Walter E. Williams (1936–2020) was the John M. Olin Professor of Economics at George Mason University and a member of the Board of Advisors of The Independent Institute. He received his Ph.D. in economics from UCLA, and a Doctor of Humane Letters from Virginia Union University and Grove City College, Doctor of Laws from Washington and Jefferson College and Doctor Honoris Causa en Ciencias Sociales from Universidad Francisco Marroquin, in Guatemala, where he was also Professor Honorario. Professor Williams was on the faculty of Los Angeles City College, California State University at Los Angeles, and Temple University.
Professor Williams is the author of the books, Liberty versus the Tyranny of Socialism, More Liberty Means Less Government: Our Founders Knew This Well, Do the Right Thing: The People's Economist Speaks, South Africa's War Against Capitalism, All It Takes Is Guts, America: A Minority Viewpoint, and The State Against Blacks, which was the subject of the PBS documentary “Good Intentions.” His scholarly articles and reviews have appeared in such journals as Economic Inquiry, The Independent Review, American Economic Review, Georgia Law Review, Journal of Labor Economics, Social Science Quarterly, and Cornell Journal.
Professor Williams has received numerous fellowships and awards including the Foundation for Economic Education Adam Smith Award, Hoover Institution National Fellow, Ford Foundation Fellow, Valley Forge Freedoms Foundation George Washington Medal of Honor, Veterans of Foreign Wars U.S. News Media Award, Adam Smith Award, California State University Distinguished Alumnus Award, George Mason University Faculty Member of the Year, and Alpha Kappa Psi Award.
His nationally syndicated column appeared in 140 newspapers, and he appeared on numerous national radio and television programs including “Nightline,” “Firing Line,” “Face the Nation,” “Free To Choose,” “Crossfire,” “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” “Wall Street Week,” “Rush Limbaugh Show,” and “Nightly Business Report.”
