Senior, Nassau William (1790–1864)

British economist. In 1826 he was made professor of economics at Oxford University. He sat on several important government commissions in connection with the poor laws. As a result of their findings, the government passed the Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834. Senior may be regarded as one of the first pure theorists in economics. He attempted to create an economic theory on the basis of deductions from elementary propositions.

Senior was born in Compton, England. He was educated at Eton School and Oxford University. Among his works are An Outline of the Science of Political Economy (1836), Historical and Philosophical Essays (1865), and four volumes of Conversations with Distinguished Persons (1878–80).