Adam Smith

AKA:
The Father of Economics
Birth Name:
Adam Smith
Birth Date:
June 16, 1723
Birth Place:
Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
Death Date:
July 17, 1790
Place of Death:
Panmure House, Edinburgh, Scotland
Age:
67
Cause of Death:
Decay
Cemetery Name:
Canongate Kirkyard
Claim to Fame:
Business and Finance
Adam Smith, a graduate of the University of Glasgow and at Balliol College, Oxford, was a Scottish economist and philosopher who was a pioneer of political economy and key figure during the Scottish Enlightenment. Also known as "The Father of Economics" or "The Father of Capitalism" he wrote two classic works, The Theory of Moral Sentiments (1759) and An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (1776). The latter, often abbreviated as The Wealth of Nations, is considered his magnum opus and the first modern work of economics.

Fun Fact

Adam Smith has been described as someone who “had a large nose, bulging eyes, a protruding lower lip, a nervous twitch, and a speech impediment”. Smith is said to have acknowledged his looks at one point, saying, “I am a beau in nothing but my books.” Therefore Smith rarely sat for portraits and so almost all depictions of him created during his lifetime were drawn from memory.

Cemetery Information:

Final Resting Place:

Canongate Kirkyard

153 Canongate

Edinburgh, , EH8 8BN

Scotland

Europe

Map:

Cemetery map of Canongate Kirkyard in Edinburgh Scotland

Grave Location:

Adam Smith Crypt

Grave Location Description

Across the street from the Edinburgh Museum is the entrance to the Canongate Kirk (Presbyterian Church). Standing in front of the church look to your left and walk 50 feet to the crypt of the Father of Economics, Adam Smith.

Grave Location GPS

55.95158763731476, -3.179891535719773

Photos:

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Read More About Adam Smith:

Videos Featuring Adam Smith:
The Invisible Hand - 60 Second Adventures in Economics
The Essential Adam Smith: Who is Adam Smith?
Why Is The Wealth of Nations So Important? Adam Smith and Classical Economics
Adam Smith: The Grandfather Of Economics
The Real Adam Smith: Morality and Markets
Adam Smith and the Invisible Hand Theory Explained
Political Theory - Adam Smith

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Edwin Merton McBrier

popular name: Edwin Merton McBrier

date_of_death: September 19, 1956

age: 91

cause_of_death: Natural causes

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Born in 1865, McBrier grew up in Hermon, New York. Eventually he left his home and ended up in Lockport, New York where he went into business with Frank. W. Woolworth and Seymour Knox, a founding partner of the famous Woolworth Co. Located on Main Street, it was known as Woolworth & McBrier/Knox & McBrier 5 and 10 cent Store. The business thrived and grew into a successful chain of stores. By the company’s 50th anniversary in 1929, there were 2,247 Woolworth stores in the United States, Canada, Cuba, England, and Germany. Sales topped $303 million.

Armand Hammer

popular name: Armand Hammer

date_of_death: December 10, 1990

age: 92

cause_of_death: Bone marrow cancer

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: After earning his medical degree from Columbia University Armand Hammer went on to become a successful entrepreneur before retiring in his 50s. Shortly after he was approached by a friend who suggested that he finance two wildcat oil wells being drilled in Bakersfield, California by the near-bankrupt Occidental Petroleum Corporation. Hammer financed the wells, which unexpectedly struck oil, and he quickly increased his holdings in Occidental, becoming the firm’s chief executive officer and chairman of the board in 1957. Within 10 years the company was generating over $2 billion is sales.

Walter Knott

popular name: Walter Knott

date_of_death: December 3, 1981

age: 91

cause_of_death: Parkinson's disease

claim_to_fame: Business and Finance

best_know_for: Walter Knott was an American farmer who created the Knott's Berry Farm amusement park in California. In the 1920s, Walter Knott was a somewhat unsuccessful farmer, whose fortunes changed when he nursed several abandoned berry plants back to health. The hybrid boysenberry, named after its creator, Rudolph Boysen, was a cross between a blackberry, red raspberry and loganberry. The huge berries were a hit, and the Knott family sold berries, preserves and pies from a Buena Park, California roadside stand. In 1934, Knott's wife Cordelia (née Hornaday, January 23, 1890 – April 12, 1974) began serving fried chicken dinners, and within a few years, lines outside the restaurant were often several hours long. To entertain the waiting crowds, Walter built a Ghost Town in 1940, using buildings relocated from Old West towns. Even after Disneyland opened in 1955 a mere 8 miles away, Knott's Berry Farm continued to thrive. Walt Disney and Walter Knott are rumored to have had a cordial relationship; it is known that they each visited the other's park, and they were both members of the original planning council for Children's Hospital of Orange County. Early additions to the farm included a narrow gauge railroad, a San Francisco cable car, a Pan-for-Gold attraction, the Calico Mine Train dark ride and a log flume ride. In 1968, the Knott family fenced the farm, charged admission for the first time, and Knott's Berry Farm officially became an amusement park. Because of his interest in American pioneer history, Knott purchased and restored the real silver mining ghost town of Calico, California in 1951. As a child Walter spent a lot of time in Calico living with his uncle. During World War I he helped to build a silver mill in Calico. This period in his life influenced his decision to buy the town and restore it. In 1966, he deeded Calico to San Bernardino County, California. Walter remained active in the operation of Knott's Berry Farm until the death of Cordelia in 1974, leaving day-to-day park operations to his children.

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