December 1, 2007
The Foundation of Economic Education launched the modern libertarian movement in 1946. Its founder, Leonard E. Read, was a great promoter. He died in 1983. He ran FEE without opposition the entire time.
I was a senior staff member, 1971-73. I saw that FEE was unlikely to respond to the new conditions of the 1970's. Irvington-on-Hudson, New York, was the wrong place to launch the next phase of recruiting articulate defenders of free market ideas. I left. That was one of my better moves.
I was on FEE's Board in the early 1990's. I had hoped for change, but change did not come.
FEE has never sold out to the mainstream, but it has been invisible for three decades. There was a time, four decades ago, when its address, Irvington-on-Hudson, was meaningful to tens of thousands of conservative activists. No longer.
When a founder dies, his organization usually founders, sometimes permanently. So it has been with FEE.
Numerous presidents have come and gone since 1983. The presidency of FEE is a legendary revolving door position. Rumor has it that the door recently sped up. I can neither confirm nor deny. But, just in case the rumor is true, I have composed a welcome letter for the new president. You can read it here:
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