The Future of Freedom Conference is regarded as the first explicitly libertarian conference series ever held in the United States. Debuting in 1969, the conference's keynote speaker was Austrian economist Prof.

Ludwig von Mises Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (; 29 September 1881 – 10 October 1973) was an Austrian School economist, historian, logician, and Sociology, sociologist. Mises wrote and lectured extensively on the societal contributions of classical liberali ...

The Ludwig von Mises Conference (1969)

More than 200 students attended the Ludwig von Mises Conference that was held at Long Beach State University, now known as

California State University, Long Beach California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) is a public research university in Long Beach, California. The 322-acre campus is the second largest of the 23-school California State University system (CSU) and one of the largest universities i ...

, in May 1969, in response to

Young Americans for Freedom Young Americans for Freedom (YAF) is a conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960 as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians on American college campuses. It is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization ...

's (YAF) purges of libertarian leaders just before the infamous national YAF St. Louis convention in August 1969. In early March 1969,

Dana Rohrabacher Dana Tyrone Rohrabacher (; born June 21, 1947) is a former American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1989 to 2019. A Republican, he represented for the last three terms of his House tenure. Rohrabacher ran for re- ...

and Shawn Steel, co-chairs of California YAF, were removed by National YAF. Many purged leaders, and county chairs would eventually organize a new student organization called the California Libertarian Alliance (CLA). One of their first endeavors was to hold a gathering of libertarian leaders, writers and economists. The idea to have some type of gathering evolved into a full-fledged conference at a college. The conference was initially planned and organized under the leadership of Dana Rohrabacher, who was the main founder and chairman of the Libertarian Caucus of YAF from 1966 to 69. Dana Rohrabacher, known as the "Johnny Grass-seed" of radical YAFers, later became a journalist, a speechwriter for President

Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

, and a U.S. Congressman in Southern California. Other purged YAF members involved in the 1969 conference included the following: Gene Berkman, draft resister, later to become owner of Renaissance Books in Riverside, CA; Bill "Shawn" Steel, USC student and statewide chairman of Youth for Reagan, later to become an attorney, a founder of the

California Libertarian Party The Libertarian Party of California (LPC) is the California affiliate of the national Libertarian Party (LP). The party chairwoman is Mimi Robson, and is based in Sacramento, California, in Sacramento County. As of 2016 Libertarians represent ...

, and chairman of the

California Republican Party The California Republican Party (CAGOP) is the affiliate of the United States Republican Party in the U.S. state of California. The party is based in Sacramento and is led by chair Jessica Millan Patterson. As of October 2020, Republicans repre ...

; Ron Kimberling, later Dr. Ron Kimberling, radio show commentator who became executive director of the Ronald Reagan Foundation and Assistant Secretary for Higher Education in the last years of the Reagan administration; Dennis Turner, writer for ''

Reason Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is closely associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, science, ...

'' and computer programmer; John Schurman, psychology major and staff worker for Rampart College. In 1981 Shawn Steel commented about the reasons for the first conference, writing that "Freedom oriented people found themselves abandoned, either purged from the right or the left. Because of this political turmoil, we invited decentralists, individualists and voluntaryists in one forum to organize, discuss and study the philosophy we now call 'libertarianism.'" Other speakers at 1969's Ludwig von Mises Conference included the following:

R. C. Hoiles Raymond Cyrus "R.C." Hoiles (November 24, 1878 – October 31, 1970) was an American newspaper publisher. He was born in Alliance, Ohio, and started his career as a subscription solicitor in the local newspaper '' The Alliance Review''. Hoiles ...

, longtime publisher of ''The Register'' (now known as the ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'') in Santa Ana, CA;

Robert LeFevre Robert LeFevre (October 13, 1911 – May 13, 1986) was an American libertarian businessman, radio personality, and primary theorist of autarchism. Early life LeFevre was born in Gooding, Idaho, on October 13, 1911, but when he was a child Le ...

, Rampart College founder and author; Skye D'Aureous (

Durk Pearson Durk Pearson (born 1943 in Illinois) is a research scientist best known for coauthoring a series of books on longevity, beginning with '' Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach''. Early life While a student at the Massachusetts Instit ...

), MIT graduate with a triple major in physics, biology, and psychology; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor. Gary North, a conservative writer for the Christian newsletter ''Chalcedon Report'', was horrified by what he saw at the conference. He accused the participants of "secular libertarianism" which he believed to be suicidal, especially the sinfulness of those who take illegal drugs. Instead of finding a conference hall full of "studious conservatives affirming faith in God and country," North instead discovered "eccentrics waving the black dollar sign flag" of anarchy. The Ludwig von Mises Conference was sponsored by Long Beach State University YAF, California State University San Fernando Valley YAF, and the Action Coalition for Freedom.

Left-Right Festival of Mind Liberation (1970)

On February 28 and March 1, 1970, the California Libertarian Alliance hosted the Left-Right Festival of Mind Liberation at the

University of Southern California The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in C ...

(USC), backed by Riqui and Seymour Leon of Robert LeFevre's relocated Rampart Institute in Santa Ana, California. This conference attempted to patch differences between left and right anti-statist and anti-authoritarian thinkers, but failed to generate "any potential Left-Right coalition in the gestation stage." Photo-of-Shawn-Steel-and-Dana-Rohbrabacher-100x100-dpi

Photo-of-Shawn-Steel-and-Dana-Rohbrabacher-100x100-dpi

Rebecca E. Hlatch in ''A Generation Divided'', reported "five hundred delegates met to discuss possibilities for a right-to-left cooperation.” According to Dana Rohrabacher, he had high hopes of “forming a coalition between libertarians on the right and the pro-freedom elements on the left.” The keynote speaker was former president of

Students for a Democratic Society Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) was a national student activist organization in the United States during the 1960s, and was one of the principal representations of the New Left. Disdaining permanent leaders, hierarchical relationships ...

(SDS) and author of ''Containment and Change'',

Carl Oglesby Carl Preston Oglesby (July 30, 1935 – September 13, 2011) was an American writer, academic, and political activist. He was the President of the leftist student organization Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) from 1965 to 1966. Kauffman, B ...

. "Designed to lay the groundwork for a libertarian/New Left anti-war coalition, Oglesby made the case that 'the Old Right and the New Left' were 'morally and politically' united in their opposition to war, and should work together." Other featured speakers included the following:

William Allen William Allen may refer to: Politicians United States *William Allen (congressman) (1827–1881), United States Representative from Ohio *William Allen (governor) (1803–1879), U.S. Representative, Senator, and 31st Governor of Ohio *William ...

, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) economist;

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, ...

, founder of 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 ...

; Rod Manis, Stanford University research economist and writer for Rampart College;

John Hospers John Hospers (June 9, 1918 – June 12, 2011) was an American philosopher and political activist. Hospers was interested in Objectivism, and was once a friend of the philosopher Ayn Rand, though she later broke with him. In 1972, Hospers becam ...

, USC philosophy professor;

Tibor Machan Tibor Richard Machan (; 18 March 1939 – 24 March 2016) was a Hungarian-American philosopher. A professor emeritus in the department of philosophy at Auburn University, Machan held the R. C. Hoiles Chair of Business Ethics and Free Enterprise ...

, an owner of ''Reason'' magazine and doctoral candidate at

University of California Santa Barbara The University of California, Santa Barbara (UC Santa Barbara or UCSB) is a public land-grant research university in Santa Barbara, California with 23,196 undergraduates and 2,983 graduate students enrolled in 2021–2022. It is part of the Un ...

(UCSB);

Karl Hess Karl Hess (born Carl Hess III; May 25, 1923 – April 22, 1994) was an American speechwriter and author. He was also a political philosopher, editor, welder, motorcycle racer, tax resister, and libertarian activist. His career included stints on ...

, former speech writer for Senator

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...

, ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis (businessman), Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print m ...

'' editor and author of ''Community Technology''; Dana Rohrabacher, purged California chairman of Young Americans for Freedom;

Samuel Edward Konkin III Samuel Edward Konkin III (8 July 1947 – 23 February 2004), also known as SEK3, was an American libertarian philosopher and Austrian school economist. As the author of the publication '' New Libertarian Manifesto'', he was a proponent of a polit ...

(a.k.a. SEK3), chemistry graduate student and editor of ''New Libertarian Notes'' at New York University;

Phillip Abbott Luce Phillip Abbott Luce (October 17, 1935 – December 9, 1998) was an American author, lecturer and political organizer who had earlier taken leadership roles in communist organizations, mostly the pro-Red Chinese Progress Labor Movement (PLM), only ...

, a defector from the pro-red Chinese Progressive Labor Movement in 1964, author of ''Road to Revolution'', and recently resigned college director of YAF. Other notable speakers – at general sessions or in workshops included the following: Harvey Hukari, former chair of Stanford University YAF, and a founder of the Free Campus Movement; Harry Pollard, president of the

Henry George Henry George (September 2, 1839 – October 29, 1897) was an American political economist and journalist. His writing was immensely popular in 19th-century America and sparked several reform movements of the Progressive Era. He inspired the eco ...

School in Los Angeles; Don Jackson and Marcus Overseth, gay-rights activists; Robert Sagehorn, author, editor of the ''Western World Review'' and an associate of Western World Press; Terry Catchpole, editor and writer for '' National Lampoon''; Skye D'Aureous (Durk Pearson), MIT graduate with a triple major in physics, biology, and psychology and co-publisher of ''The Libertarian Connection''; Natalee Hall ( Sandy Shaw), co-publisher of ''The Libertarian Connection''; Willis E. Stone, founder and chairman of the Liberty Amendment Committee;

William Harold Hutt William Harold Hutt (3 August 1899 – 19 June 1988) was an English economist who described himself as a classical economist.Egger, John B. "William Harold Hutt (1899–1988): A Biographical Essay from an Austrian Perspective." '' Mises.org' ...

, author and Austro-classical English economist noted for his early work in opposition to South African apartheid;

Harold Demsetz Harold Demsetz (; May 31, 1930 – January 4, 2019) was an American professor of economics at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Career Demsetz grew up on the West Side of Chicago, the grandchild of Jewish immigrants from central ...

, University of Chicago economist; Leon Kaspersky, co-founder of the underground libertarian newspaper ''Protos''; Filthy Pierre (

Erwin S. Strauss Erwin S. Strauss is an American author, science fiction fandom, science fiction fan, noted member of the MITSFS, and filk musician, born in Washington, D.C. He frequently is known by the nickname "Filthy Pierre". Science fiction and writing Str ...

), author, "filk" musician, and science fiction convention organizer; John Haag, co-founder of the California

Peace and Freedom Party The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a left-wing political party with affiliates and former members in more than a dozen American states, including California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Indiana and Utah, but none now have ballot status besides C ...

; Richard Grant, author of ''

The Incredible Bread Machine ''The Incredible Bread Machine'' is a text of political commentary written by R.W Grant in 1966, which discussed free market enterprise and Capitalism. The book had an accompanying fictional poem entitled "Tom Smith And His Incredible Bread Mac ...

''; Stan Kohl, war resister advocate; Randy Ericson; Bill Colson; Don Meinshausen, former YAF activist and a founder of the New Jersey Libertarian Alliance. According to an article in the USC's ''

Daily Trojan The ''Daily Trojan'', or "DT," is the student newspaper of the University of Southern California. The newspaper is a forum for student expression and is written, edited, and managed by university students. The paper is intended to inform USC s ...

'', "the California Libertarian Alliance, also cosponsor of the conference, states, 'The purpose of the conference is to unite libertarians and anarchists who have been active in the right wing and the new left, to find a means by which they can work together, without misunderstanding or antagonism.'" The main organizers for the Left-Right Festival of Mind Liberation were Dana Rohrabacher, Bill "Shawn" Steel, and Gene Berkman. Steel also emceed. Action Coalition for Freedom (Don Franzen) and the California Libertarian Alliance sponsored the event.

The Festival of Liberation (1970)

The Annual Festival of Liberation, as it was now being called, attracted over 700 attendees to the University of Southern California (USC) from November 14 to 15, 1970, "to promote alternatives to authoritarianism and statism." City editor of the USC ''Daily Trojan'', Linda Bieber, stated that the festival would "focus on the idea of knocking out oppressive and authoritarian cultures by libertarian social revolution and the idea that violent revolution will not eliminate the authoritarians, but instead will trade them in for newer models." The conference featured the following speakers:

Paul Goodman Paul Goodman (1911–1972) was an American writer and public intellectual best known for his 1960s works of social criticism. Goodman was prolific across numerous literary genres and non-fiction topics, including the arts, civil rights, decen ...

, social critic, pacifist, left anarchist and author of ''Growing Up Absurd'';

Murray Rothbard Murray Newton Rothbard (; March 2, 1926 – January 7, 1995) was an American economist of the Austrian School, economic historian, political theorist, and activist. Rothbard was a central figure in the 20th-century American libertarian m ...

, anarcho-capitalist and professor of economics at

Brooklyn Polytechnic The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United Sta ...

;

Thomas Szasz Thomas Stephen Szasz ( ; hu, Szász Tamás István ; 15 April 1920 – 8 September 2012) was a Hungarian-American academic and psychiatrist. He served for most of his career as professor of psychiatry at the State University of New York Upstate M ...

, professor of psychiatry from the State University of New York at Syracuse; Phillip Abbott Luce, a defector from the pro-red Chinese Progressive Labor Movement in 1964, author of ''Road to Revolution''; Joel Fort, University of California Berkeley professor, physician and author; Robert LeFevre, radio personality, author and founder of Rampart College; Skye D’Aureous (Durk Pearson), MIT graduate with a triple major in physics, biology, and psychology and cybernetics specialist; Leiflumen, education expert; Dana Rohrabacher, the student field representative for Rampart College; Robert Love, president of the Love Box company. Moderator Lowell Ponte was a freelance writer and contributing editor to USC's ''Daily Trojan'', and freelance writer and KPFK-FM radio talk show host. Commenting about the conference, Ponte wrote in the Daily Trojan "...Important as a basis for agreement was a mutual fear of the expanding power of government and the threat to individual liberty it represents. In some cases this fear envisions government, with its manipulative technologies now under development, as an incipient Brave New World." Workshop sessions were conducted by the Institute for the Study of Non-Violence, founded by singer

Joan Baez Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...

; the

Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions The Center for the Study of Democratic Institutions in Santa Barbara, California was an influential think tank from 1959 to 1977. Its influence waned thereafter and it closed in 1987. It held discussions on subjects it hoped would influence publ ...

; and the

Portola Institute The Portola Institute was a "nonprofit educational foundation" founded in Menlo Park, California in 1966 by Dick Raymond. The Portola institute helped to develop other organizations such as ''The Briarpatch Society'' and Bob Albrecht's ''People ...

. Movie night included James Stewart's "Shenandoah." Rampart College, California Libertarian Alliance, and Action Coalition for Freedom sponsored 1970's Festival of Liberation.

Symposium on Political Implications of Modern Psychology (1972)

This conference was produced at USC's Town and Gown Foyer, February 12–13, 1972. According to the ''Daily Trojan'', the topics included "the similarities between the humanist and the libertarian, the authoritarian personality, the state and the individualist behavior, political authoritarianism, and the need for self-respect". The symposium featured the following speakers: Dr.

Nathaniel Branden Nathaniel Branden (born Nathan Blumenthal; April 9, 1930 – December 3, 2014) was a Canadian–American psychotherapist and writer known for his work in the psychology of self-esteem. A former associate and romantic partner of Ayn Rand, B ...

, author, psychotherapist and former associate of novelist

Ayn Rand Alice O'Connor (born Alisa Zinovyevna Rosenbaum;, . Most sources transliterate her given name as either ''Alisa'' or ''Alissa''. , 1905 – March 6, 1982), better known by her pen name Ayn Rand (), was a Russian-born American writer and p ...

; Robert LeFevre, author, TV/radio broadcaster and founder of Rampart College; George Bach, a clinical psychologist; Carl Faber, UCLA psychology professor; David Harris, draft resister and author of ''Goliath''; Don Lewis, psychology professor; Alan Ross, psychology professor; Everett Shostrom, psychologist and author of ''Man the Manipulator'';

Roy Childs Roy Alan Childs Jr. (January 4, 1949 – May 22, 1992) was an American libertarian essayist and critic. Career Childs edited the magazine ''Libertarian Review'' from 1977 until it folded in 1981. He was also a research fellow and later a policy ...

, libertarian essayist and writer of the influential essay "An Open Letter to Ayn Rand";

Carl Rogers Carl Ransom Rogers (January 8, 1902 – February 4, 1987) was an American psychologist and among the founders of the humanistic approach (and client-centered approach) in psychology. Rogers is widely considered one of the founding fathers of ps ...

, author of "Freedom to Learn: A View of What Education Might Become" and one of the founders of the humanistic approach to psychology. Psychology Professor Alan Ross debated Don Lewis, chairman of the Psychology Department at USC, on "humanist vs. behaviorist" theories. 1972's Symposium on Political Implications of Modern Psychology was sponsored by the California Libertarian Alliance.

The Future of Victimless Crimes (1973)

The Future of Victimless Crimes was held at USC in February 1973. Featured speakers included the following: Thomas Szasz, psychiatrist and author of ''The Myth of Mental Illness''; Nathaniel Branden, author and psychotherapist, known for his work in the psychology of self-esteem; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor; Robert LeFevre, author, TV/radio broadcaster and founder of Rampart College; Los Angeles Police Chief Tom Redden, who, despite his conservative persona, spoke in support of lessening pot penalties; Sheriff of San Francisco Richard D. Hongisto "told the more than 500 people in attendance that police are ignoring enforcement and protection from violent crimes in order to go after easy drug bust arrests."

The Future of Freedom Conference (1977)

Photo1-of-FOF-Con-1977-debate-Friedmand-vs-Hayden

The first event actually named Future of Freedom Conference was held at USC in April 1977. It is best remembered for the turbulent debate between Prof. David Friedman, son of Milton Friedman, and SDS radical activist and later California state senator

Tom Hayden Thomas Emmet Hayden (December 11, 1939October 23, 2016) was an American social and political activist, author, and politician. Hayden was best known for his role as an anti-war, civil rights, and intellectual activist in the 1960s, authoring th ...

. In an article by Joe Cobb from the August 1977 edition of ''Reason'' magazine, the topic of this legendary debate centered on “libertarianism versus socialism as the optimal means to achieve freedom.” According to a 1980 Future of Freedom Conference brochure, "Tom Hayden was unaware of the libertarian philosophy. Mistaking Friedman for a conservative, Hayden attacked military spending and asked, 'What about the Pentagon?' Before Friedman could disagree, the audience roared "abolish the Pentagon! Shocked, Hayden paused and quietly responded 'Well, we must have a Pentagon.'" Hayden accused Friedman of unfair debate tactics. After a few hostile questions from the audience, Hayden walked off the stage, confused and shaken. "Amazingly, few persons when asked could agree on who won the debate. Hayden lost on substance, but Friedman's 'go for the throat' debate tactics backfired." Warren Olney IV, Channel 4 (NBC) newscaster, moderated the Friedman vs. Hayden debate. Other speakers included the following: Pavel Litvinov, Soviet Union dissenter;

Poul Anderson Poul William Anderson (November 25, 1926 – July 31, 2001) was an American fantasy and science fiction author who was active from the 1940s until the 21st century. Anderson wrote also historical novels. His awards include seven Hugo Awards and ...

, science fiction author and winner of seven

Hugo Awards The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention and chosen by its members. The Hugo is widely considered the premier a ...

and three

Nebula Awards The Nebula Awards annually recognize the best works of science fiction or fantasy published in the United States. The awards are organized and awarded by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA), a nonprofit association of profe ...

; Dr. Nathaniel Branden, author and psychotherapist;

Jerome Tuccille Jerome Tuccille (May 30, 1937 – February 16, 2017) was an American writer and activist usually associated with the libertarian movement of American politics. In 1974, he ran for Governor of New York on the ticket of the Free Libertarian Party ...

, futurologist and author of '' It Usually Begins With Ayn Rand''; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor and author of ''Libertarianism – A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow''; Jack J. Matonis, tax-resistance attorney. Karl Bray, tax resister and one of the founders of the

Libertarian Party (United States) The Libertarian Party (LP) is a Political parties in the United States, political party in the United States that promotes civil liberties, non-interventionism, ''laissez-faire'' capitalism, and Limited government, limiting the size and scope ...

; Robert LeFevre, author, TV/radio broadcaster and founder of Rampart College; Hank Hohenstein, author and tax strategist; David Bergland, Libertarian vice-presidential candidate. The California Libertarian Alliance sponsored 1977's Future of Freedom Conference.

The Future of Freedom II: The 1980's: Freedom or Slavery? (1980)

The Future of Freedom II: The 1980s: Freedom or Slavery was held at Cypress College April 19–20, 1980, with a banquet at the Buena Park Holiday Inn. Main speakers included the following: Karl Hess, speechwriter for Senator

, market anarchist, and author of ''Dear America'';

Robert Anton Wilson Robert Anton Wilson (born Robert Edward Wilson; January 18, 1932 – January 11, 2007) was an American author, futurist, psychologist, and self-described agnostic mystic. Recognized within Discordianism as an Episkopos, pope and saint, Wilson ...

, author of the ''

Illuminatus! trilogy ''The Illuminatus! Trilogy'' is a series of three novels by American writers Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson, first published in 1975.''Illuminatus!'' was written between 1969 and 1971, but not published until 1975 according to Robert Anto ...

''; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor; Prof. Arthur B. Laffer, economist and originator of the "

Laffer Curve In economics, the Laffer curve illustrates a theoretical relationship between rates of taxation and the resulting levels of the government's tax revenue. The Laffer curve assumes that no tax revenue is raised at the extreme tax rates of 0% and ...

"; John Matonis, tax-resistance attorney;

J. Neil Schulman Joseph Neil Schulman (; April 16, 1953 – August 10, 2019) was an American novelist who wrote ''Alongside Night'' (published 1979) and '' The Rainbow Cadenza'' (published 1983) which both received the Prometheus Award, a libertarian science fict ...

, science fiction writer of ''

Alongside Night ''Alongside Night'' is a dystopian novel by science fiction writer J. Neil Schulman intended to articulate the principles of Agorism, a political philosophy created by Samuel Edward Konkin III, to whom Schulman dedicated the work. It was first ...

'';

David Bergland David Peter Bergland (June 4, 1935 – June 3, 2019) was an American politician who was the United States Libertarian Party's nominee for President of the United States in the 1984 presidential election,John Pugsley John Allen Pugsley (January 5, 1934 – April 8, 2011) was an American voluntaryist libertarian political, economics commentator, lecturer, and best-selling author. Early life Pugsley was born in Minnesota. He attended El Camino Junior College, t ...

, investment advisor and author of best-seller ''Common Sense Economics''; Linda Abrams, constitutional attorney and member of the Rampart Institute board; Prof. Bob McGinley, alternative lifestyles psychologist; Sandy Shakocius (a.k.a. Sandy Shaw), life-extensionist and biochemist; Shawn Steel, a founder of the Future of Freedom Conference Series; Carl Nicolai, electronics designer and inventor; Kenneth Grubbs, Jr., editorial editor of ''The Register'' in Orange County, and Janice Allen, Libertarian Party activist, emceed the event. The Saturday banquet paid tribute to libertarian pacifist, author, TV/radio broadcaster, and founder of Rampart College, Robert LeFevre, who received the Future of Freedom Award. Another award, the Ludwig von Mises Merit of Honor Award was presented to Dana Rohrabacher, one of the early organizers of the Future of Freedom Conference series. A film festival included ''For a New Liberty'', ''Libra'', ''The Inflation File'', and

Theo Kamecke Theo Kamecke (October 18, 1937 - May 23, 2017) was a sculptor, who previously worked as a film director during the 1960s and 1970s. Kamecke's best known film is '' Moonwalk One'' - a NASA commissioned documentary feature film to cover their Apoll ...

directed ''

''. Debates pitted notable opposites, including the following: Lowell Ponte, radio commentator and book reviewer for the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'', debated

Jon Wiener Jon Wiener (born May 16, 1944) is an American historian and journalist based in Los Angeles, California. His most recent book is '' Set the Night on Fire: L.A. in the Sixties'', a ''Los Angeles Times'' bestseller co-authored by Mike Davis. H ...

, left-leaning history professor.

George H. Smith George Hamilton Smith (February 10, 1949 – April 8, 2022) was an American author, editor, educator, and speaker, known for his writings on atheism and libertarianism. Biography Smith grew up mostly in Tucson, Arizona, and attended the Unive ...

, author, Objectivist and atheist debated Jeffrey Johnson, conservative Catholic. Samuel Konkin III, author, agorist and market anarchist debated Manny Klausner, attorney and Libertarian Party leader. 1980's The Future of Freedom II: The 1980s: Freedom or Slavery? conference was organized by

Lawrence Samuels Lawrence 'Law Dogg' Samuels (born May 1, 1970) is an arena football coach and former wide receiver/linebacker. He played his college football at the Livingston University, and was an AFL wide receiver/linebacker from 1994 to 2010. He received bo ...

, founder of Society for Libertarian Life, president of Rampart Institute and owner of Athena Graphics, plus Jane Heider-Samuels, board member of Rampart Institute; and Howard Hinman, editor of Society for Libertarian Life newsletter ''Libertas Review: A Journal of Peace and Liberty''. The conference was sponsor by the Society for Libertarian Life, Cypress College Libertarian Club, California Libertarian Alliance, and Society for Individual Liberty. Athena Graphics in Santa Ana provided the graphics.

The FOF Conference: The Technology of Freedom (1981)

The Future of Freedom Conference: The Technology of Freedom, held at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB student union and Soroptimist House) May 8–10, 1981, drew an estimated crowd of 500. Main speakers included the following: Karl Hess, speechwriter for Senator Barry Goldwater and market anarchist; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor;

Timothy Leary Timothy Francis Leary (October 22, 1920 – May 31, 1996) was an American psychologist and author known for his strong advocacy of psychedelic drugs. Evaluations of Leary are polarized, ranging from bold oracle to publicity hound. He was "a her ...

, psychologist, writer, advocate of psychedelic drugs and coauthor of ''The Psychedelic Experience''; Robert LeFevre, author, TV/radio personality, founder of Rampart College and libertarian pacifist;

Irwin Schiff Irwin Allen Schiff (; February 23, 1928 – October 16, 2015) was an American libertarian and tax resistance advocate known for writing and promoting literature in which he argued that the income tax in the United States is illegal and unconstitu ...

, author, tax protester and author of ''The Biggest Con: How the Government Is Fleecing You''; Dennis Brown, California Assemblyman (R-Los Alamitos); Frank E. Fortkamp, professor of educational administration; Prof. David Friedman, anarcho-capitalist, physicist, economist and author of ''

The Machinery of Freedom ''The Machinery of Freedom'' is a nonfiction book by David D. Friedman that advocates an anarcho-capitalist society from a consequentialist perspective. The book was published in 1973, with a second edition in 1989 and a third edition in 2014. ...

''; Allan E. Harrison, author and educator; Samuel Edward Konkin III, agorist, market anarchist and author of ''

New Libertarian Manifesto ''New Libertarian Manifesto'' is a libertarianism, libertarian philosophy, philosophical treatise by Samuel Edward Konkin III. It is the first explanation of agorism, a philosophy created by Konkin. Konkin proffers various arguments of how a free ...

''; John Joseph Matonis, tax-resistance attorney; Carl Nicolai, Electronic Engineer and inventor; Lowell Ponte, radio commentator and book reviewer for ''Los Angeles Times''; Robert W. Poole, Jr., founder of the Reason Foundation; Fred Schnaubelt, San Diego city council member; Prof. Joyce Shulman, psychotherapist; Prof. Lee M. Shulman, clinical psychologist; George H. Smith, atheist, Objectivist and author of ''Atheism: The Case Against God''; Shawn Steel, attorney and a founder of the Future of Freedom Conference. Dr. Demento ( Barry Hansen) performed as a conference highlight. Demento is famous for his KMET-syndicated radio show from Hollywood, California, "The Dr. Demento Show." A self-described libertarian, Dr. Demento specializes in broadcasting novelty songs, comedy, and strange or unusual recordings. At the Friday night banquet, Lawrence Samuels, who co-managed the Future of Freedom Committee, presented the Future of Freedom Award to USC Philosophy Professor and the first U.S. presidential candidate for the Libertarian Party, John Hospers, for his achievements in promoting liberty. Co-founders of the Society for Individual Liberty, Don Ernsberger and Dave Walker, hosted a short color slide show of the early libertarian years dating back to the 1960s. Other speakers presented at the banquet, including the following: Bill Susel; Robert Poole, Jr., editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine; Shawn Steel, attorney; Manny Klausner, attorney and co-founder of the

Reason Foundation The Reason Foundation is an American libertarian think tank that was founded in 1978. The foundation publishes the magazine ''Reason''. Based in Los Angeles, California, it is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization. According to its web site, the f ...

;

Leonard Liggio Leonard P. Liggio (July 5, 1933 – October 14, 2014) was a classical liberal author, research professor of law at George Mason University and executive vice president of the Atlas Network in Fairfax, Virginia. Career In 1965, Liggio gave lectu ...

, president of the Institute for Humane Studies, classical liberal author and research professor. On May 9 there was also a Society for Libertarian Life Reaffirming Liberty mini-convention in conjunction with the Future of Freedom Conference, with Robert LeFevre and Jack Matonis. 1981's The Future of Freedom Conference: The Technology of Freedom committee was co-managed by Lawrence Samuels and Kenneth Gregg; Terry Diamond was assistant manager, Jane Heider-Samuels was treasurer. Other staff included Kim Brogan-Grubbs, Howard Hinman, Pam Maltzman, Samuel Edward Konkin III, David Stevens, Charles Curley, Don Cormier, Bruce Dovner and Tim Blaine. The conference was sponsored by Rampart Institute and the California State University Long Beach (CSULB) Students for Rational Individualism, with co-sponsors Society for Libertarian Life, Society for Individual Liberty, Libertarian Supper Club of Orange County, First Libertarian Church of Los Angeles, and the Libertarian Law Council. Lawrence Samuels' Athena Graphics in Santa Ana provided graphics.

The Future of Freedom Conference (1982)

1982's The Future of Freedom Conference was held at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and Long Beach Holiday Inn on October 1–3, 1982. Main speakers included the following: Thomas Szasz, Professor of Psychiatry at the Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse and author of ''The Myth of Mental Illness'';

Doug Casey Douglas Robert Casey (born May 5, 1946 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American writer, speculator, and the founder and chairman of Casey Research. He describes himself as an anarcho-capitalist influenced by the works of novelist Ayn Rand. Early lif ...

, best-selling author and economist; Robert LeFevre, author, TV/radio broadcaster and founder of Rampart College; Gary Hudson, aerospace engineer and designer of the Percheron 055, the first private space launcher in the U.S.; Jack Matonis, tax-resistance attorney;

Wendy McElroy Wendy McElroy (born 1951) is a Canadian individualist feminist and voluntaryist writer. She was a co-founder along with Carl Watner and George H. Smith of ''The Voluntaryist'' magazine in 1982 and is the author of a number of books. McElroy ...

, author and individualist feminist; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor;

Barbara Branden Barbara Joan Branden (née Weidman; May 14, 1929 – December 11, 2013) was a Canadian-American writer, editor, and lecturer, known for her relationship and subsequent break with novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand. Life Born in Winnipeg, Barbara Weid ...

, author of ''

The Passion of Ayn Rand ''The Passion of Ayn Rand'' is a biography of Ayn Rand by writer and lecturer Barbara Branden, a former friend and business associate. Published by Doubleday in 1986, it was the first full-length biography of Rand and the basis for the 1999 fi ...

''; Jeff Riggenbach, journalist, author, and broadcaster; John Pugsley, author of ''Common Sense Economics''; Dr. Nathaniel Branden, psychologist, psychotherapist, former associate of novelist Ayn Rand, and author of ''The Psychology of Self-Esteem''; E. Devers Branden, researcher at the Biocentric Institute;

Thomas Hazlett Thomas W. Hazlett is the Hugh H. Macaulay Endowed Professor of Economics in the John E. Walker Department of Economics at Clemson University where he also directs the Information Economy Project. Hazlett's essays have appeared in the ''Wall Stre ...

, economist and writer. Roy Begley emceed. There were two noteworthy debates. First, author, atheist, and Objectivist George H. Smith debated Thomas Bartman, president of the Los Angeles City Board of Education, on "Should Public Education be Abolished?" Second, Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas Jeffrey Rogers Hummel debated Prof. David Friedman, author of ''The Machinery of Freedom'' on "Should America have a Military Force for Defense?" The Friday Night Banquet paid "Tribute to Dr. Nathaniel Branden." Presenters included David Bergland, attorney and Libertarian Party activist; Roger Callahan, psychologist; and Manny Klausner, attorney and co-founder of the Reason Foundation. The Free Press Association (founded in 1981) presented the H.L. Mencken Awards, emceed by journalist, author, and broadcaster, Jeff Riggenbach. Presenters of the awards included the following: Dyanne Peterson, associated with the Center of Libertarian Studies;

Alan Bock Alan W. Bock (December 3, 1943 – May 18, 2011) was an American libertarian author. He was a senior editorial writer and former editorial page editor for the ''Orange County Register'' for over 25 years. He wrote regular columns for WorldNetDaily ...

, editorial writer of ''The Register''; Wendy McElroy, contributing editor of the New Libertarian and libertarian feminist; Robert LeFevre, TV/radio broadcaster and founder of Rampart College; Christine Dorffi, free-lance journalist. Author and psychotherapist Dr. Nathaniel Branden accepted the Roy Child's Mencken Award for Best Editorial, presented by Robert LeFevre. 1982's The Future of Freedom Conference committee was co-managed by Lawrence Samuels and Terry Diamond, with Treasurer Jane Heider-Samuels, and Advertising Director Melinda M. Hanson. Other committee members included Don Cormier, Bruce Dovner, Howard Hinman, Tom Jones and Pam Maltzman. The conference was sponsored by CSULB Students for Rational Individualism and Rampart Institute, with co-sponsors Society for Libertarian Life, Society for Individual Liberty, Libertarian Supper Club of Orange County and the Libertarian Law Council. Graphics were provided by Lawrence Samuels' Athena Graphics in Santa Ana.

The Future of Freedom Conference (1983)

1983's The Future of Freedom Conference was held at Long Beach City College and the Long Beach Holiday Inn on October 21–23, 1983. Main speakers included the following: Barbara Branden, author of the forthcoming biography ''The Passion of Ayn Rand''; Karl Hess, speechwriter for Senator Barry Goldwater and market anarchist; Irwin Schiff, tax resister and author of ''The Biggest Con: How the Government is Fleecing You''; Butler D. Shaffer,

Southwestern University Southwestern University (Southwestern or SU) is a private liberal arts college in Georgetown, Texas. Formed in 1873 from a revival of collegiate charters granted in 1840, Southwestern is the oldest college or university in Texas. Southwestern o ...

law professor in Los Angeles; Henry Mark Holzer, constitutional lawyer and teacher at the

Brooklyn Law School Brooklyn Law School (BLS) is a private law school in New York City. Founded in 1901, it has approximately 1,100 students. Brooklyn Law School's faculty includes 60 full-time faculty, 15 emeriti faculty, and a number of adjunct faculty. Brookly ...

; Robert Poole, Jr., editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine; Ben Sasway, the first draft resister jailed since the Vietnam War; George H. Smith, author, atheist, and Objectivist; Lee and Joyce Shulman, psychologists; Lowell Ponte, radio commentator and book reviewer for ''Los Angeles Times''; Wendy McElroy, author of ''Freedom, Feminism and the State''. The conference was emceed by Tom Cobb and Mike Moon. One of the best-attended events was the panel on "The Nature of Justice" by three heavyweights of the libertarian movement: Murray Rothbard, anarcho-capitalist and Professor of Economics at Brooklyn Polytechnic; Robert LeFevre, libertarian pacifist, founder of Rampart College and author of ''The Nature of Man and His Government''; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor and first candidate to run for President on the Libertarian Party ticket. Friday night's Freedom Film Festival, emceed by Tom Cobb, showed Ayn Rand's

The Fountainhead ''The Fountainhead'' is a 1943 novel by Russian-American author Ayn Rand, her first major literary success. The novel's protagonist, Howard Roark, is an intransigent young architect, who battles against conventional standards and refuses to com ...

, plus the Oscar-winning short film Karl Hess: Toward Liberty. The Saturday Night Banquet paid A Tribute to Murray Rothbard. Rothbard, Professor of Economics at Brooklyn Polytechnic in New York and libertarian political theorist, was presented with the Future of Freedom Award. The banquet was emceed by Wendy McElroy and included the following presenters: George H. Smith, author, atheist, and Objectivist; Jeffery Rogers Hummel, contributing editor of ''Free Texas'' and Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas; Dr. Jack High Jeff Riggenbach emceed the H.L. Mencken Awards. Presenters of individual awards included the following: Robert Poole, Jr., a founder of the Reason Foundation;

L. Susan Brown ''The Politics of Individualism: Liberalism, Liberal Feminism, and Anarchism'' is a 1993 political science book by L. Susan Brown. She begins by noting that liberalism and anarchism seem at times to share common components, but on other occasions ...

, free-lance writer and staff member of the World Research Institute (later a professor of anthropology at Florida Atlantic University); Ken Grubbs, Jr., editorial editor of ''The Register'' in Orange County. 1983's The Future of Freedom Conference committee members were Lawrence Samuels, Jane Heider-Samuels, Melinda Hanson, and Terry Diamond. Dave Stevens was Floor manager. Staff included Rose Bittick, Peggy Nytes, Rod Boyer, Dean Steenson, Irene Shannon, Michael Kember, Tim Kuklinsky, Carol Moore, L.K. O'Neal, Dan Twedt, Sandy Sisson, David Anderson, John Robertson, Karen Dominguez, and Dave Klaus. Lawrence Samuels' Athena Graphics in Santa Ana provided graphics.

The Future of Freedom Conference (1984)

Held at the California State University, Long Beach on October 19–21, 1984, the keynote speaker was attorney and senior editor to ''Reason'' magazine Manny Klausner. Other speakers included: Sandy Shaw, life-extensionist and biochemist; Jay Snelson, founder of the Free Market Society, lecturer and educator; Tibor Machan, professor of philosophy and author of ''The Pseudo-Science of

B.F. Skinner Burrhus Frederic Skinner (March 20, 1904 – August 18, 1990) was an American psychologist, behaviorist, author, inventor, and social philosopher. He was a professor of psychology at Harvard University from 1958 until his retirement in 1974. ...

''; Barry Reid, founder of Eden Press; Leonard Liggio, research professor of law and one of the founders of the journal '' Left and Right: A Journal of Libertarian Thought'';

Edith Efron Edith Efron (; 1922 – April 20, 2001) was an American journalist and author. Biography Efron was born in New York. Graduating from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, where Efron studied under journalist John Chamberla ...

, ''

New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. ...

'' journalist, correspondent for ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'' and ''

Life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energ ...

'' magazine and author of ''The News Twisters''; George H. Smith, author of ''Atheism: The Case Against God''; Tom Hazlett, professor of economics at the University of California Davis; Robert LeFevre, author, radio/TV personality and libertarian pacifist;

Bernard Siegan Bernard H. Siegan (July 28, 1924 – March 27, 2006) was a longtime law professor at the University of San Diego School of Law, libertarian legal theorist and a former federal judicial nominee to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Cir ...

, distinguished professor of law and author of ''Land Use Without Zoning''; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor and editor of ''The Monis''t (1982–1992); Jack Wheeler, freelance adventurer and philosophy professor. Friday night's Tribute to Ayn Rand banquet featured two speakers honoring the famed novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter: Barbara Branden, writer and Ayn Rand confidante, and Ruth Beebe Hill, journalist and author of ''Hanta Yo''. Objectivist and FOF Conference Co-manager Terry Diamond emceed. The H. L. Mencken Awards were presented by the Free Press Association, emceed by journalist, author, and broadcaster Jeff Riggenbach. The following people presented the awards: Michael Grossberg, arts reporter, theater critic and founder of the Free Press Association; Alan Bock, ''Orange County Register'' editorial writer; John Dentinger, contributor to ''

Playboy ''Playboy'' is an American men's lifestyle and entertainment magazine, formerly in print and currently online. It was founded in Chicago in 1953, by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. K ...

'' and ''Reason'' magazines; Christine Dorffi, ''Reason'' magazine contributor There was a Saturday night film festival starting with ''

Monty Python's Life of Brian ''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It wa ...

'', hosted by author and singer-composer Craig Franklin, and Mike Hall, Hollywood film-maker and national Libertarian Party leader. 1984's The Future of Freedom Conference steering committee was co-managed by Lawrence Samuels and Terry Diamond, with Treasurer Jane Heider-Samuels, Charles Curley, Melinda Hanson, and Howard Hinman. Staffers included Dean Steenson, Bruce Dovner, Michael Kember, Dan Twedt, Sandy Sisson, Carol Moore, Dave Stevens, Tim Kuklinsky, Janis Hunter, Marje Spencer, and Caroline Roper-Deyo. Rampart Institute, Society for Libertarian Life, and Cal State University, Long Beach Philosophy Association co-sponsored 1984's The Future of Freedom Conference. Lawrence Samuels' Athena Graphics in Santa Ana provided graphics.

The Future of Freedom Conference (1985)

With science fiction author ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. Often regarded as one of his best works, ''Fahrenheit 451'' presents an American society where books have been personified and outlawed and "firemen" burn any that ar ...

'',

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery, and r ...

, highlighting the event, the 1985 FOF Conference was held at the Griswold Inn in Fullerton, California on Oct. 25, 26, 27 with "300 or so faithful libertarians. Main speakers included the following: Karl Hess, speechwriter for Senator Barry Goldwater and market anarchist; Jeff Riggenbach, journalist, author, and broadcaster; Scott McKeown, West Coast director of the

Guardian Angels A guardian angel is a type of angel that is assigned to protect and guide a particular person, group or nation. Belief in tutelary beings can be traced throughout all antiquity. The idea of angels that guard over people played a major role in A ...

, a civilian crime-fighting group; Robert Poole, Jr., one of the founders and editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine; Jeffery Roger Hummel, contributing editor of ''Free Texas'' and Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas; Linda Abrams, constitutional attorney and member of the Rampart Institute board;

David Ramsay Steele David Ramsay Steele (born 23 June 1944) is the author of ''The Mystery of Fascism: David Ramsay Steele's Greatest Hits'' (2019, a collection of 23 previously published articles), ''Orwell Your Orwell: A Worldview on the Slab'' (2017, a study of Ge ...

, former member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain and co-founder of the Libertarian Alliance in England; Wendy McElroy, author and individualist feminist; Robert LeFevre, founder of Rampart college and author of ''The Nature of Man and His Government''; Barry Reid, founder of Eden Press; Dr. Robert Simon, Assistant Director of Emergency Medicine Residency at the University of California at Los Angeles. Debate: One of the most talked about events was a debate between a former member of the Socialist Party of Great Britain and co-founder of the Libertarian Alliance in England, David Ramsay Steele, and author, Objectivist, and atheist George H. Smith, on "Natural Rights: Do They Exist?" Moderated by the editorial-page editor of the ''Orange County Register'', Alan Bock. Saturday night's banquet featured the Future of Freedom Award: Tribute to Karl Hess. A former editor of ''Newsweek'' and speechwriter for Senator Barry Goldwater and Vice President Nixon, Hess authored the 1969 award-winning ''Playboy'' article, "The Death of Politics." Presenters were Robert LeFevre, author of ''The Fundamentals of Liberty'' and Rampart College founder; John Pugsley, author of Common Sense Economics; and Alan Bock, editorial editor of the Orange County Register. The H. L. Mencken Awards – once referred to by Robert LeFevre as the "Libertarian Academy Award Show" or the "Menckies," – were presented by Free Press Association, co-hosted by arts reporter, theater critic and founder of the Free Press Association Michael Grossberg, and by journalist, author, and broadcaster, Jeff Riggenbach. The winners were as follows:

David R. Henderson David Richard Henderson (born November 21, 1950) is a Canadian-born American economist and author who moved to the United States in 1972 and became a U.S. citizen in 1986, serving on President Ronald Reagan's Council of Economic Advisers from 198 ...

, Professor of Economics, Best News Story or Investigative Report for "The Myth of MITI"; Asa Barber, Best Feature Story or Essay for "Killing Us Softly With Their Song", published by ''Playboy'' magazine in 1984;

Seymour Hersh Seymour Myron "Sy" Hersh (born April 8, 1937) is an American investigative journalist and political writer. Hersh first gained recognition in 1969 for exposing the My Lai Massacre and its cover-up during the Vietnam War, for which he received t ...

, Best Book for ''The Price of Power: Kissinger in the Nixon White House'', published by Summit Books; Sudha Shenoy, Best Editorial or Op-Ed Column for "Saving Wild Animals," distributed by the Institute for Human Studies. The film festival included the following: ''

The Atomic Cafe ''The Atomic Cafe'' is a 1982 American documentary film directed by Kevin Rafferty, Jayne Loader and Pierce Rafferty. It is a compilation of clips from newsreels, military training films, and other footage produced in the United States early in t ...

''; Ayn Rand's Last TV Interviews (

Phil Donahue Phillip John Donahue (born December 21, 1935) is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of ''The Phil Donahue Show''. The television program, later known simply as ''Donahue'', was the first talk show forma ...

Show, 1979, and

Tom Snyder Thomas James Snyder (May 12, 1936 – July 29, 2007) was an American television personality, news anchor, and radio personality best known for his late night talk shows '' Tomorrow'', on the NBC television network in the 1970s and 1980s, and '' ...

's '' Tomorrow'', (1980); ''

Spartacus Spartacus ( el, Σπάρτακος '; la, Spartacus; c. 103–71 BC) was a Thracian gladiator who, along with Crixus, Gannicus, Castus, and Oenomaus, was one of the escaped slave leaders in the Third Servile War, a major slave uprising ...

''; '' Harry's War''; ''Fahrenheit 451''; ''The Scarecrow of Romney''; ''

Moscow on the Hudson ''Moscow on the Hudson'' is a 1984 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Paul Mazursky which stars Robin Williams as a Soviet circus musician who defects while on a visit to the United States. It co-stars María Conchita ...

''; ''Rock N' Roll High School''; ''

Sleeper A sleeper is a person who is sleeping. Sleeper may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Characters * Sleeper (Marvel Comics), a Nazi German robot utilized by the Red Skull in Marvel Comics * The Sleeper (Wild Cards), a character in the Wild Ca ...

''; '' Duck Soup''; ''The Fountainhead''; a documentary with short TV interviews of Robert Ringer, Tibor Machan, Murray Rothbard and

Ed Clark Edward E. Clark (born May 4, 1930) is an American lawyer and politician who ran for governor of California in 1978, and for president of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1980 presidential election. Clark is an ho ...

; six episodes of the TV series ''

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ''The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' (sometimes referred to as ''HG2G'', ''HHGTTG'', ''H2G2'', or ''tHGttG'') is a comic science fiction, comedy science fiction franchise created by Douglas Adams. Originally The Hitchhiker's Guide to th ...

'' Paul Jacob from Arkansas was scheduled to speak at the last-minute but had to cancel his speech. "Instead, he was convicted last July in federal court in Little Rock, Arkansas for failure to register with the Selective Service..." and "...was sentenced to six months in prison..." With a battered cassette player held high up to the microphone, conference manager Lawrence Samuels played the voice of draft resister Paul Jacob. The L.A. Times wrote that with the "shackled, outstretched hand-breaking the chain that had restrained it" (The Future of Freedom Conference logo) in the background, the "conference couldn't have asked for a more evocative image." ''The L.A. Times'' article also quoted Karl Hess definition of libertarianism as an ideology that simply states: "Thou shalt not aggress." 1985's The Future of Freedom Conference Steering Committee was Lawrence Samuels, manager; Michael Grossberg, banquet and workshop coordinator, Ken Royal, Terry Diamond, Jane Heider-Samuels, Charles Curley, Melinda Hanson, and Howard Hinman. Danny Tvedt and Dave Meleny video and audio taped the proceedings. Staffers included Michael Kimberly, Chris Hofland, Dagney Sharon, Marc Walozk, Linda Samuels, John Robertson, Sandra Lee, Sarah Foster, Tom Thomas and Henry and Rosemary Samuels. Rampart Institute and Society for Libertarian Life co-sponsored the conference, and Lawrence Samuels' Athena Graphics in Santa Ana provided graphics.

The Future of Freedom Conference (1986)

1986's The Future of Freedom Conference was held at Pacific Hotel and Conference Center in Culver City, California, on November 7–9, 1986. Speakers in Room 1 included the following: Durk Pearson and Sandy Shaw, authors of ''Life Extension: A Practical Scientific Approach''; Carol Moore, anti-war and war tax resistance activist; John Pugsley, author of best-seller ''Common Sense Economics'' and ''The Alpha Strategy: The Ultimate Plan of Financial Self-Defense for the Small Investor''; Richard J. Maybury, author and economist; Vince Miller, founder of Libertarian International, later to become known as the

International Society for Individual Liberty Liberty International (the new public name of the International Society for Individual Liberty, Inc. or ISIL) is a non-profit, libertarian educational and networking organization based near Austin, Texas. It encourages activism in libertarian a ...

(ISIL); Fred Stitt, architect and editor of ''Guidelines'' newsletter; Richard B. Boddie, lawyer, adjunct professor in political science, and writer; Marshall Fritz, founder of Advocates for Self-Government and Alliance for the Separation of School and State; Alicia Clark, former national chair of the Libertarian Party; Jay Snelson, founder of the Free Market Society, lecturer and educator; Barbara Branden, a close confidant and author of ''The Passion of Ayn Rand''; Prof. Joyce Shulman, psychotherapist; Prof. Lee M. Shulman, clinical psychologist; Kevin Cullinane, instructor for the Freedom Country seminars in South Carolina; Linda Abrams, constitutional attorney and member of the Rampart Institute board; Dr. Camille Castorina, associate professor of economics at Florida Institute of Technology; Charlotte Gerson. The following people were members of a panel discussions on sex and freedom:

Norma Jean Almodovar Norma Jean Almodovar (born May 27, 1951) is an American author and sex workers' activist. Almodovar worked as a traffic officer for ten years. In 1982, she quit her job with the Los Angeles Police Department and began working as a call girl. In 1 ...

, former policewoman turned prostitute and a sex workers activist; Richard B. Boddie, lawyer, adjunct professor in political science and writer; Jeffrey Rogers Hummel, contributing editor of ''Free Texas'' and Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas; Fred Stitt, architect and editor of ''Guidelines.'' Friday night's banquet debate pitted President Reagan's senior speech writer Dana Rohrabacher against David Bergland, the 1984 Libertarian Party presidential candidate. The ensuing panel discussion on defense and foreign affairs included the following: Kevin Cullinane, the instructor for the Freedom Country seminars in South Carolina; John Hospers, USC professor of philosophy; Robert Poole, Jr., one of the founders and editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine; Jeffrey Rogers Hummel, contributing editor of ''Free Texas'' and Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas Speakers in Room 2 included the following: Jack Matonis, tax-resistance attorney and editor/publisher of ''The Newsletter for Citizens Strike''; Ron Holland, financial expert, Austrian economist and author of ''The Threat to the Private Retirement System''; Samuel E. Konkin III, agorist and market anarchist;

Tonie Nathan Theodora Nathalia "Tonie" Nathan (February 9, 1923 – March 20, 2014) was an American radio producer, television producer, and political activist. She was the first woman to receive an electoral vote in a United States presidential election. Sh ...

, journalist, market consultant, and the first woman and first Jew to receive an electoral vote in a United States presidential election (1972); Tom Hazlett, professor of economics at UC Davis; John Hospers, USC philosophy professor and author of ''Libertarianism – A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow''; Fred Stitt, architect and editor of ''Guidelines''; Gary Hudson, aerospace engineer and designer of the Percheron 055, the first private space launcher in the U.S.;

Walter Block Walter Edward Block (born August 21, 1941) is an American Austrian School economist and anarcho-capitalist theorist. He currently holds the Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar Endowed Chair in Economics at the School of Business at Loyola Universit ...

, director of the Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at 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, Tor ...

in Canada and anarcho-libertarian theorist; Spencer H. MacCallum, social anthropologist, business consultant and author; Dennis Kamensky, ''

Oakland Tribune The ''Oakland Tribune'' is a weekly newspaper published in Oakland, California, by the Bay Area News Group (BANG), a subsidiary of MediaNews Group. Founded in 1874, the ''Tribune'' rose to become an influential daily newspaper. With the declin ...

'' columnist and author of ''Winning on Your Income Taxes''; Mark A. Humphrey. Panels in Room 2 included the following: ''Are Religion and Libertarianism Compatible?'' Alan Bock, ''Orange County Register'' editorial writer; John Yench, journalist for Freedom Newspaper, Inc.; Marshall Fritz, founder of Advocates for Self-Government and Alliance for the Separation of School and State; Butler D. Shaffer, Southwestern University law professor in Los Angeles; Robert Poole, editor-in-chief of ''Reason'' magazine and author of ''Cutting Back City Hall.'' Another panel focused on doctors, lawyers, victims and the Justice System Ed Clark, Harvard Law School graduate, Libertarian Party candidate for U.S. president in 1980 and author of ''A New Beginning''; Charlotte Gerson, an anesthesiologist on the staff at St. Luke's Hospital in San Gabriel, CA; Don Eric Franzen, a partner in a Los Angeles law firm specializing in constitutional law; Lewis Coleman. ''Jury Nullification and Pro Se: Freedom or Folly'' Attorney and Rampart Institute board member Dick Radford debated Bob Hallstrom, co-founder of the Barrister's Inn and sovereign citizen advocate. Panel Presentations in Room 3 included the following: ''Computers and Small Business Enterprises'' Karl Hess, coordinator; Regina Liudzius, business litigation attorney; Jeff Riggenbach, journalist, author, and broadcaster; Alan Bock, ''Orange County Register'' editorial writer; John Dentinger, contributor to ''Playboy'' and ''Reason'' magazines; Jeffery Rogers Hummel, contributing editor of ''Free Texas'' and Ph.D. Candidate in History at the University of Texas; Don Ernsberger and David Walter, co-founders of Society for Individual Liberty; Shawn Steel, attorney; Bob Hallstrom, sovereign citizen advocate ''Freeing the Terran Five Billion'' Mark Eric Ely-Chaitelaine, a recent graduate from the University of Science and Philosophy in Virginia; Dagny Sharon, paralegal mediator; John Yench, journalist for Freedom Newspaper, Inc.; Chuck Hammill, Mensa member and author of ''From Crossbows to Cryptography: Thwarting the State Via Technology''; Wayne Stimson 1986's The Future of Freedom Conference committee manager was Dagny Sharon, with assistance from Lawrence Samuels.

The Summit87 and Future of Freedom Conference (1987)

Called the Summit87 & FOFCON, the conference was held at the Pacific Hotel in Culver City, California November 13–15, 1987. Main speakers included the following: Marshal Fritz, founder/president of Advocates for Self-Government; David Bergland, law professor, attorney and author of ''Libertarianism in One Lesson''; Barbara Branden, a close Rand confidante and author of ''The Passion of Ayn Rand'';

Peter Breggin Peter Roger Breggin (born May 11, 1936) is an American psychiatrist and critic of shock treatment and psychiatric medication and Covid-19 response. In his books, he advocates replacing psychiatry's use of drugs and electroconvulsive therapy with ...

, psychiatrist, novelist, and author of scientific books; L. Neil Smith, author of 13 science fiction novels, including ''

The Probability Broach ''The Probability Broach'' is a 1979 science fiction novel by American writer L. Neil Smith. It is set in an alternate history, the so-called " Gallatin Universe", where a libertarian society has formed on the North American continent, styled ...

''; Phillip Mitchel, author and clinical psychologist. 1987's Summit87 & FOF CON committee was managed by Marshall Fritz and sponsored by Advocates for Self-Government.

The Future of Freedom and ISIL's 5th World Libertarian Conference (1990)

Sponsored by the International Society for Individual Liberty (ISIL), the conference was held in San Francisco August 10–14, 1990. The keynote speaker was the 1976 Nobel-winning economist

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 ...

, who delivered a speech on libertarianism and humility titled Say 'No' to Intolerance, arguing that, "I have no right to coerce someone else, because I cannot be sure that I'm right and he is wrong." Texas Congressman Dr.

Ron Paul Ronald Ernest Paul (born August 20, 1935) is an American author, activist, physician and retired politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1976 to 1977 and again from 1979 to 1985, as well ...

was another speaker. Other speakers included the following: Barbara Branden, a close Rand confidante and author of ''The Passion of Ayn Rand'';

Leon Louw Leon Louw is a South African intellectual, author, speaker and policy advisor. He is the executive director and cofounder of the Free Market Foundation, a nonprofit organisation ranked at number 123 in a CEOWorld's 2017 list of the most influen ...

, author and twice a Nobel Peace Prize nominee for his work to end

Apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

and defuse racial conflict in South Africa; Frances Kendall, co-author of two best-selling South African books;

Richard L. Stroup Richard Lyndell Stroup (died November 18, 2021) was a free-market environmentalist and emeritus professor of economics at both North Carolina State University and Montana State University. He was co-founder of thProperty and Environment Research ...

, free-market environmentalist, professor of economics and director of the Office of Policy Analysis at the Department of Interior during the Reagan administration;

Jane S. Shaw Jane S. Shaw (also Jane Shaw Stroup) is an American free-market environmentalist, editor, and journalist. She is the former president of the James G. Martin Center for Academic Renewal and currently is chairman of its board of directors. She is a ...

, journalist, environmentalist, and senior fellow of

Property and Environment Research Center The Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), previously known as the Political Economy Research Center, is a free market environmental think tank based in Bozeman, Montana, United States. Established in 1980, PERC is dedicated to origina ...

(PERC); Walter Block, director of the Centre for the Study of Economics and Religion at the Fraser Institute in Canada and anarcho-libertarian theorist and author of ''

Defending the Undefendable ''Defending the Undefendable'' is a 1976 book by American economist Walter Block. It has been translated into ten foreign languages. The book advances the thesis that various people are stigmatized for engaging in acts that are often illegal or di ...

'';

John Baden John A. Baden is founder and chairman of the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE) based in Bozeman, Montana. In addition to FREE. he cofounded the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), the Environmental Manag ...

, co-author of ''Managing the Common'' and founder of

Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment The Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment (FREE), based in Bozeman, Montana, is an American think tank that promotes free-market environmentalism. FREE emphasizes reliance on market mechanisms and private property rights, rather ...

(FREE);

Enrique Ghersi Enrique Ghersi (born 1961) is a Peruvian lawyer, professor and free market intellectual.Owen Lippert, Michael Walker, ''The Underground Economy: Global Evidence of Its Size and Impact'', Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada: Fraser Institute, p. xvi ...

, Peruvian lawyer, professor, free market intellectual and a member of the Peruvian Parliament;

Carl I. Hagen Carl-Ivar Hagen (born 6 May 1944) is a Norwegian politician and former Vice President of the Storting, the Norwegian parliament. He was the leader of the Progress Party from 1978 to 2006, when he stepped down in favour of Siv Jensen. Under hi ...

, Norwegian Member of Parliament and Progress Party leader;

Petr Beckmann Petr Beckmann (November 13, 1924 – August 3, 1993) was a professor of electrical engineering who became a well-known advocate of libertarianism and nuclear power. Later in his life he disputed Albert Einstein's theory of relativity and oth ...

, scientist; Marshall Fritz, founder of Advocates for Self-Government; George H. Smith, historian and author of ''Atheism: The Case Against God''; Dr. Peter Breggin, psychiatrist; Dr. Martin Krause, Argentine economist; Leonard Liggio, president of the Institute for Humane Studies; Robert Poole, privatization pioneer and founder of ''Reason'' Foundation; Jonathan Marshall, journalist with the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and M. H. de Young, Michael H. de ...

''; Robert Smith, environmental policy expert with

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 Indust ...

; Bruce Evoy, founder of the

Libertarian Party of Canada The Libertarian Party of Canada (french: Parti libertarien du Canada) is a federal political party in Canada founded in 1973. The party subscribes to classical liberal tenets, and its mission is to reduce the size, scope, and cost of government ...

; Frank van Dun, law professor in the Netherlands; Jason Alexander, author. 1990's The Future of Freedom and ISIL's 5th World Libertarian Conference was organized by the following people: Vince Miller, president and co-founder of ISIL; Jim Elwood, vice president of ISIL; James Peron, co-author of ''Liberty Reclaimed: A New Look at American Politics''. Mr. Peron, the principal organizer of the event says it was not associated with Future of Freedom other than as a sponsor, along with Advocates for Self-Government and the ISIL conference. It was billed as the World Freedom Conference. Peron says, "As principal organizer with Vince's help, I planned the event. While ISIL, FofF and Advocates were asked to help promote the event they had no actual stake in the event." There was a Future of Freedom conference at Fort Mason, San Francisco one year earlier, however, which is not mentioned above. ISIL was formed in 1989 by the merger of the Society for Individual Liberty, founded in 1969 by Jarret Wollstein, Dave Walter and Don Ernsberger, and Libertarian International, co-founded by Vince Miller in 1980.

References

External links

* (Archive) {{DEFAULTSORT:Future of Freedom Conference Conferences in the United States 1969 establishments in California Libertarianism