A POLICY ENTREPRENEUR.

The Independent Institute announce the passing of founder David J. Theroux.

David launched the Independent Institute, an academic non-profit, public policy, research and educational organization, as the first “garage” think tank, in 1986. Starting Independent in his Oakland, California basement, David subsequently established Independent’s offices in San Francisco until the Loma Prieta earthquake precipitated its relocation back across the bay in Oakland.

With the launch of Independent, David was able to realize his dream of an organization adhering to the highest standards of independent scholarly inquiry in pursuing the creation of transformational ideas addressing the most pressing social and economic challenges of the day. He was the consummate entrepreneur, constantly identifying and leading the pursuit of opportunities for advancing the principles and application of liberty for greatest impact in the public square.

There's a substantial overlap between Independent policy positions and libertarian political economy in the academy. Marginal Revolution's Alex Tabarrok spent some time at Independent before returning to higher education at George Mason.  "Ultimately, of course, I returned to academia by moving to GMU but not before learning many valuable lessons from David and my years at the Independent Institute."

I first became aware of Independent in the early days of weblogs.  There might have been links from time to time to Independent essays, but from time to time I'd get an electronic mail (in those days, I had a public presence at a university) from Mr Theroux reading "Would you please post a notice of the following new article."  It was my practice then, as it is now, only to link to stuff that I had read, and unsolicited link requests are not something I look favorably upon.  (These days, not having an institutional affiliation with a linked electronic mail address is great for privacy.)  My response was generally something along the lines of "I will consider the content you recommend.  I would be more favorably disposed to your request if I saw a link to Cold Spring Shops on your publication's blogroll."

That never happened, but I have had a working relationship with Independent's stable of scholars, some of whom hold academic posts.  Their coverage of the corona tyranny has been spot on for two years.  In addition, despite my cheekiness, somebody at Independent Review had enough confidence in my ferroequinologist chops to review Amtrak critic Randal O'Toole's Romance of the Rails.

It may not have been given to Mr Theroux to finish the task, but libertarian leaning scholars at Independent or within higher education will not give it up.  R. I. P.