Clarence Lyle Barber (May 5, 1917 – February 27, 2004) was a Canadian economist and academic. Born in

Wolseley, Saskatchewan Wolseley ( Canada 2011 Census population 864) is a town in southeast Saskatchewan, Canada, approximately 100 km east of Regina on the Trans-Canada Highway. History Wolseley's Provincial Court House building was constructed in 1893, and is ...

, he received a B.A. in economics from the

University of Saskatchewan A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

in 1939. He won a scholarship to

Clark University Clark University is a private research university in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1887 with a large endowment from its namesake Jonas Gilman Clark, a prominent businessman, Clark was one of the first modern research universities in the ...

where he obtained his M.A. in 1941 and he received a Ph.D. in 1952 from the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

. He taught economics at the

University of Manitoba The University of Manitoba (U of M, UManitoba, or UM) is a Canadian public research university in the province of Manitoba.effective rate of protection In economics, the effective rate of protection (ERP) is a measure of the total effect of the entire tariff structure on the value added per unit of output in each industry, when both intermediate and final goods are imported. This statistic is use ...

. He spent the year 1959-60 living in Manila, Philippines as an advisor working for the United Nations providing assistance to the 1960 Census. Effects of the Great Depression in his youth motivated Barber to study economic

In 1978, Barber wrote "''On the Causes of the Great Depression''" where he made a link between demographics and economics. He cited how demand for housing in the U.S. began to drop beginning in 1926. Early in 1929, demand for housing dropped precipitously. The stock market crash in October of that same year was preceded by a decline in demand, Barber argues, that began with a lower formation of households concomitant with lower rates of marriage. After World War I, a birth dearth had resulted; a dearth that demographers have shown did not end until World War II ended. (see Causes of the Great Depression#Population dynamics, Causes of the Great Depression) The death of young men as soldiers in World War I, coupled with the Flu Pandemic of 1918 wrought their eventual harm to the economy as a whole. The increase in secularization during the 'Roaring Twenties', as automobiles became widespread, and availability of electricity and electrical appliances and such, may have had its effect too. Barber showed in "''On Causes...''" that lower demand for mortgages and other loans preceded by some years a shortage of loan availability as the Great Depression deepened towards 1933. After the Winnipeg flood of 1950, he was economic adviser and director of research for the Manitoba Royal Commission Flood Cost-Benefit from 1957 to 1959. The result of which led to the construction of the

Red River Floodway The Red River Floodway (french: Canal de dérivation de la rivière Rouge) is an artificial flood control waterway in Western Canada. It is a long channel which, during flood periods, takes part of the Red River's flow around the city of Winn ...

. In 1987, he was made an Officer of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the cen ...

. In 2001, he was awarded the Order of Manitoba. In 1947, he married Barbara Anne Patchet. They had four children: Paul, Stephen, David, and Alan. From 1982 to 1985 Clarence served on the Royal Commission on Economic Union and Development Prospects For Canada, more commonly known as the Macdonald Commission. It was on this commission where he argued for free trade with the United States.

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Memorable Manitobans: Clarence Lyle Barber (1917-2004)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barber, Clarence 1917 births 2004 deaths Canadian economists Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada Officers of the Order of Canada Members of the Order of Manitoba Clark University alumni University of Minnesota alumni University of Manitoba faculty University of Saskatchewan alumni People from Wolseley, Saskatchewan Canadian expatriates in the United States