Basil Yamey

Basil Selig Yamey CBE FBA was a South African economist and expert in the history of accounting.

Career

He was born in Cape Town in South Africa in May 1919, and educated at the University of Cape Town. For many years he was a professor at the London School of Economics. He was a part-time member of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission from 1966 to 1978, and author of many books and articles, including one on the economics of underdeveloped countries co-authored with Peter Thomas Bauer.
Yamey's interest in rational economic decision-making led him to study historical accounting records. Yamey rejected the claim by Werner Sombart that the double-entry bookkeeping system was a pre-condition, or at least an important stimulating factor, for the emergence of modern capitalism. Yamey combined his interest in Accounting History with his love of art in his book Art & Accounting, a richly-illustrated survey of paintings portraying commercial scenes and business-people. He died in November 2020 at the age of 101.