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.[4] IHS offers funding opportunities, programs, and events for faculty and graduate students seeking careers in academia as well as various fellowships.[5][6][7][8]

Institute for Humane Studies
Founded1961 (1961)[1]
FounderF. A. Harper[1]
Type501(c)(3) public charity
941623852[2]
FocusClassical liberalism
Location
Coordinates38.8844°N 77.1009°W / 38.8844; -77.1009
Area served
United States
MethodEducation[1]
Key people
President and CEO Emily Chamlee-Wright
Revenue
$21.1 million (2020)[3]
Websitetheihs.org

Founded by F. A. "Baldy" Harper in 1961,[1] the organization later began an association with George Mason University[9] and in 1985[5][10] moved to Fairfax, Virginia. The institute is currently located at 3434 Washington Blvd. on the Arlington campus of George Mason University.[9] It is partially funded by the Charles Koch Foundation.[11]

History

The Institute for Humane Studies was founded in 1961 in Menlo Park, California, by F. A. Harper in order to promote peace, prosperity, and social harmony by fostering a greater understanding of human affairs and freedom.[6][12][13] Initially serving as the secretary and treasurer, Harper became the institute's president in 1966, a position he held until his death in 1973.[14] Murray Rothbard played a key role as speaker at IHS conferences in the 1970s, promoting Austrian economics.[15] On May 18, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nobel Prize-winning economist Friedrich A. Hayek, who had been "instrumental in helping F.A. "Baldy" Harper found the Institute in 1961", IHS staff and friends gathered to honor Hayek.[16] Following Harper in the role of president were Louis M. Spadaro and Leonard Liggio, who served as president from 1980 to 1989.[17] From 1998 to 2000 Stanford graduate David C. Nott, now with the Reason Foundation, led the organization as president.[18] The current president and CEO, Emily Chamlee-Wright, served as provost and dean at Washington College from 2012 to 2016 and was previously the Elbert H. Neese Professor of Economics and associate dean at Beloit College.[19] Her predecessor, Marty Zupan, served as president and CEO from 2001 to 2016 after serving as editor of Reason magazine.[20]

After beginning an association with George Mason University, Liggio, Walter Grinder, and John Blundell moved the institute to Fairfax, Virginia in 1985.[5] The organization is currently located on the George Mason University Arlington campus, along with sister organization the Mercatus Center.[5]

Organization and funding

The institute's board of directors includes Scott Beaulier, Christopher Coyne, Tyler Cowen, David Humphreys, Charles G. Koch (Chairman Emeritus), Brian Hooks, Art Pope (Chairman), Chris Rufer, Virgil Storr, Ryan Stowers, and Todd Zywicki.[21]

IHS has received funding from a number of foundations, including the Sarah Scaife Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the F.M. Kirby Foundation, the Marcus Foundation, the John William Pope Foundation, the Ed Uihlein Family Foundation, the Ralph Smeed Private Memorial Foundation, the Koch Family Foundations, the Searle Freedom Trust, the E.L. Craig Foundation, and the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.[22][5][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]

In March 2012, in the midst of a legal dispute between Charles Koch and the Cato Institute that caused renewed scrutiny of Koch's political philanthropy, IHS's chief financial officer told the New York Times that Koch is "a longtime and generous supporter of ours, but we're not involved as a political organization."[30] Charles Koch donated a total of $12.4 million to the organization from 2008 to 2012.[11] The John William Pope Foundation has donated $2.1 million to the Institute since 1986.[25]

IHS fundraising appeals have been targeted to specific projects in the past. In 2011, Rand Paul signed a 10-page fundraising letter seeking gifts for the institute's Learn Liberty project, which IHS describes as a "resource for exploring the ideas of a free society."[31][32] Learn Liberty was acquired by Students for Liberty in 2019.[33]

Programs

Seminars
John Hasnas lecturing at Towson University

Each summer, IHS runs several free, weekend-long summer seminars for university students from around the world. Seminars are interdisciplinary and include lectures on history, economics, philosophy, law, and political science.[5][34][35] Seminar themes include the value of property rights, limited government, peace, natural rights, free trade, individual autonomy, and free markets. There are introductory and advanced seminars.[5] IHS also runs weekend on-campus seminars during the academic year.[5] IHS and Liberty Fund co-sponsor the Advanced Topics in Liberty program, which is an invitation-only, discussion-based weekend conference series.[36]

For graduate students pursuing academic careers, IHS sponsors an annual research colloquium, policy research seminars and invitation-only Career Development Seminars designed to help students "land a job in academia, gain tenure, and contribute to the academic and intellectual conversation."[5][37]

Scholarships and grants

Each year IHS awards over $1 million in scholarships to students from universities around the world.[38] Through its Humane Studies Fellowship program, IHS awards up to $15,000 in scholarships to graduate students embarking on "liberty-advancing careers in ideas."[13][39] Each summer, through the Summer Graduate Research Fellowship, IHS gives $5,000 stipends to young academics "to refine and complete a publishable scholarly article or thesis chapter that engages ideas within the classical liberal tradition." The IHS PhD Scholarship awards $1,500 to "students dedicated to developing, teaching, and applying the principles of a free society."[40] Other various grants are awarded to graduate students and junior faculty to aid in their ability to present research or interview at academic or professional conferences.[41][42]

Online projects

In 2010, IHS launched LearnLiberty.org, a website producing educational videos on libertarian ideas.[43][44] The site's stated goals are "to provide a starting point for conversations on important questions: What is the nature of man and society? What are the best ways to organize human society? What is the proper role for government?" Notable guest lecturers featured on Learn Liberty include David Schmidtz of the University of Arizona and Jeffrey Miron of Harvard University.[45]

Internships

Each summer, for more than 20 years, IHS hosted the Charles G. Koch Summer Fellow Program. The program is now hosted by the Charles Koch Institute.[46] The program ran for 10 weeks, and included a paid public policy internship with two career and policy seminars. Fellows were placed at one partner think tanks and policy organizations across the United States.[5] IHS also ran a year-round journalism internship program that placed aspiring journalists at media companies and non-profit newsrooms, but both the journalism and policy internship programs have been discontinued.[47][48][49]

In 2019, it was reported that John Elliott, who had directed IHS's journalism internship program from 2008 to 2013, had ties to the alt-right movement.[50][51] IHS issued a statement which said "After careful review, we have uncovered no incident during his tenure at IHS in which Elliott exhibited anti-Semitic or bigoted views."[52]

Awards

Each year, IHS awards an alumnus of its programs with the Charles G. Koch Outstanding IHS Alum Award. The award is given in recognition of "significant contributions to advancing liberty." Past award winners include libertarian legal theorist and law professor Randy Barnett; Kris Mauren, co-founder of the Acton Institute; law professor Todd Zywicki; Kristina Kendall, executive producer for John Stossel; political science professor John Tomasi; Scott Bullock, senior attorney at the Institute for Justice; economist Peter Boettke; John Hood, president of the John Locke Foundation; and David Schmidtz, a professor of philosophy and economics.[53][54]

References
  1. Rothbard, Murray N (17 August 2007). "Floyd Arthur 'Baldy' Harper, RIP". Mises Daily Index. Auburn, Alabama. Retrieved 29 December 2011. Quote: "and he moved to transfer the bulk of the Volker funds to a new Institute for Humane Studies, which would expand the Volker concept and would provide a permanent home for libertarian fellowships, scholarship, conferences, and publications."
  2. "Institute for Humane Studies". Charity Navigator. Charity Navigator. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  3. Roberts, Ken Schwencke, Mike Tigas, Sisi Wei, Alec Glassford, Andrea Suozzo, Brandon (9 May 2013). "Institute For Humane Studies - Nonprofit Explorer". ProPublica. Retrieved 18 June 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  4. Vyse, Graham (4 February 2021). "Bernie Sanders is often called a liberal. He'd beg to differ. Who is actually a liberal?". Washington Post. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  5. Huebert, Jacob H (2010). Libertarianism Today. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. p. 18. ISBN 978-0313377549. The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), founded by F.A. Harper in 1961 to promote libertarian scholarship....
  6. Wilkinson, Will (2008). "Harper, Floyd Arthur 'Baldy' (1905–1973)". In Hamowy, Ronald (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage; Cato Institute. pp. 217–218. doi:10.4135/9781412965811.n130. ISBN 978-1412965804. LCCN 2008009151. OCLC 750831024.
  7. Block, Walter (2010). I Chose Liberty: Autobiographies of Contemporary Libertarians. Auburn, AL: Ludwig von Mises Institute. p. 429. ISBN 978-1610160025.
  8. Kaplan, Benjamin R (2003). The Scholarship Scouting Report: An Insider's Guide to America's Best Scholarships. New York: HarperResource. p. 357. ISBN 978-0060936549.
  9. Bogardus, Kevin (15 July 2004). "Koch's low profile belies political power". Center for Public Integrity's iwatch news. Washington, DC.
  10. Blundell, John (2003). Waging the War of Ideas. Institute of Economic Affairs. ISBN 978-0255365475.
  11. Young, Chris (26 August 2014). "Koch-funded think tank offers schools course in libertarianism". Center for Public Integrity. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  12. Poirot, Paul L (August 1979). "The Writings of F. A. Harper". The Freeman. 29 (8). Archived from the original on 12 September 2011.
  13. Gladstein, Mimi Reisel; John Meadowcroft (19 November 2009). Ayn Rand. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0826445131.
  14. The Writings of F. A. Harper, Volume 1: The Major Works The Writings of F. A. Harper, Volume 1: The Major Works, 1978
  15. Doherty, Brian (2008). "Rothbard, Murray (1926–1995)". In Ronald Hamowy, Cato Institute (ed.). Encyclopedia of Libertarianism. Sage. pp. 441–443. ISBN 978-1412965804.
  16. "IHS Remembers Hayek's Contributions to Liberty". The IHS Account: Institute for Humane Studies at George Mason University (Spring 1999): 1.
  17. Rothbard, Murray Newton; Hans-Hermann Hoppe (February 2003). The Ethics of Liberty. NYU Press. ISBN 978-0814775592.
  18. Levine, Rob. "Person Profile". Media Transparency. Retrieved 5 February 2012.
  19. "Emily Chamlee-Wright – Institute for Humane Studies". Institute for Humane Studies. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
  20. Miller, Fred (1 August 1983). Out of the Mouths of Babes: The Infant Formula Controversy. Piscataway, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 98. ISBN 978-0912051017.
  21. "About IHS". The IHS. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  22. "Sarah Scaife Foundation Annual Report" (PDF). 2011. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  23. "IRS Form 990-PF (2013)" (PDF). 8 May 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  24. "IRS Form 990-PF (2012)" (PDF). 9 November 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  25. "Institute for Humane Studies – John William Pope Foundation". Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  26. "Mega donor Richard Uihlein ramps up donations to conservative causes". Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  27. Lee, Timothy B. "Thanks to IHS and the Searle Foundation | Bottom-up". Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  28. "Smeed Foundation awards grants to Treasure Valley organizations". Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  29. "IRS Form 990-PF (2014)" (PDF). 7 May 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  30. "Cato Institute Is Caught in a Rift Over Its Direction". New York Times. 6 March 2012. Retrieved 6 March 2012.
  31. "Rand Paul raising funds for arm of George Mason". WTOP. 23 September 2011. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2012.
  32. "About Us". Learn Liberty. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  33. "Students For Liberty Acquires Learn Liberty from the Institute for Humane Studies". ftn.media. 5 March 2019. Retrieved 18 June 2022.
  34. Frohnen, Bruce; Jeremy Beer, Jeffrey O. Nelson (2006). American Conservatism: An Encyclopedia. ISI Books. ISBN 978-1932236439.
  35. Guard, David (27 February 2007). "Call to SSDPers: Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) Summer Seminars". Stop the Drug War.org; In the Trenches. Washington, DC. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  36. "Institute for Humane Studies". Campbell University. College Central Network Services. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  37. "2016 Summer Research Colloquium: A Call For Papers, Please!". Institute for Humane Studies. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 21 June 2016.
  38. "Institute for Humane Studies – GuideStar Profile". www.guidestar.org.
  39. "Humane Studies Fellowship | Institute for Humane Studies". Institute for Humane Studies. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  40. "Ph.D. Scholarship | Institute for Humane Studies". Institute for Humane Studies. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  41. "Hayek Fund | Institute for Humane Studies". Institute for Humane Studies. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  42. "Conference & Research Grant". Institute for Humane Studies. Retrieved 22 June 2016.
  43. Carden, Art (25 August 2011). "The Earthquake Wasn't Good for the Economy. Hurricane Irene Won't Be, Either". Forbes. New York. Retrieved 5 January 2012.
  44. Kerr, Orin (29 June 2011). "LearnLiberty.org Launches!". The Volokh Conspiracy. Los Angeles. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  45. Graves, Zachary (23 August 2011). "Top 3 Common Myths of Capitalism". Cato @ Liberty. Washington, DC. Retrieved 29 December 2011.
  46. "Semester-Long Opportunities – Charles Koch Institute". Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  47. Wemple, Erik (28 January 2014). "MSNBC's Rachel Maddow recommits to her slam on Koch brothers". Retrieved 4 December 2016 – via washingtonpost.com.
  48. "Institute for Humane Studies". Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  49. "Institute for Humane Studies". Archived from the original on 13 January 2014. Retrieved 4 December 2016.
  50. Gray, Rosie. "A Former Alt-Right Member's Message: Get Out While You Still Can". Buzzfeed News. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  51. DeLong, Matt. "Bloomington think tank parts ways with academic over racist e-mails". Minneapolis Star-Tribune. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  52. Gais, Hannah (29 August 2019). "Leaked Emails Show How White Nationalists Have Infiltrated Conservative Media". Splinter Media. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  53. "IJ Attorney Scott Bullock Wins Koch Award". Liberty & Law. 15 (4). August 2006.
  54. DeMuth, Christopher (July 2010). "The Surprising Return of Price Controls". In Schulz, Nick (ed.). The Impact on Economic Recovery. U.S. Regulatory Policy and Free Enterprise. U.S. Chamber of Commerce: American Enterprise Institute and the National Chamber Foundation. Archived from the original on 29 July 2012. Retrieved 29 December 2011.

Further reading
  • Wilcox, Derk Arend (2000). The Right Guide: A Guide to Conservative, Free-Market, and Right-of-Center Organizations. Ann Arbor, MI: Economics America, Inc. p. 455. ISBN 978-0914169062.
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