Craig AlexanderSend a message to

Craig Alexander

Craig Alexander

I first met Barry at Robinson College in 1980 - not the college to which I had applied but I am eternally grateful that I ended up there. I was one of a handful of economics undergraduates at the college and benefited greatly from Barry's teaching. When he moved to Southampton that same year I was privileged to be his research assistant during the summers of my undergraduate career. I still remember conversations about things like trying to econometrically model police promotion processes...and working on econometric models of commuting. During my summers working in Southampton I was privileged to stay with Barry and Doreen and their Airedale (if I remember the breed correctly, being no expert on dogs). Barry introduced me to the music of Fairport Convention and Tchaikovsky! Both Barry and I had railwayman fathers - perhaps that was one of the things over which we established a bond? I think we were both also the first people in our families to complete university... Barry was one of those that wrote a recommendation for me for the MIT Economics PhD programme. I greatly enjoyed learning from people like Samuelson, Solow, Modigliani, Dornbusch, Fischer etc. In the end, though, I chose not to become an academic economist. We stayed in touch over the years and, when Barry moved into the civil service he called me to try to recruit me. I am sure that it would have been a great experience but I had, at that time, just accepted a place on a MPhil in archaeology back at Cambridge. I moved to Italy during my postgrad work in archaeology but, when I visited London, I usually managed to have lunch or dinner with Barry and Doreen, who remain amongst the very nicest people I have ever met. My last conversation with Barry focused on the merits of the London classical music scene - the best in the world, he argued - and the possibilities of econometrically modelling the impact of interventions against Covid-19. I only learned of Barry's death within the last hour, from Gavin, his son. Barry McCormick was my teacher, mentor and friend - I cannot say more.

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