David Collard (1957)

David Collard, who died in August, combined a distinguished academic career as an economist with a wide range of interests and an irreverent view of both authority and fashion. Born in 1937 and educated in Tiverton, Devon, he secured a scholarship to study at Queens’ College, Cambridge obtaining a first-class degree in Economics and being a member of the famous Hare and Hounds Club!

After lectureships at Cardiff, (where he met and married Stella) and Bristol, he was appointed Professor of Economics at the University of Bath in 1978, becoming emeritus on his retirement in 2002. His scholarship ranged across welfare economics, public finance, the history of economic thought and intergenerational justice. His most widely cited book was Altruism and Economy, published in 1978. Its sub-title ‘a Study on Non-Selfish Economics’ was a critique of the limits of his discipline with the key premise that rationality solely comprised individual profit maximising. He pursued this critique through later work on the inter-generational bargain and also wellbeing, reflecting his abiding interest in the interface between economics and psychology.

He was a leading authority on major figures in the history of economics, publishing on the economic contributions of Walras, Edgeworth, Hicks and especially Pigou, publishing in the Economic Journal. While at Bath he held a range of leadership positions, including Head of the Political Economy Group (1979-1995), Head of the School of Social Sciences (1982-1985) and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (1989-1992). In these cross-university roles, he vigorously promoted synergies between world leading research and high-quality teaching and strengthened the status of the social sciences (including economics) in a university historically dominated by science and engineering.

As a heterodox economist, he was most comfortable with ideas, conversation, questioning accepted wisdom, and upholding a common humanity with colleagues and students alike. Outside the academic world he advised government departments on the costs of tax compliance, worked on ethnic relations and discrimination, and collaborated with colleagues across numerous disciplines.

While living in Bristol, David and Stella and their daughter Jaki were part of the Bishopston-KV Kuppam (a group of villages in Tamil Nadu) link promoting fair trade. These visits to India included sabbatical time at Delhi University with India’s leading economists They also had the tragedy in 1981 of losing their two sons (Jaki’s brothers) in a storm-induced boating accident. At the end of the 80s, they moved to Usk in Wales immersing themselves in local political, historical and cultural activities.

Post retirement in 2002, this included ensuring that Alfred Russel Wallace was commemorated for his seminal contributions to evolutionary biology by erecting a bust in his birthplace in Usk. He also wrote a play “King Henry VII” and was a talented, satirical, poet for family and friends. He continued writing published articles on the history of economic thought, in between keeping bees, sheep and fruit trees, and enjoying walking with Stella in their beloved Lake District. His grip on life was matched by the strength of his handshake!

Written by Oliver Collard, David’s grandson.