This week saw the passing of Walter E. Williams at age 84. A long-time friend of the Center for Freedom and Prosperity (CF&P), Dr. Williams served on our advisory board and his columns were frequently cited on our blog. Dr Williams was also a colleague and a friend of CF&P’s chairman Dan Mitchell. Here is a link to Dan’s poignant and eloquent memorial of a remarkable life, where he recounts many excerpts from Dr. Williams’s impressive biography, “Up from the Projects.” But I want to take an additional moment and share my memories of the importance of Dr. Williams in my own professional life.
Before the internet, I would eagerly await my copy of the Conservative Chronicles, a monthly compilation of great contemporary conservative writings. Dr. Williams was always the first I would read.
Much of what I use today in my professional life I learned from reading Dr. Williams. I also enjoyed when he substituted for Rush Limbaugh on Rush’s 3-hour daily radio show. His ability to distill complex issues down into simple, understandable language was his gift to us all. And I will always remember his great appearances on CNN’s Crossfire many years ago.
I was lucky to have met Dr. Williams on a few occasions, and I was honored that he agreed to be an advisor to the Center for Freedom and Prosperity.
Dr. Williams is well-known for his multiple newspaper columns, academic work, and books including “Race and Economics,” “South Africa’s War Against Capitalism,” and “The State Against Blacks.” The latter lambasted occupational licensing, among other government programs, as bringing disproportionate harm to blacks. Today, benefitting from his early influence, the issue has become not just a cause célèbre among free market advocates but is reaching a broad consensus for reform.
Teaching was also incredibly important to Dr. Williams, and as his good friend and fellow economic titan Dr. Thomas Sowell recounts, he hoped to do so until the day he died. As it happens, he conducted his final class the day before, but his intellectual contributions hopefully will continue educating Americans for generations more.
Whether it be lessons imparted to much appreciation in the classroom or through his long-running syndicated column, the economics profession, and indeed all of us, have suffered a tremendous loss. Our condolences go to his family, but all of us are truly worse off for his absence. Rest in Peace Dr. Williams. You will be sadly missed!
