Sydney Chapman (economist) facts for kids

Sir Sydney John Chapman (born April 20, 1871 – died August 29, 1951) was an important English economist and government worker. He was the main economic advisor to the British government from 1927 to 1932. He helped shape how the country managed its money and businesses.

Early Life and Learning

Sydney Chapman was born in a town called Wells-next-the-Sea in Norfolk, England. His father was a merchant, which means he bought and sold goods. Sydney's older brother, David Leonard Chapman, became a famous chemist.

His family later moved to Manchester. Sydney went to Manchester Grammar School and then to Owens College. He earned his first degree in 1891. For a few years, from 1893 to 1895, he worked as a schoolmaster at Sheffield Royal Grammar School.

In 1895, he went to Trinity College, Cambridge. He studied "moral sciences" and did very well, earning top honors in 1898. After Cambridge, he went back to Owens College. There, he wrote a detailed paper about the cotton industry in Lancashire. This paper was so good that it won the Adam Smith Prize in 1900.

Working as a Professor

In 1899, Sydney Chapman started teaching economics at University College, Cardiff. Just two years later, in 1901, he returned to Owens College. This time, he became the Stanley Jevons Professor of Political Economy. Owens College later became the Victoria University of Manchester in 1904.

He wrote several important books during his time as a professor. These included The Lancashire Cotton Industry (1904), The Cotton Industry and Trade (1905), and Outlines of Political Economy (1911). He also wrote a three-part series called Work and Wages between 1904 and 1914.

Working for the Government

In 1915, during World War I, the Board of Trade asked Sydney Chapman for help. He was asked to look into how industries were organized during the war. At first, he worked part-time, but later he worked full-time for the government.

In 1918, he officially joined the Civil Service. This meant he became a permanent government employee. In August 1919, he became a Joint Permanent Secretary for the Board of Trade. This was a very important job, helping to lead the department.

He received several special honors for his work:

• He was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1917.
• He became a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1919.
• He was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in 1920, which meant he could be called "Sir."

In March 1920, he became the only Permanent Secretary for the Board of Trade and stayed in that role until 1927.

Chief Economic Adviser

In 1927, Sir Sydney was given an even bigger role: Chief Economic Adviser to HM Government. He held this important position until 1932. After that, he joined a group called the Import Duties Advisory Committee.

Even though he retired before World War II started, his name was put on a special list. This list was for important people who would be arrested if the Nazis successfully invaded Britain. During the war, he continued to help the country. He worked on the Central Price Regulation Committee and was in charge of matches.

In the early 1940s, Sir Sydney had a stroke. He passed away suddenly in 1951 at his home in Ware, Hertfordshire, from a heart attack.

Ideas on Working Time

In 1909, Sir Sydney Chapman shared his ideas about how working time, tiredness (fatigue), and how much work people get done (productivity) are connected. He presented his ideas at a conference for the British Association for the Advancement of Science. His theory was later published in a journal called the Economic Journal.

His ideas became known as the "classical statement" about how many hours people should work in a free market. Other famous economists, like Arthur C. Pigou and Alfred Marshall, also referred to Chapman's work as very important.

Chapman's theory showed that it's tricky for economists to figure out how much different parts of production (like workers' time) contribute to the final product. This is because both how hard people work and how long they work can change.

Family Life

Sir Sydney Chapman's second son, Sir Stephen Chapman, became a judge.