Walter Williams 1936 – 2020

Posted on 8:19 am, December 3, 2020 by Sinclair Davidson

Walter Williams died Wednesday morning after teaching his final class at George Mason University on Tuesday. He was 84.

For 40 years Walter was the heart and soul of George Mason’s unique Department of Economics. Our department unapologetically resists the trend of teaching economics as if it’s a guide for social engineers. This resistance reflects Walter’s commitment to liberal individualism and his belief that ordinary men and women deserve, as his friend Thomas Sowell puts it, “elbow room for themselves and a refuge from the rampaging presumptions of their ‘betters.’ ”

…

The author of 13 books, dozens of academic papers and countless popular essays, Walter was a scholar’s scholar. He was one of America’s most courageous defenders of free markets, constitutionally limited government and individual responsibility. I will miss him as a friend. The world will miss him as a tireless champion of American values.

Don Boudreaux

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10 Responses to Walter Williams 1936 – 2020

  1. min
    #3678213, posted on December 3, 2020 at 8:34 am

    Sinc some MAth wrong there I am 84 but was born in 1936 so Prof Williams would have been 88.

    [Fixed. Thanks. Sinc]

  2. billie
    #3678247, posted on December 3, 2020 at 9:31 am

    American values .. is probably a statement in need of reinterpretation

    or should we wait till the USA completely Balkenises?

  3. thefrollickingmole
    #3678253, posted on December 3, 2020 at 9:36 am

    “elbow room for themselves and a refuge from the rampaging presumptions of their ‘betters.’ ”

    Was just thinking along the same lines this morning.

    Cashless society, contact apps, social media and internet monitoring as well as ubiquitous “security” cameras (soon with facial recognition app upgraded!!) its at the stage trying to avoid these sorts of things marks you as a potential crim anyway.

    I dont want to be ‘perfected” by an urban bugman class.

  4. Baa Humbug
    #3678275, posted on December 3, 2020 at 9:55 am

    I’m so sad to hear this. Walter Williams was a gem to listen to.
    There are plenty of YouTube videos of his lectures and talks and interviews. I hope the New World Order doesn’t scrub them all for wrongthink

  5. rich
    #3678290, posted on December 3, 2020 at 10:06 am

    The world has lost another giant. Rest in peace.

  6. dasher
    #3678296, posted on December 3, 2020 at 10:10 am

    Oh and it should not matter but he was black…one on my “go to” people along with Sowell and Steele to mention but two who I rely on to tell me about race in the US…certainly a different view to the race hustlers in the Democrat party, MSM, academia and celebrities. A great man sadly missed.

  8. Bruce of Newcastle
    #3678584, posted on December 3, 2020 at 3:47 pm

    His weekly columns at Frontpage Mag up to last Friday can be found here.

  9. max
    #3679312, posted on December 4, 2020 at 12:32 pm

    The great economist and freedom fighter Mr. Walter Williams has died.

    Rest in peace
    God may bless him

  10. Dot
    #3679900, posted on December 4, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    He was one of the best conservative communicators. He could reach out to libertarians and was on message.

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