by Mar Rubio-Varas

Nick Crafts, my mentor and guide, profoundly influenced both my academic and personal journey. As my MSc tutor in 1996 to later overseeing my PhD and guiding my early steps in academia, his impact was transformative.

Nick's approach was marked by a unique blend of warmth, wit, and kindness. His exceptional memory allowed him to recall vast amounts of information, and his intellectual curiosity led him to explore diverse subjects, making him an invaluable source of wisdom.

Unlike some mentors, Nick never pushed. He understood the importance of allowing researchers the time to absorb information, reflect, and let ideas mature. His responsiveness, however, was unmatched. If I submitted something, he promptly provided insightful comments - showcasing his commitment to our intellectual growth.

Importantly, Nick's mentorship extended beyond graduation. Nearly a decade after completing my PhD, his guidance proved instrumental once again. He suggested I apply to present my research at the workshop "Developing policy regimes for combating climate change," organised by CAGE and the Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy in 2011. This recommendation served as the spark that ignited my first Energy Policy publication, showcasing Nick's enduring impact on my academic journey.

Nick Crafts, a mentor whose influence transcends time, has left an enduring legacy of intellectual curiosity, kindness, and a commitment to nurturing the potential of those fortunate enough to be under his guidance

by Jose Rowell Corpuz

Professor Nick Crafts was a great teacher and PhD supervisor. He was a lecturer in the first economic history module that I took as an MSc student at Warwick in 2011. When I became an MRes/PhD student in 2013, he taught me again in one of my advanced economic history modules.

Nick was a great storyteller. He would always show the ‘wood for the trees’ in every lecture and would support his arguments with figures and tables. He was very well read and would often say to me that “the more you read, the luckier you get.” I guess this is why Nick was so good at explaining the main points in his lectures reinforcing the importance to keep on reading without being overwhelmed by too much detail.

As a PhD supervisor, Nick had a genuine concern for his students. He encouraged good ideas, but also quashed the bad ones. He would separate half-baked criticisms from the well-thought ones. His advice was to treat the former “like water off a duck’s back” and to focus on the meaningful criticisms instead. Nick introduced me to Professor Mike Waterson and Professor James Fenske, who also became my PhD supervisors and supported and guided me through studies.

After obtaining my PhD in 2019, Nick continued to be influential to me as a young scholar. After being repeatedly rejected by various referees and editors, he would always remind me of the value of persistence. He even told me the story of a Nobel Laureate whose paper was rejected many times before getting published.

Nick really did encourage me to be persistent and to keep going. I wish I could still update him about my research. After trying so many times, my main PhD dissertation chapter is now with a top field journal. My other paper has recently been accepted for publication. I am extremely grateful to Nick for all his help with my academic career – I will miss him a lot, as will many others too.

by Alfonso Herranz-Loncán

I met Nick in 1998, when he started supervising my PhD thesis at the London School of Economics. I arrived in London with a traditional Spanish style MSc training in Economic History at a time when the field in the Spanish universities had hardly been touched by the cliometric revolution. It wasn’t until I attended Nick’s classes that I discovered a fascinating immersion in this completely new scholarly world. He was an incredible teacher, with the capacity to capture the students’ attention and put them in contact with the most up-to-date work.

As a supervisor, he totally changed the way I did research. My first meetings with him to speak about my thesis project were mind-blowing. Meeting after meeting he challenged me, forcing me to clarify why what I was doing was important and the economic rationale behind my interpretations. He clearly showed me the centrality of rigor and relevance in research. And his supervision always went beyond discussing my ideas and put me in contact with streams of literature that I could have never found by myself. Finally, in the time he supervised my work he also showed me the value and the importance of generosity in academia. Despite being such a prominent figure in global economic history, he was always available and extremely generous with his time. His revisions of my texts, written (especially at the beginning) in very poor English, were thorough and very detailed. Because of the excellency of his research, his teaching skills and his generosity, for me he has been a model of an academic - not easy to imitate, but always enlightening.

by Guillaume Daudin

Nick Crafts changed my life. We met for the first time in 1995 at a research seminar he was presenting in Paris. I was impressed by his work in quantitative history, and bombarded him with questions. Afterwards he accepted to co-supervise my PhD based on the flimsiest evidence of my capacity to conduct one. That was quite a gamble.

At the London School of Economics between 1997 and 2001 I met him almost weekly during term. This was the most professionally fulfilling time of my life. I remember the whole department as a haven for research. He had gathered a great group of PhD students from all around Europe, many of whom have since conducted successful academic careers. His insights and deep knowledge which were freely shared in his office or in the pub, pushed all of us towards our best. He was an exceptional PhD supervisor.

He was a gateway to multiple aspects of British culture with a whole range of interests outside of academia. I was quite surprised (and pleased) when he could have found me a job at the Christie’s wine department.

Each time I supervise a student my thoughts go to Nick. He encouraged us to nurture PhD students who could be seen as his grandchildren, but were quite wary of not being up to the task. I am proud to walk in his footsteps and am sorry he’s not around anymore to advise me how to accomplish it.