Professor David Greenaway, Vice-Chancellor of The University of Nottingham, said: “Clive was a towering intellect, irrepressibly curious, and a great simplifier and communicator. These traits, blended with his openness and complete lack of pretension, ensured he always had a positive impact on those around him.
“His contribution to Nottingham was enormous, a legacy to be proud of. It was a privilege to know him.”
After attending West Bridgford Grammar School in Nottingham, Sir Clive graduated from The University of Nottingham in 1955 with first class honours in Mathematics and Economics. He joined the staff of the University in 1956, as an assistant lecturer in statistics in the Department of Mathematics, before transferring to Economics. He was promoted to a Readership in Econometrics in 1965, moving back to Mathematics to take up the position of Professor of Applied Statistics at the age of only 31.
Sir Clive left Nottingham for a chair at the University of California in 1974, returning to receive an honorary degree from The University of Nottingham in 1992, and subsequently to deliver his Nobel Prize Lecture on campus in 2004. He was made a Knight Bachelor in the New Year’s Honours in 2005. In the same year, the building that houses the Schools of Economics and Geography at Nottingham was renamed the Sir Clive Granger Building in honour of his achievements.
Professor Alan Duncan, Head of the School of Economics, said: “Sir Clive Granger was truly one of the pioneers of modern econometrics, and someone who enjoyed the respect and affection of generations of students and researchers at Nottingham and throughout the world.
“We are profoundly saddened by the passing of an inspirational scholar, and a delightful and charming man.”
In 2006, the Granger Centre for Time Series Econometrics was established in the University’s School of Economics to provide a research forum for the development and dissemination of new research initiatives in both theoretical and applied time series econometric analysis, including panel data methods. The Centre was named in recognition both of his invaluable contributions to the discipline of time series econometrics and his long association with the University.
Professor Robert Taylor, Director of the Granger Centre for Time Series Econometrics, said: “Sir Clive had a profound impact on both the University of Nottingham and on the academic discipline he excelled in, time series econometrics. His legacy will endure in both.
“The loss of Clive’s enormous talent and insight will be deeply mourned throughout our profession, while his generosity of spirit and kindness to others will be hugely missed by all those who were privileged enough to have known him.”
Sir Clive’s work is widely cited, and his contributions are used in both academic and non-academic settings. His research on forecasting, causality, and cointegration has introduced tools used by every empirical economist, and also in the fields of biology, engineering, and statistics.
Sir Clive died on May 27, 2009, at Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego, California.
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 100 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and Times Higher (THE) World University Rankings.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to RAE 2008, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranks the University 7th in the UK by research power. In 27 subject areas, the University features in the UK Top Ten, with 14 of those in the Top Five.
The University provides innovative and top quality teaching, undertakes world-changing research, and attracts talented staff and students from 150 nations. Described by The Times as Britain's "only truly global university", it has invested continuously in award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. Twice since 2003 its research and teaching academics have won Nobel Prizes. The University has won the Queen's Award for Enterprise in both 2006 (International Trade) and 2007 (Innovation — School of Pharmacy), and was named ‘Entrepreneurial University of the Year’ at the Times Higher Education Awards 2008.
Nottingham was designated as a Science City in 2005 in recognition of its rich scientific heritage, industrial base and role as a leading research centre. Nottingham has since embarked on a wide range of business, property, knowledge transfer and educational initiatives (www.science-city.co.uk) in order to build on its growing reputation as an international centre of scientific excellence. The University of Nottingham is a partner in Nottingham: the Science City.