Foundation for Economic Education

The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) was the first modern think tank established in the United States specifically "to study and advance the freedom philosophy." [http://www.fee.org/tradition/] The FEE promotes, researchs and promulgates free-market, classical liberal, and libertarian ideas. It continues to do so through its monthly magazine, "The Freeman", as well as through pamphlets, lectures, and academic sponsorship. It also publishes reprints of classic libertarian texts, and arranges seminars for American public figures.

History

FEE was founded in 1946 by Leonard Read, general manager of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, for whom "the free-enterprise philosophy had already become almost a religion". [http://web.archive.org/web/20061209173743/http://www.libertyhaven.com/theoreticalorphilosophicalissues/history/earlyhistory.html] The William Volker Fund was instrumental in subsidizing FEE's establishment. FEE's initial officers included Read as president, Henry Hazlitt as vice-president, and B. F. Goodrich chairman David Goodrich as chairman.

Many libertarians have credited Read's effort as one of the bases for the international post-War libertarian movement. For instance, Friedrich Hayek was apparently inspired partly by FEE when he formed the Mont Pelerin Society in 1947.

Dr. Donald J. Boudreaux, now Chairman of the Department of Economics at George Mason University, served as president of the Foundation from 1997 to 2001.

Dr. Mark Skousen served as president from 2001 to 2002. After his controversial decision to invite Rudy Giuliani to be the keynote speaker at FEE's annual Liberty Banquet (including paying Giuliani a $30,000 honorarium), which did not sit well with most FEE members, the Board of Trustees asked for Skousen's resignation.

In May 2003, Dr. Richard Ebeling became president. With no prior hints, he announced at the April 12, 2008 "Evening at FEE" that he was leaving FEE to accept a position at Trinity University in Hartford.

On July 21, 2008, FEE's website was updated to announce that Lawrence Reed has been named the new president, effective September 1.

References

*Henry Hazlitt, [http://www.fee.org/publications/the-freeman/article.asp?aid=1033 The Early History of FEE] , "The Freeman", Foundation for Economic Education, March 1984, Vol. 34, No. 3.

External links

* [http://www.fee.org/ Foundation for Economic Education] , the official site
* [http://www.wikiberal.org/wiki/Foundation_for_Economic_Education Foundation for Economic Education on Wikibéral]