Background
Whitaker, John King was born on January 30, 1933 in Burnley, Lancashire, England. Son of Ben and Mary (King) Whitaker. came to the United States, 1967.
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John King Whitaker
Edit ProfileEducation
Bachelor of Arts University Manchester, 1956. Master of Arts Johns Hopkins University, 1957. Doctor of Philosophy, Cambridge University, 1962.
Career
Research Fellow, Johns Hopkins University, 1959-1960. Lector, Professor Economics Theory, University Bristol, 1960-1966,1966-1969, Visiting Professor of Economics, University Virginia,
8. Professor of Economics, University Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America,
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Assistant Editor, Review of Economic Studies,
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Editorial Boards, History of Political Economy, since 1983, Research in the History Economics and Economics Methodology (Java Advanced Imaging Press, since 1983).
Achievements
Views
I began my
professional career by thinking of myself as an economic theorist and still retain a ‘middlebrow’ interest in modem economic theory. But I have found my interests focussing increasingly on the history of economics, especially the history of economic theory. In part this is doubtless a natural consequence of changing comparative advantage over the professional life-cycle — I hope, indeed, that the history of economics is the exceptional area in which absolute advantage increases with age: there are certainly some suggestive examples! I feel, though, that it is also a matter of a natural bent reasserting itself, after perhaps being suppressed for some years.
As a ‘high-school dropout’, I came to undergraduate economics partly because at that time my lack of Latin ruled out a history degree. Not that I regret the choice. Economics still retains a great intellectual appeal.
But, unlike most of my colleagues, I find that I am happiest when rummaging among dusty old books, hoping to uncover forgotten pearls, rather than when crunching numbers at a keyboard. Without ever intending it, I realise, looking back, that I have drifted into setting myself up as a kind of intellectual conscience of the profession — setting straight historical priorities and rescuing neglected or forgotten contributors. My work in this regard has focussed on the last third of the nineteenth century and especially on Alfred Marshall, whose early manuscripts I brought to light and edited and whose correspondence I am currently editing, I believe this kind of work has social value — perhaps on the ground that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it - - although it is by its nature something of a minority avocation.
Membership
Member American Economics Association, Royal Economics Society, History of Economics Society.
Interests
Connections
Married Sally Bell Cross, August 24, 1957. Children: Ann Elizabeth, Jane Claire, David John.
