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Sir Antony George Anson Fisher (28 June 1915 – 8 July 1988), nicknamed AGAF, was a British businessman and
think tank A think tank, or policy institute, is a research institute that performs research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, technology, and culture. Most think tanks are non-govern ...
founder. He participated in the formation of various
libertarian Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
organisations during the second half of the twentieth century, including the
Institute of Economic Affairs The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing pressure group and think tank registered as a UK charity Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to "further ...
and the
Atlas Network Atlas Network, formerly known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking and grants for libertarian, free-market, and conservative groups ...
. Through Atlas, he helped establish up to 150 other institutions worldwide.


Early life

Antony Fisher was born on 28 June 1915.John Blundell, ''Ladies for Liberty: Women who Made a Difference in American History'', New York City: Algora Publishing, 2011, chapter 20: 'Dorian Fisher', pp. 195–20

/ref> He was only two years old when his father was killed by a sniper in Gaza strip, Gaza during World War I.Founder's Story, Atlas Economic Research Foundation
/ref>Gerald Frost, ''Antony Fisher: Champion of Liberty'', Profile Books, 2002, condensed by David Molle

/ref> He was educated at
Eton College Eton College () is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. It was founded in 1440 by Henry VI of England, Henry VI under the name ''Kynge's College of Our Ladye of Eton besyde Windesore'',Nevill, p. 3 ff. i ...
. He graduated from
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...
with a degree in engineering. During the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, he served as a fighter pilot in the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
, being awarded the Air Force Cross.


Career

After World War II, he was alarmed by the election of a Labour government, the nationalisation of industry, and the introduction of central economic planning. In 1945, Fisher had read ''
The Road to Serfdom ''The Road to Serfdom'' (German: ''Der Weg zur Knechtschaft'') is a book written between 1940 and 1943 by Austrian-British economist and philosopher Friedrich Hayek. Since its publication in 1944, ''The Road to Serfdom'' has been popular among ...
'' by Austrian economist
F. A. Hayek Friedrich August von Hayek ( , ; 8 May 189923 March 1992), often referred to by his initials F. A. Hayek, was an Austrian–British economist, legal theorist and philosopher who is best known for his defense of classical liberalism. Haye ...
which influenced his thinking. Fisher sought out Hayek at the
London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 milli ...
(where he taught) and talked about his plans to go into politics. Hayek, however, convinced him that think-tanks were the best medium for effecting political change. In 1952, he undertook a study trip to the United States, where he visited the new
Foundation for Economic Education The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) is an American conservative, libertarian economic think tank. Founded in 1948 in New York City, FEE is now headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. It is a member of the State Policy Network. FEE offers ...
(FEE).
F. A. Harper Floyd Arthur "Baldy" Harper (February 7, 1905 – April 1973) was an American academic, economist and writer who was best known for founding the Institute for Humane Studies in 1961. Personal life Baldy Harper was born and raised in Middleville, ...
of the FEE introduced Fisher to former colleagues from the Agriculture Department of
Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to tea ...
in
Ithaca, New York Ithaca is a city in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca metropolitan statistical area. It is named ...
, who showed him intensive chicken farming techniques. Fisher was very impressed and returned to start England's first
battery cage Battery cages are a housing system used for various animal production methods, but primarily for egg-laying hens. The name arises from the arrangement of rows and columns of identical cages connected together, in a unit, as in an artillery batt ...
chicken farm, Buxted Chickens, which eventually made him a millionaire. In 1955, he used his fortune to set up the influential
Institute of Economic Affairs The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) is a right-wing pressure group and think tank registered as a UK charity Associated with the New Right, the IEA describes itself as an "educational research institute", and says that it seeks to "further ...
with Ralph Harris. Some of Fisher's other business ventures did not succeed (including a turtle-farming operation). In 1971 Fisher founded the International Institute for Economic Research, which went to spawn both the
Atlas Network Atlas Network, formerly known as the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, is a non-governmental 501(c)(3) organization based in the United States that provides training, networking and grants for libertarian, free-market, and conservative groups ...
in 1981 and the
International Policy Network The International Policy Network (IPN) was a think tank based in the City of London, founded 1971, and closed in September 2011. It was a non-partisan, non-profit organization, but critics said it was a "corporate-funded campaigning group". IP ...
in 2001. Through these operations, Fisher provided financial and operational support for a huge number of fledgling think-tanks, most of which would not exist without his influence. It was through the Atlas Network that Fisher was able to extend his beliefs worldwide. By 1984, Fisher was watching over eighteen institutions in eleven countries.Early history
/ref> As of 2017, Atlas supports and works with nearly 500 free-market think-tanks in over 90 different countries. In his book ''Thinking the Unthinkable'',
Richard Cockett Richard Cockett (born 1961) is a British historian, journalist and writer. He is a regional editor of '' The Economist'', with experience in Mexico, Central America, Africa and Singapore. He was previously a senior lecturer in politics and histor ...
sketched Fisher's role in supporting other emerging think-tanks around the world. Cockett wrote, "On the strength of his reputation with the IEA, he was invited in 1975 to become co-director of the
Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. The institute describes itself as independent and non-partisan. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, ...
in Vancouver, founded by the Canadian businessman T. Patrick Boyle in 1974. Fisher let the young director of the Fraser Institute, Dr Michael Walker, get on with the intellectual output of the Institute (just as he had given free rein to Seldon and Harris at the IEA) while he himself concentrated on the fund-raising side". Cockett explained that after his success at the Fraser Institute, Fisher went to New York where in 1977 he set up the International Center for Economic Policy Studies (ICEPS), later renamed the
Manhattan Institute The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Anto ...
. "The incorporation documents for the ICEPS were signed by prominent attorney
Bill Casey William D. Casey (born February 19, 1945) is a Canadian politician from Nova Scotia who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) in the House of Commons of Canada. First elected as a Progressive Conservative in 1988, he later sat as Conservative ...
, later Director of the Central Intelligence Agency". Cockett comments that "under the directorship of
William Hammett William Henry Hammett (March 25, 1799 – July 9, 1861) was an American clergyman and politician who served one term as a U.S. Representative from Mississippi from 1843 to 1845. Biography Born in Don Manway, County Cork, Ireland, Hammett studi ...
the Manhattan Institute became probably Fisher's greatest success after the IEA". In 1977, Cockett wrote, Fisher moved to San Francisco "with his second wife Dorian, who he had met through the
Mont Pelerin Society The Mont Pelerin Society (MPS) is an international organization composed of economists, philosophers, historians, intellectuals and business leaders.Michael Novak, 'The Moral Imperative of a Free Economy', in '' The 4% Solution: Unleashing the E ...
, and founded the
Pacific Research Institute The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (PRI) is a California-based free-market think tank which promotes "the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility" through policies that emphasize a free economy, private ini ...
in 1979" and Fisher and
Milton Friedman Milton Friedman (; July 31, 1912 – November 16, 2006) was an American economist and statistician who received the 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his research on consumption analysis, monetary history and theory and the ...
lived in the same apartment block in San Francisco during the 1980s. In the late 1970s, Fisher assisted Greg Lindsay in the development of the
Centre for Independent Studies The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian libertarian think tank founded in 1976 which specialises in public policy research. It is based in Sydney and focuses on classical liberal issues such as free markets and limited gover ...
in Sydney. Cockett wrote, "In 1981, to co-ordinate and establish a central focus for these institutes that Fisher found himself start up all over the world, he created the Atlas Economic Research Foundation which in 1987 joined up with the
Institute for Humane Studies The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) is a non-profit organization that promotes the teaching and research of classical liberalism in higher education in the United States. IHS offers funding opportunities, programs, and events for faculty and g ...
(IHS) (founded by the Mont Pelerin member
F. A. Harper Floyd Arthur "Baldy" Harper (February 7, 1905 – April 1973) was an American academic, economist and writer who was best known for founding the Institute for Humane Studies in 1961. Personal life Baldy Harper was born and raised in Middleville, ...
in 1961) to provide a central institutional structure for what quickly became an ever-expanding number of international free-market think-tanks or research institutes". According to Cokett, "Fisher used the local and international gatherings of the Mont Pelerin Society to find personnel, fund-raisers and donors for many of the Atlas Institutes" as the international think-tanks proliferated. He was a co-founder of the
Fraser Institute The Fraser Institute is a libertarian-conservative Canadian public policy think tank and registered charity. The institute describes itself as independent and non-partisan. It is headquartered in Vancouver, with additional offices in Calgary, ...
, the
Manhattan Institute The Manhattan Institute for Policy Research (renamed in 1981 from the International Center for Economic Policy Studies) is a conservative American think tank focused on domestic policy and urban affairs, established in Manhattan in 1978 by Anto ...
, the
Pacific Research Institute The Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy (PRI) is a California-based free-market think tank which promotes "the principles of individual freedom and personal responsibility" through policies that emphasize a free economy, private ini ...
, the
National Center for Policy Analysis The National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA) was a non-profit American think tank whose goals were to develop and promote private alternatives to government regulation and control. Topics it addressed include reforms in health care, taxes, ...
, the
Centre for Independent Studies The Centre for Independent Studies (CIS) is an Australian libertarian think tank founded in 1976 which specialises in public policy research. It is based in Sydney and focuses on classical liberal issues such as free markets and limited gover ...
, and the
Adam Smith Institute The Adam Smith Institute (ASI) is a neoliberal UK-based think tank and lobbying group, named after Adam Smith, a Scottish moral philosopher and classical economist. The libertarian label was officially changed to neoliberal on 10 October 201 ...
. He was knighted four weeks before his death.


Personal life

He was married twice. He had four children with his first wife, including Linda Whetstone, who was involved with many of Fisher's think tanks. His granddaughter, Rachel Whetstone, serves as senior vice-president of communications and public policy for
Uber Uber Technologies, Inc. (Uber), based in San Francisco, provides mobility as a service, ride-hailing (allowing users to book a car and driver to transport them in a way similar to a taxi), food delivery ( Uber Eats and Postmates), pa ...
. His second wife, Dorian Fisher, was George N. Crocker's widow.


Death

He died on 8 July 1988 in San Francisco, California.


References

Bibliography * Cockett, Richard (1995). ''Thinking the Unthinkable: Think-Tanks and the Economic Counter-Revolution, 1931–1983''.
Fontana Press Fontana may refer to: Places Italy *Fontana Liri, comune in the Province of Frosinone *Fontanafredda, comune in the Province of Pordenone *Fontanarosa, comune in the Province of Avellino *Francavilla Fontana, comune in the Province of Brindisi * ...
. . * Kwang, Jo (2008)
"Fisher, Antony (1915–1988)".
In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.)
''The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism''.
Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage;
Cato Institute The Cato Institute is an American libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Ed Crane, Murray Rothbard, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Koch Industries.Koch Ind ...
. p. 177. . . . .


External links

* John Blundell,
Hayek, Fisher and ''The Road to Serfdom''
in Friedrich A. Hayek, ''The Road to Serfdom'': the condensed version of the Road to Serfdom by F.A. Hayek as it appeared in the April 1945 edition of ''Reader's Digest'', Institute of Economic Affairs, 1999. * John Blundell
Waging the War of Ideas
speech to the
Heritage Foundation The Heritage Foundation (abbreviated to Heritage) is an American conservative think tank based in Washington, D.C. that is primarily geared toward public policy. The foundation took a leading role in the conservative movement during the preside ...
, January 1990
Article by Adam Curtis about think tanks, featuring Antony Fisher
from the BBC

from the BBC {{DEFAULTSORT:Fisher, Antony 1915 births 1988 deaths People educated at Eton College Alumni of the University of Cambridge British libertarians British Christian Scientists 20th-century British economists Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Royal Air Force officers Royal Air Force pilots of World War II 20th-century English businesspeople Member of the Mont Pelerin Society