James Mirrlees - Economists, Family and Family
James Mirrlees's Personal Details
Sir James A
| Information | Detail |
|---|---|
| Birthday | July 5, 1936 |
| Nationality | British |
| Famous | Trinity College, Cambridge, University Of Edinburgh, Intellectuals & Academics, Economists |
| Spouses | Gill Mirrlees |
| Known as | Sir James Alexander Mirrlees |
| Childrens | Catriona, Fiona |
| Universities |
|
| Notable Alumnis |
|
| Birth Place | Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland |
| Gender | Male |
| Sun Sign | Cancer |
| Born in | Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland |
| Famous as | Economist |
// Famous Intellectuals & Academics
Bertil Gotthard Ohlin
Bertil Gotthard Ohlin was a famous Swedish economist. This biography profiles his childhood, family life & achievements.
Emily Greene Balch
Emily Greene Balch was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist who won the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize. This biography of Emily Greene Balch provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Martin Buber
One of the greatest philosophers to have ever walked on earth, Martin Buber contributions to philosophy is a long-standing one. Explore all about his profile, childhood, life and timeline here.
James Mirrlees's photo
Who is James Mirrlees?
Sir James A. Mirrlees is a Scottish economist who received the Nobel Prize for his research on economic incentives in 1996. He shared the Nobel Prize with William Vickrey of the ‘Columbia University’. His main contribution to the field of economics was his path-breaking research work on optimal taxation on income or a progressive taxation process which included incentives for earning. He started his research work in an era when taxes were very high and the economy was controlled centrally. He assumed that the government should tax the rich more and use it for the benefit of the poor. He also made further assumptions that the rate of taxes has a direct effect on the incentive of people to work and earn more. With these assumptions he calculated the highest marginal tax rate that should be applied on the high-income groups. The optimal tax rate that he computed was actually only 20 percent of the income and not 83 percent as was prevalent at that time in Britain. Moreover he concluded that everyone should be taxed at a flat rate of 20 percent for the maximum benefit of all wage earners. He also helped to design contracts that would provide the maximum incentives to the employees of companies.
// Famous Economists
Bertil Gotthard Ohlin
Bertil Gotthard Ohlin was a famous Swedish economist. This biography profiles his childhood, family life & achievements.
Emily Greene Balch
Emily Greene Balch was an American economist, sociologist and pacifist who won the 1946 Nobel Peace Prize. This biography of Emily Greene Balch provides detailed information about her childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
Paul Samuelson
Nobel laureate Paul Anthony Samuelson is referred to as the ‘Father of Modern Economics’. This biography profiles his childhood, life, career, achievements and interesting facts about him.
Childhood & Early Life
James Mirrlees was born James Alexander Mirrlees in Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire, South West Scotland, UK, on July 5, 1936.
He grew up in Newton Stewart before his family moved to Port William in 1950. He has a younger brother.
His father was a teller at one of the banks in Newton Stewart.
He attended the ‘Primary School’ and the ‘Douglas Ewart High School’ at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, Scotland from 1941 to 1954. He took his graduation exams earlier than others in his class as he was very talented in mathematics.
He joined the ‘University of Edinburg’ in 1954 and studied philosophy and mathematics as major subjects after skipping the first year of college. He obtained his B.A. and then his M.A. in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in 1957 from the same university and also won the ‘Napier Medal’.
He joined the ‘Trinity College, Cambridge’ in 1957 and added economics to his portfolio of major subjects in the hope of helping the economies of underdeveloped countries.
Indian economist Amartya Sen arranged for him to join a project being conducted by MIT in India. After returning to the ‘Trinity College’ he earned his PhD degree in 1963.
Career
James Mirrlees was an adviser with MIT Center for International Studies’, India Project, New Delhi, from 1962 to 1963.
He took up a teaching fellowship at the ‘Trinity College’ in 1963. He taught Economics as an Assistant Lecturer and then as a Lecturer up to 1968. During this period he started his research work on optimum taxation along with Peter A. Diamond.
He served as an advisor to the British Labor Party during the 1960s and the 1970s.
For brief periods from 1966 to 1968 he served as an Adviser for the ‘Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Karachi’.
He moved to the ‘University of Oxford’ in 1968 and started teaching as a professor of economics. He continued with his work on the relationship between non-linear incentives and income tax that he had started while working for MIT.
In 1971 he developed the ‘Diamond – Mirrlees Efficiency Theorem’ in collaboration with Peter A. Diamond who was a professor at the MIT.
While teaching at Oxford he published a large number of papers on economic models based on asymmetric information for which he eventually won the Nobel Prize.
He also demonstrated during this period a methodology that demonstrated the principles of ‘moral hazard’ and ‘optimal taxation’ which has become the default standard in the field of macroeconomics.
He was an ‘Edgeworth Professor of Economics and Fellow’ of the ‘Nuffield College’ in Oxford from 1968 to 1995.
Mirrlees held the post of ‘Visiting Professor’ at MIT from 1968 to 1976 thrice, the ‘University of California’ at Berkeley in 1986 and the ‘Yale University’ in 1989.
He served as the President of the ‘Royal Economic Society’ from 1989 to 1992.
He returned to the ‘Trinity College’ under the ‘University of Cambridge’ in 1995 as a Professor of Political Economy.
He has been a ‘Distinguished Professor-at-large’ at ‘The Chinese University of Hong Kong’ since 2002 as well as the ‘University of Macau’.
In 2009 he was made the ‘Founding Master of Morningside College’ of ‘The Chinese University of Hong Kong’.
He also serves as a visiting professor at the ‘University of Melbourne, Australia’ for several months every year.
He has headed the ‘Mirrlees Review’ formed by the ‘Institute of Fiscal studies’ for reviewing the tax system in the United Kingdom.
Major Works
James Mirrlees published the book ‘Manual of Industrial Project Analysis in Developing Countries, Vol II: Social Cost Benefit Analysis’ in collaboration with I. M. D. Little in 1969.
He published ‘Models of Economic Growth’ in 1973 and wrote a large number of papers on optimal taxation.
His second book written with help from I. M. D. Little titled ‘Project Appraisal and Planning for developing countries’ was published in 1974.
Awards & Achievements
James Mirrlees won the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1996.
He received his knighthood in 1998.
He is a Fellow of the ‘British Academy’, the ‘Royal Society of Edinburg’ and the ‘Econometric Society’.
He is a member of ‘Scotland’s Council of Economic Advisers’.
He is a ‘Foreign Honorary Member’ of the ‘U.S. national Academy of Sciences’ and the ‘American Economic Association’.
Personal Life & Legacy
He married Gill Mirrlees in 1961 while he was still a student. Gill died in November, 1993.
He has two daughters from his marriage with Gill named Catriona and Fiona.
// Famous Trinity College, Cambridge
Isaac Newton
Isaac Newton was an English scientist and mathematician, who discovered gravitation and Newtonian Mechanics. Read this biography to find more on his life.
Aleister Crowley
Aleister Crowley was an occultist and ceremonial magician who founded the ethical philosophy of Thelema. This biography of Aleister Crowley provides detailed information about his childhood, life, achievements, works & timeline.
William Makepeace Thackeray
William Thackeray was an English novelist and satirist. Read this brief biography to find more on his life & timeline.
James Mirrlees's awards
| Year | Name | Award |
|---|---|---|
Other | ||
| 0 | Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1996) | |
James Mirrlees biography timelines
- // 5th Jul 1936James Mirrlees was born James Alexander Mirrlees in Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire, South West Scotland, UK, on July 5, 1936.
- // 1941 To 1954He attended the ‘Primary School’ and the ‘Douglas Ewart High School’ at Newton Stewart, Wigtownshire, Scotland from 1941 to 1954. He took his graduation exams earlier than others in his class as he was very talented in mathematics.
- // 1950He grew up in Newton Stewart before his family moved to Port William in 1950. He has a younger brother.
- // 1954 To 1957He joined the ‘University of Edinburg’ in 1954 and studied philosophy and mathematics as major subjects after skipping the first year of college. He obtained his B.A. and then his M.A. in Mathematics and Natural Philosophy in 1957 from the same university and also won the ‘Napier Medal’.
- // 1957He joined the ‘Trinity College, Cambridge’ in 1957 and added economics to his portfolio of major subjects in the hope of helping the economies of underdeveloped countries.
- // 1961 To 1993He married Gill Mirrlees in 1961 while he was still a student. Gill died in November, 1993.
- // 1962 To 1963James Mirrlees was an adviser with MIT Center for International Studies’, India Project, New Delhi, from 1962 to 1963.
- // 1963Indian economist Amartya Sen arranged for him to join a project being conducted by MIT in India. After returning to the ‘Trinity College’ he earned his PhD degree in 1963.
- // 1963 To 1968He took up a teaching fellowship at the ‘Trinity College’ in 1963. He taught Economics as an Assistant Lecturer and then as a Lecturer up to 1968. During this period he started his research work on optimum taxation along with Peter A. Diamond.
- // 1966 To 1968For brief periods from 1966 to 1968 he served as an Adviser for the ‘Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, Karachi’.
- // 1968He moved to the ‘University of Oxford’ in 1968 and started teaching as a professor of economics. He continued with his work on the relationship between non-linear incentives and income tax that he had started while working for MIT.
- // 1968 To 1995He was an ‘Edgeworth Professor of Economics and Fellow’ of the ‘Nuffield College’ in Oxford from 1968 to 1995.
- // 1969James Mirrlees published the book ‘Manual of Industrial Project Analysis in Developing Countries, Vol II: Social Cost Benefit Analysis’ in collaboration with I. M. D. Little in 1969.
- // 1971In 1971 he developed the ‘Diamond – Mirrlees Efficiency Theorem’ in collaboration with Peter A. Diamond who was a professor at the MIT.
- // 1973He published ‘Models of Economic Growth’ in 1973 and wrote a large number of papers on optimal taxation.
- // 1974His second book written with help from I. M. D. Little titled ‘Project Appraisal and Planning for developing countries’ was published in 1974.
- // 1989 To 1992He served as the President of the ‘Royal Economic Society’ from 1989 to 1992.
- // 1995He returned to the ‘Trinity College’ under the ‘University of Cambridge’ in 1995 as a Professor of Political Economy.
- // 1996James Mirrlees won the Nobel Prize for Economic Sciences in 1996.
- // 1998He received his knighthood in 1998.
- // 2002He has been a ‘Distinguished Professor-at-large’ at ‘The Chinese University of Hong Kong’ since 2002 as well as the ‘University of Macau’.
- // 2009In 2009 he was made the ‘Founding Master of Morningside College’ of ‘The Chinese University of Hong Kong’.
// Famous University Of Edinburgh
Sarojini Naidu
Sarojini Naidu was an Indian freedom fighter and poet. Read this brief biography to find more on her life.
Oliver Goldsmith
Oliver Goldsmith was an Anglo-Irish essayist and novelist of the 18th century. Go through this biography to know in details about his life, profile, childhood and timeline.
Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin was one of the most influential figures in human history. Go through this biography to get details about his life, profile and timeline.
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson was a famous Scottish poet, novelist and travel writer. This biography profiles his childhood, career, life, achievements, trivia and timeline.
David Hume
David Hume was a Scottish philosopher, essayist and historian, known for his radical philosophical scepticism and empiricism. This biography explores his childhood, family life, facts, achievements, philosophies and timeline.
Adam Smith
Adam Smith was a Scottish Philosopher and Political Economist. Read this biography to learn more about his childhood, profile, life and timeline.
James Mirrlees's FAQ
What is James Mirrlees birthday?
James Mirrlees was born at 1936-07-05
Where is James Mirrlees's birth place?
James Mirrlees was born in Minnigaff, Kirkcudbrightshire, Scotland
What is James Mirrlees nationalities?
James Mirrlees's nationalities is British
Who is James Mirrlees spouses?
James Mirrlees's spouses is Gill Mirrlees
Who is James Mirrlees childrens?
James Mirrlees's childrens is Catriona, Fiona
What was James Mirrlees universities?
James Mirrlees studied at Trinity College, Cambridge,University Of Edinburgh, University of Edinburgh, Trinity College, Cambridge
What was James Mirrlees notable alumnis?
James Mirrlees's notable alumnis is Trinity College, Cambridge, University Of Edinburgh
What is James Mirrlees's sun sign?
James Mirrlees is Cancer
How famous is James Mirrlees?
James Mirrlees is famouse as Economist