WEBVTT NOTE 2007 Schlarbaum Award for Lifetime Defense of Liberty 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.840 It's great for me to be here on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Institute. 2 00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:10.360 The first time I actually attended was the 15th anniversary, and I've been somewhat 3 00:00:10.360 --> 00:00:14.880 actively involved since, and it's been a pleasure to be involved. 4 00:00:14.880 --> 00:00:19.920 I think the work done here is some of the most important work being done in the country 5 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:22.120 today. 6 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:30.440 It's my pleasure to introduce Dr. Robert Higgs, who's the 2007 winner of the prize. 7 00:00:30.440 --> 00:00:36.280 Robert Higgs is a senior fellow in political economy for the Independent Institute, and 8 00:00:36.280 --> 00:00:42.880 he's an editor of the Institute's quarterly journal, The Independent Review. 9 00:00:42.880 --> 00:00:48.440 He received his PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University, and he has taught at the 10 00:00:48.440 --> 00:00:54.840 University of Washington, Lafayette College, Seattle University, and the University of 11 00:00:54.840 --> 00:01:03.000 Economics Prague. He's the author of many books including Against Leviathan, Crisis 12 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:12.440 in Leviathan and Depression War and Cold War. He is in fact the winner of the 2007 Gary 13 00:01:12.440 --> 00:01:17.440 and the Reggie Schlarbond Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Cause of Liberty. 14 00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:21.440 So if Dr. Higgs would please come forward. 15 00:01:21.440 --> 00:01:45.440 You have to watch it. You might want to take off your glasses because I have destroyed glasses doing this. 16 00:01:45.440 --> 00:01:50.440 Here is an envelope you won't want to lose. 17 00:01:50.440 --> 00:02:03.040 I'm deeply honored by this award, and I must say when I was notified of it by Lew Rockwell it completely shocked me. 18 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:15.340 I'd never given a single thought to being the recipient of this award, and when I look back at the people who've received it in the past it's very humbling. 19 00:02:15.340 --> 00:02:39.140 Most of all, I think about my dear friend Ralph Reiko, who was one of the early recipients and who is truly a great contributor to the movement for liberty and a great scholar and someone I would never compare myself with and other wonderful people have received the award in the past as well. 20 00:02:39.140 --> 00:02:47.580 So, when I say I'm deeply honored, you can believe that I am. 21 00:02:48.380 --> 00:02:54.340 Thank you, Dr. Schlaubam, and thank you, Lew Rockwell and the Mises Institute. 22 00:02:54.340 --> 00:03:06.980 I can't say, as Dean Acheson once said in another context, that I was, with regard to the Mises 23 00:03:06.980 --> 00:03:36.980 Mises Institute present at the creation, but I've been associated with the Mises Institute for 20 years now, so I came along not too long after the creation, and I've been involved with the Mises Institute in many different ways, writing for, I think, just about all of its publications, the free market, even the Austrian economics newsletter, the review of 24 00:03:36.980 --> 00:04:06.280 Austrian Economics when that was part of the stable and I've lectured at a number of Mises University programs in the summer and at many other Mises Institute conferences and programs and I have to say I've taken more pleasure in this association than in any other I've ever had with any university or college or think tank or anything else. 25 00:04:06.280 --> 00:04:19.280 I think the Mises Institute is doing wonderful work, and if you'd asked me 20 years ago when I first became involved with it, 26 00:04:19.280 --> 00:04:32.280 where it would be 20 years later, I can assure you I would never have dreamed of the great success that has in fact been realized under Lew's leadership 27 00:04:32.280 --> 00:04:37.360 with the contributions of so many other wonderful people. 28 00:04:37.360 --> 00:04:46.320 We don't have Murray Rothbard with us anymore, but for years, Murray was the guiding light. 29 00:04:46.320 --> 00:04:55.600 He was the spark, he was the flame, and those summer conferences when Murray was there were 30 00:04:55.600 --> 00:05:02.660 Without Equal, listening to Murray and hanging out with him for hours in the evening. 31 00:05:02.660 --> 00:05:09.140 Murray was always the last one to go to bed after he'd worn out all the young people at maybe 3 or 4 a.m. 32 00:05:09.140 --> 00:05:20.900 But it was worth it, and I will guarantee you that all those young people who stayed up to 3 or 4 o'clock talking to Murray Rothbard will never forget it. 33 00:05:20.900 --> 00:05:48.900 So Murray was a great leader, a great inspiration for all of us connected with the Mises Institute and it's just a damn shame that Murray died as early as he did, but I have to say even in the time that he did live, he left a greater legacy than just about anyone you can think of. 34 00:05:48.900 --> 00:06:00.900 He's certainly among the three or four people that I could consider as candidates in terms of his intellectual legacy. 35 00:06:00.900 --> 00:06:11.900 So this has been a wonderful association for me and I'm just immensely pleased to receive this award. 36 00:06:11.900 --> 00:06:13.900 So thank you very much again.