The Department of Economics is deeply saddened to learn of the death of Dr Jon Temple (1971–2026).
Jon’s connection with Oxford began as a graduate student at Nuffield College in 1994, before he went on to hold a Junior Research Fellowship at Hertford College. During his time as a researcher in Oxford, Jon worked on some of the topics for which he was best known in the profession, including human capital and economic growth, and evaluation of empirical models of economic growth. During this period he also launched a well-known website hosting resources for economic growth researchers, which was an enormous benefit to scholars around the world at a time when Google searches were not available to help with literature searches.
After leaving Oxford in 2001 to take up a full professorship at the University of Bristol, Jon remained closely connected to the Department, returning regularly for seminars and research workshops, and to lecture on the Department’s executive education programmes. Throughout this time Jon offered generous support to many early career academics in Oxford working in the areas of Macroeconomics and Development Economics, and was a vital source of help and encouragement as they developed their own careers.
Another important link between Jon and the Department was his outstanding editorial work, most notably for the Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, for which he was a long-serving editor. In this role Jon supported authors and referees with great care, and helped to uphold the journal’s reputation for rigorous and constructive scholarship.
The Department extends its sincere condolences to Jon’s family, friends, and colleagues.
Further tributes and messages
A tribute has been shared by the University of Cambridge, which colleagues may also wish to read.
The Royal Economic Society has also published a notice, and is inviting those who wish to do so to share memories and condolences via the contact details included there, which will be passed on to Jon’s family and used in an obituary in due course.
