A Dedication to Walter Grinder

Tom Bell is many things --- a law professor, an innovator, a surfer, and also a song writer.  His latest song is dedicated to the great Walter Grinder.

Walter Grinder, along with Leonard Liggio, influenced generations of students through their work with the Institute for Humane Studies.  As an undergraduate and graduate student I benefited so much from my association with IHS and these men. And as a faculty member, being involved with IHS has been a source of great joy (and sometimes frustration when I fear that moves away from the vision of Walter and Leonard are inadvertently made).  But nobody should ever doubt my deep commitment to IHS and the mission as laid out by F. A. Harper and developed by Walter and Leonard, and now by Marty Zupan and her staff.  In my life, outside of my formal education, the institutions that have had the greatest impact on me were FEE (as an undergraduate), IHS (as a graduate student) and Liberty Fund (as a faculty member).  In a very real sense I have an unabiding affection for these organization, their mission, and the people working to carry out that mission.

Of course my experiences at Grove City College (and with Dr. Sennholz) and at George Mason (with Don Lavoie, James Buchanan and the rest of the faculty at that time) were the most formative --- as was my near decade long association with Israel Kirzner and Mario Rizzo when I served on the faculty with them at NYU.  But I never would have been able to take advantage of what I had to learn from these guys without the guidance of Walter and Leonard.  Walter was the more influential on me when I was transitioning from undergraduate to graduate student, Leonard became a close mentor to me as my graduate education came to an end and I was transitioning into being a professor.

I would like to know who is serving the role that Walter and Leonard played in my life now-a-days for the next generation of students interested in keeping the flame alive.

Comments

[Nathanael Snow]

I played backup guitar for Tom at IHS in Wake Forest, NC summer of '07. "Hey, Now Jonah" was the title.
Personal inspiration includes Steve Margolis, Roy Cordato, Mike Munger, and Bryan Caplan.

[Tyler Cowen]

Who?

You!

Wake up!