Sir Arnold Plant (29 April 1898 – 19 April 1978) was a British economist.

Biography

Plant was born in Hoxton, London, the son of a municipal librarian, William Charles Plant, and Thomasine Emily Plant. After attending Strand School, he worked for a mechanical engineering organisation. At the advice of William Piercy, he set out to learn about management. In 1916 he attempted to enlist for military service, but his bad eyesight meant that he was initially unsuccessful. However, with the increasing demand for military manpower, the regulations were relaxed and he was able to enlist as a Private in the 4th Battalion of the Royal West Kent regiment in 1918. He was demobilised in January 1919 and worked as General Manager of the Steam Fittings Company from January 1919 to July 1920. He obtained a BCom degree (1922) and a BSc degree in Economics (1923; specialising in modern economic history) from the London School of Economics. He worked as a professor at the University of Cape Town (1923–1930) and at the London School of Economics (1930–1965). Plant's 1934 paper on patents, "The Economic Theory Concerning Patents for Inventions", is considered a classic. In 1947, he was knighted. He died in 1978. His widow, Edith, Lady Plant, died a decade later.

Published work (selection)