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Alan Low

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Sir Alan Roberts Low (11 January 1916 – 18 April 1999) was a New Zealand economist. He was the fifth governor of the Reserve Bank.

Early life

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Low was born in Blenheim in 1916, the son of Benjamin Low.[1] His father became headmaster of Timaru Main School and Alan Low attended there before going to Timaru Boys' High School.[2] He then attended the University of Canterbury (1934–1937) and graduated with a Master of Arts (honours) in economics.[2]

Low served in WWII from 1942 to 1944, and belonged to the 24th Field Ambulance of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force.[1][2]

Professional career

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Low joined the Reserve Bank in 1938. He became assistant economist in 1949, economic adviser in 1951, assistant governor in 1960, and deputy governor (under Gilbert Wilson) in 1962.[1] Low was Governor of the Reserve Bank from 21 July 1967 to 11 February 1977.[3] Low was a member of various New Zealand delegations to international conferences, including Havana (Cuba, 1947/48), Annecy (France, 1949), London (Great Britain, 1951), and Sydney (Australia, 1954).[1] He published various articles in economic journals.[1] He was a director of the National Bank of New Zealand.[2]

Honours and awards

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In the 1977 Queen's Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours, Low was appointed a Knight Bachelor.[4] In the same year, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Canterbury (LL.D.).[5]

Family

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On 19 December 1940, he married Kathleen Harrow, the daughter of E. J. Harrow. They had one son and two daughters.[1] In 1978, the Lows lived in Lower Hutt.[1] His hobbies included music, gardening, and reading.[1] He died on 18 April 1999.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Traue, James Edward (1978). Who's Who in New Zealand, 1978 (11th ed.). Wellington: Reed Publishing. p. 172.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Sir Alan Low". Timaru District Council. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  3. ^ "Governors of the Reserve Bank - past and present". Reserve Bank. Archived from the original on 28 August 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  4. ^ "No. 47237". The London Gazette (4th supplement). 11 June 1977. p. 7127.
  5. ^ "Honorary Graduates" (PDF). University of Canterbury. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2015. Retrieved 14 June 2014.
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Government offices
Preceded by Governor of the Reserve Bank of New Zealand
1967–1977
Succeeded by