The namesake of Adam Smith University, Adam Smith (1723-1790), is commonly regarded as the first modern economist and is known as ”The Father of Economics” or ”The Father of Capitalism”. Adam Smith was a British economist, moral philosopher, and key figure during the the Scottish Enlightenment. Our school is named in honor of him because his thought provoking philosophies and works inspired generations of economists and business professionals.

He wrote several books, including two classic works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and The Wealth of Nations (1776). His work covered a wide range of disciplines including moral philosophy, jurisprudence, rhetoric, as well as the history of science. Smith studied the social forces giving rise to competition, trade, and markets. Smith laid the foundations of classical free-market economic theory. The Wealth of Nations was a precursor to the modern academic discipline of economics. In this and other works, he developed the concept of division of labour and expounded upon how self-interest and competition can lead to economic prosperity.

Smith was admitted to the University of Glasgow at the age of 15, where he studied moral philosophy under Francis Hutcheson. There, Smith developed his passion for liberty, reason, and free speech. He later lectured at the University of Edinburgh before becoming a professor at the University of Glasgow. Here, at Adam Smith University, his legacy lives on