John Bell Condliffe ( Footscray, Victoria, 23 December 1891 – Walnut Creek, California, 23 December 1981) was a New Zealand economist, university professor and economic consultant. Lauded for the decisive role he played in international NGOs in the

interwar period In the history of the 20th century, the interwar period lasted from 11 November 1918 to 1 September 1939 (20 years, 9 months, 21 days), the end of the World War I, First World War to the beginning of the World War II, Second World War. The in ...

, he was one of New Zealand's best-known international economists.

Career

A professor of economics at the Canterbury University College, Condliffe resigned in 1926 to become the first research secretary of the Institute of Pacific Relations, a nascent international organization concerned with the Pacific basin.

William L. Holland William Lancelot Holland (28 December 1907 – 8 May 2008) worked with the Institute of Pacific Relations from 1928 until 1960 as Research Secretary; American IPR Executive Secretary and editor of its periodical, ''Far Eastern Survey''; IPR Secret ...

, "Preface" in John B. Condliffe, ''Reminiscences of the Institute of Pacific Relations'', Vancouver, Institute of Asian Research (

University of British Columbia The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a public university, public research university with campuses near Vancouver and in Kelowna, British Columbia. Established in 1908, it is British Columbia's oldest university. The university ranks a ...

), 1981,p. ii. He took a 2/3 part-time position at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

during the academic year 1930–1931, then left the IPR altogether to enter the Economic and Financial Organization of the

League of Nations The League of Nations (french: link=no, Société des Nations ) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference that ...

, where he wrote the six first ''World Economic Surveys'' (1932-1937). Having left the League to become professor of commerce at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

in 1938–1939, Condliffe was distinguished in 1939 by the prestigious

Howland Memorial Prize The Henry Howland Memorial Prize at Yale was created in 1915 for a "citizen of any country in recognition of some achievement of marked distinction in the field of literature or fine arts or the science of government." The idealistic quality of the ...

and accepted a professorship in economics at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

, which he held until retirement in 1953. In the meantime, he returned to the IPR as the chairman of its International Research Committee between 1940 and 1945.

, "Postscript" in John B. Condliffe, ''Reminiscences of the Institute of Pacific Relations'', Vancouver, Institute of Asian Research (

), 1981, p. 53.

Honours

* 1939:

* 1977: KCMG (honorary)

References

Books

* John B. Condliffe (ed. and preface

), ''Reminiscences of the Institute of Pacific Relations'', Vancouver, Institute of Asian Research (

), 1981.

External References

Guide to the J.B. Condliffe Papers, ca. 1910-1960

The Bancroft Library The Bancroft Library in the center of the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is the university's primary special-collections library. It was acquired from its founder, Hubert Howe Bancroft, in 1905, with the proviso that it retai ...

Finding Aid to the J. B. (John Bell) Condliffe Papers: Additions, 1919-1981 (bulk 1960-1969)
at

Register of the John B. Condliffe Papers
at th
Online Archive of California
1891 births 1981 deaths Academic staff of the University of Canterbury Australian emigrants to New Zealand University of Michigan people University of California, Berkeley faculty New Zealand emigrants to the United States {{NewZealand-academic-bio-stub