AUSTIN – The Texas Public Policy Foundation honored Dr. Milton Friedman on July 30 as part of a national day of recognition for the Nobel Laureate, his work, theories, and contributions. The Friedman Legacy for Freedom Day was celebrated at a total of 64 events held in every state and five countries around the world. The Texas event took place in the Legislative Conference Center at the Texas State Capitol.
The Foundation’s chairman, Dr. Wendy Lee Gramm, and former U.S. Senator Phil Gramm shared their memories of Dr. Friedman and the important role he played in promoting liberty and economic freedom in the United States and around the world.
Dr. Friedman, who passed away in November 2006, is regarded as one of the world’s most influential promoters of economic freedom. He argued that the voluntary choices of individuals, not the dictates of government, should be the default mode of human life. His revolutionary work in economic theory earned him the Nobel Prize in 1976.
Although Dr. Friedman typically is recognized for his economic contributions, he spent the last decade of his life fighting to bring educational freedom to all of America’s children. In 1996, he and his wife Rose founded the Foundation for Educational Choice to promote his vision for universal school choice – an idea he first proposed in 1955. The Foundation for Educational Choice co-sponsored the July 30 Legacy for Freedom events.
A recording of the Gramms’ remarks is available in the multimedia section of the Foundation’s website.
The Texas Public Policy Foundation is a non-profit free-market research institute based in Austin.
The Foundation for Educational Choice was established by Dr. Milton and Rose Friedman to advance a system of K-12 education where every parent, regardless of race, origin or family income, was free to choose a learning environment that was best for their child.
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