Half a century ago, Economica published what its webpage claims is "the most heavily cited macroeconomics title of the 20th century"—the paper by A. W. H. "Bill" Phillips (1958) that introduced the Phillips curve. Based on admittedly circumstantial evidence, I will argue that Bill Phillips was not satisfied with the paper and had not intended to publish it in 1958. I believe that Phillips was persuaded to allow his paper to be published in 1958 by James Meade. After a brief overview of Phillips' early life and career, I attempt to show why Phillips was probably unhappy with the paper that introduced the curve that came to be identified with his name and how, nevertheless, it came to be published.
This paper adds to what was previously known about Phillips' life between his departure from Australia in 1937 until he became an academic in 1950. The paper includes new information about Phillips' MBE and the attack on the Empire Star, the conditions at the Bandoeng prisoner of war camp in Java, and his operation of secret radios during the three and a half years of his imprisonment. The paper also attempts to explain Phillips' notorious Pass degree in Sociology.2 The air defence of Singapore by 243 and 488 Squadrons is chronicled in Ross (1955).
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