which has hitherto served as a constraint on development in the Caribbean.

He lecturered at the London School of Economics, the University of Manchester, and Princeton. He spent 5 years as the Principal and Vice Chancellor of the University of the West Indies.He helped establish and head the Caribbean Development bank, he wrote several books including Principles of Economics which played a major role in his 1979 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics Science. He is buried on the grounds of the Sir Arthur Lewis Community College in St. Lucia.

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