The Background of Arthur Cecil Pigou Arthur Cecil Pigou, commonly known as A.C. Pigou, is best known today for his work in welfare economics. He was a professor of political economy at Cambridge University from 1908 to 1943. During his life he wrote and had published over twenty books and essays on not only economics, but other subjects as well. Pigou was sometimes a backward person, but he never lacked in his brilliance of economics.Pigou was born in the family home of his mother in 1877 at Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, on the eighteenth of November. He was the eldest son of Clarence and Nora Pigou. His father came from the Huguenot line and his mothers family came from a line that had won fame and fortune in Irish administration. The pride and background of Pigous family had helped to push him along his later path in life.Like his father, Pigou attended Harrow. His abilities in academics however had gotten him an entrance scholarship to the school. Athletics was also one of Pigous strongpoints. His talents in sports allowed him to be approved of by many at a time in history where athletics was looked at as being more important than academics. He ended his stay at Harrow as head of the school.At this point Pigou decided to go on to Cambridge as a history scholar of Kings College. His first two years there he studied history under Oscar Browning. While attending Cambridge Pigou also made a name for himself as being a superb orator. He was a member of the Union Debating Society and spoke often at their meetings. Economics didnt even show up in Pigous schedule until his third year at Cambridge, and this was only because it was a required course. He really never gained any expertise in the subject until he began teaching it in 1901. Pigou was a big follower of Alfred Marshall whom he succeeded as Professor of Political Economics at Cambridge. He remained a professor his whole life and retired in 1943. He spent the rest of...
