Kenneth Alexander (economist)

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Sir
Kenneth Alexander
Chancellor of the
University of Aberdeen
In office
1986โ€“1996
Preceded byThe Lord Polwarth
Succeeded byThe Lord Wilson of Tillyorn
Principal of
the University of Stirling
In office
1981โ€“1986
Personal details
Born(1922-03-14)14 March 1922
Edinburgh, Scotland
Died27 March 2001(2001-03-27) (aged 79)
SpouseAngela-May Lane
ChildrenOne son and four daughters
EducationGeorge Heriot's School
Alma materBonar School of Economics, Dundee
Professioneconomist, university administrator

Sir Kenneth John Wilson Alexander

FRSE
(14 March 1922 – 27 March 2001) was a Scottish economist and university administrator. He also had strong links to the Scottish steel and shipbuilding industries.

Life

He was born in

Aberdeen University.[2]

In 1963 Alexander was created the first Professor of Economics at

Strathclyde University (1963–80). In 1964 he was invited to deliver the inaugural Marlow (Scotland) Lecture to the Institution of Engineers and Shipbuilders in Scotland. He chose the subject 'Casual Labour and Labour Casualties'. Alexander was invited by the Labour government to chair a review of the future of adult education in Scotland. This report was published in 1975 under the title Adult Education: The Challenge of Change. Its main recommendation was to create a wider community education approach by linking adult education more closely with youth and community work, in order to be able to engage more people in lifelong learning. This led to the creation of local authority community education services.[citation needed
]

In the 1960s he was brought in to resolve and rescue several Glasgow shipyards. He was Director of Upper Clyde Shipbuilders, Chairman of Govan Shipbuilders and Director of Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company. This ceased the restrictive practices introduced by the unions in exchange for guaranteed employment. He was also at the forefront of the economic reasoning to save Ravenscraig steelworks.[3]

In 1976 he succeeded Sir

Edinburgh Book Festival
from 1987 to 1991.

He left Strathclyde to serve as the Principal of

Aberdeen University (1986–96). Alexander was Vice-president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
(1993–96).

Alexander received an Honorary Doctorate from Heriot-Watt University in September 1995.[4]

At Aberdeen he was responsible for creation of the Elphinstone Institute: promoting the study of culture in north-east Scotland.[5]

He died following a long illness on 27 March 2001.[6]

Family

He married Angela May Lane in 1949.[7] They had one son and four daughters.

Publications

  • Economics in Business (1967)

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-902198-84-5
    .
  2. ^ Guardian (newspaper) 30 March 2001
  3. ^ Guardian (newspaper) 30 March 2001
  4. ^ "Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh: Honorary Graduates" (PDF). www1.hw.ac.uk. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
  5. ^ Guardian (newspaper) obituary April 2001
  6. ^ "Sir Kenneth Alexander Hard-working academic who was rarely out of the headlines". The Herald. Glasgow. 28 March 2001. Retrieved 14 January 2023.
  7. ^ Charlie Allan (29 March 2001). "Sir Kenneth Alexander". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
Academic offices
Preceded by Chancellor of the University of Aberdeen
1986โ€“1996 		Succeeded by
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