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Plaque in memory of Victoria Chick, St John-in-Hampstead parish church

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Victoria Chick memorial event

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Victoria Chick (1936 - 2023)

Victoria was born in Berkeley, California in 1936. She studied at the University of California, Berkeley in the 1950s, graduating with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics. Victoria had planned to study science but recalled,Ìý‘[science] was so sexist, a woman just could not survive – they hounded you out. Somehow, I ended up in economics.’Ìý

Victoria was encouraged to consider graduate study by an undergraduate teacher. She recalled,Ìý‘it was the Eisenhower recession, and I said OK – nothing else was happening: jobs were scarce.’ÌýShe pursued her graduate studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and then the London School of Economics, citing her reason for choosing to study in England as,Ìý‘most of the good universities in America at the time did not admit women or made it very difficult for them.’

Victoria accepted an assistant lecturing position at Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø in 1963, beginning a career in which she was eventuallyÌýpromoted to Professor in 1993, at a time when womenÌýat every level in UK academiaÌýwere rare.

At Ïã¸ÛÁùºÏ²ÊÖÐÌØÍø, Victoria’s research interests shifted from international economics to macroeconomics and monetary theory, and sheÌýtaughtÌýcourses in macroeconomics, money and banking, inspiring countless students through her generous supervision.ÌýVictoria’s cousin, Julie Phillips, shared that she receivedÌý‘messages, cards, calls, and visits from friends and former students all over the world, saying how much she had encouraged them in their work and how inspiring her own career had been. They knew her as a colourful and iconic person, impatient with ideas she didn’t like and endlessly supportive to the many friends and colleagues she did.'

Victoria was best known as a world-leading scholar of Keynes, for her contribution to the establishment of Post-Keynesian economics, and was an inspirational figure in the heterodox economics community more broadly. Influenced by Joan Robinson and Hyman Minsky, she made profound contributions to the understanding of Keynes, monetary history, financialisation, industrial policy and alternative methodological approaches to studying the macroeconomy. Her first major book,ÌýThe Theory of Monetary PolicyÌý(1973), was a critical evaluation of the dominant approaches to macroeconomics of the time and, in 1983, she published Macroeconomics after Keynes, widely considered as one of the most influential works of the Post-Keynesian paradigm. In 1988, she co-founded the Post-Keynesian Economics Study Group (PKSG). As a prolific scholar, she published over 100 scientific journal articles, book chapters and highly regarded books.

Victoria was awarded scientific medals, international prizes and held positions in associations around the world, serving in theÌýRoyal Economic SocietyÌýand spending time at theÌýFederal Reserve Bank of New York and theÌýReserve Bank of Australia.

She became increasingly frustrated with the wrong turn which she felt had been takenÌýby mainstream economics, questioning the values underlying the dominant perspective, and became a passionate champion of diversifying the economics curriculum in terms of perspectives and methodologies.

Victoria retired in 2001 but remained a welcome presence in the department, a committed exponent of her views and an invaluable source of recollections on the history of economics and the department. She will be fondly missed.

A memorial will be planned for the spring, details for which can be obtained from Victoria’s cousin,ÌýJulie.

In the meantime, aÌýÌýhas been opened online for those wishing to share memories, images and messages of condolence with her family.