- Eric Roll
Eric Roll, Baron Roll of Ipsden CB KCMG (
December 1 ,1907 –March 30 ,2005 ) was an academic economist, public servant and banker. He was made alife peer in 1977.Roll was born as Erich Roll in the then-
Austro-Hungarian Empire , and grew up nearCzernowitz , in theBukovina , which would eventually become part ofRomania . The region is now part ofUkraine .His father was a bank manager, and his mother's brother was a distinguished member of the law faculty at the
University of Vienna . WhenWorld War I sawRussia n troops burn down the village, his family took refuge inVienna . His parents then sent him toEngland in the 1920s and he studied atBirmingham University . Shortly afterwards, he completed hisPhD and published his first book. He mixed with artistic and creative circles.By the age of 28, Roll became Professor of Economics and Commerce at
University College, Hull , appointed with the backing ofJohn Maynard Keynes and Lord Stamp. DuringWorld War II , however, he was recruited to thecivil service as deputy head of the British Food Mission (1941 - 1946), where he was principally involved in the procurement of food supplies - most notably dried eggs. He made a number of contacts in theUnited States and rejected the offer to head theGeneral Agreement on Tariffs and Trade , instead joining the British Ministry of Food. His economic experience and contacts made him invaluable in the post-war government and he was the British representative in theParis discussions on Marshall aid. He played an important role in the setting up of European and trans-Atlantic institutions before rejoining theMinistry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food . He continued to hold a large number of important economic posts, including being deputy leader of the UK delegation for negotiations withNATO (1952) and theEuropean Economic Community (1961-63).Roll was about to accept the
vice-chancellor ship ofLiverpool University , but was asked to go toWashington, D.C. as economic minister at the British embassy from 1963 to 1964. Then, when Labour won the 1964 election, he becamepermanent secretary of the new Department of Economic Affairs, despite not agreeing with its development.Roll was also a director of the
Bank of England between 1968 and 1977cite book
title=Who's Who|date=1999] , chairman of themerchant bank ersSG Warburg , and a director of "The Times ".He was chairman of the Bilderberg meetings between 1986 and 1989.
Roll was awarded the Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, Companion of the Order of the Bath and Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George and was made an officeur of the
Legion d'Honneur . He was made a life peer as Baron Roll of Ipsden, of Ipsden in the County ofOxfordshire in 1977.Roll married Winifred in 1934 and they had two daughters; she died in 1998.
Major publications
*"A History of Economic Thought", 1954.
*"Crowded Hours"(autobiography), 1985).References
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