Students for a Libertarian Society
Encyclopedia
Students for a Libertarian Society (SLS) is an activist organization for students in the United States who want to promote libertarian
ideals on college campuses.
in the 1960s. SLS was founded in April 1979. It was organizationally distinct from the Libertarian Party
which had its own, much smaller, official youth wing, the Young Libertarian Alliance.
The National Directors of Students for a Libertarian Society were Milton Mueller (1979-1981), Jeffrey Friedman
(1981-1982), Kathleen Jacob Richman (1982), and Chris Gunderson (1982-83). Others active in the organization were Williamson Evers
, Chris Sciabarra, Mark Brady, Mark Joffe, Eric Garris
, and David Beito, who were members of the national board, and Paul Jacob
, a prominent draft registration resister, Tom G. Palmer
, and Dave Nalle
, the publications director and editor of Liberty magazine. Former chapter heads included Justin Raimondo
, Lee Cronk, Greg Costikyan
and Alan R. Weiss
.
The SLS was very active in organizing protests against draft registration during the presidential administration of Jimmy Carter
. It later organized protests against governmental support for nuclear power. As part of this effort, it worked closely with scientist John Gofman
, a veteran of the Manhattan Project and a key developer of an early process for separating plutonium from fission products, in a campaign to repeal such subsides for nuclear power as the Price Anderson Act. Gofman, sometimes described as the "father" of the modern anti-nuclear movement in the United States, was a self-described libertarian. Many members of SLS supported the Libertarian presidential campaign of Ed Clark
in 1980 but, unlike the Young Libertarian Alliance and its successor Students for Clark, SLS did not officially take a stand.
, Williamson Evers
and Justin Raimondo
, and others associated with Ed Crane
and the Cato Institute
. In 1982, it had to make massive cutbacks when billionaire, Charles Koch, withdrew his financial support. After the last National Director, Chris Gunderson, failed to get replacement funding, SLS quickly collapsed. It seems to have disappeared as a national organization in 1983 though a few chapters remained active for several years.
and led by Mike Ewens of the Washington University chapter, but although some local chapters seem to have been founded not much else appears to have been done on a national basis and the website is offline. The banner of organizing libertarian students has since been picked up by a new organization Students for Liberty
and Young Americans for Liberty.
Libertarianism
Libertarianism, in the strictest sense, is the political philosophy that holds individual liberty as the basic moral principle of society. In the broadest sense, it is any political philosophy which approximates this view...
ideals on college campuses.
Origins
The name and organizational structure were inspired by the success of Students for a Democratic SocietyStudents for a Democratic Society (1960 organization)
Students for a Democratic Society was a student activist movement in the United States that was one of the main iconic representations of the country's New Left. The organization developed and expanded rapidly in the mid-1960s before dissolving at its last convention in 1969...
in the 1960s. SLS was founded in April 1979. It was organizationally distinct from the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
which had its own, much smaller, official youth wing, the Young Libertarian Alliance.
National organization
At its height in 1979 and 1980, SLS had a central national office with a paid staff in San Francisco, and dozens of chapters. It also published a variety of pamphlets and issue papers and Liberty magazine in a newspaper format with a circulation of more than 10,000 copies per issue.The National Directors of Students for a Libertarian Society were Milton Mueller (1979-1981), Jeffrey Friedman
Jeffrey Friedman
Jeffrey Friedman is a political scientist and the editor of Critical Review: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Politics and Society.Friedman graduated from Brown University in 1983 with a double major in History and Philosophy, and received an MA in History at the University of California, Berkeley,...
(1981-1982), Kathleen Jacob Richman (1982), and Chris Gunderson (1982-83). Others active in the organization were Williamson Evers
Williamson Evers
Williamson M. "Bill" Evers is an American political activist and education researcher. In 1988, he became a resident scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution -- first as a national fellow, then a visiting scholar, and most recently a research fellow...
, Chris Sciabarra, Mark Brady, Mark Joffe, Eric Garris
Eric Garris
Eric Garris is an activist in the libertarian movement in the United States, known as the founding webmaster of two prominent libertarian websites.-Background:...
, and David Beito, who were members of the national board, and Paul Jacob
Paul Jacob
Paul Jacob is an activist, organizer, and advocate for legislative term limits, initiative & veto referendum rights, and limited government in the United States. He writes a weekly column for Townhall.com and his short radio commentary feature, "Common Sense," is syndicated by the Citizens In...
, a prominent draft registration resister, Tom G. Palmer
Tom G. Palmer
Tom Gordon Palmer is a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, director of the Institute's educational division, , Vice President for International Programs at the Atlas Economic Research Foundation, and General Director of the -Professional life:Palmer earned his B.A. in liberal arts from St. John's...
, and Dave Nalle
Dave Nalle
Dave Nalle is a political writer, game author and font designer who was active in the early history of the development of the internet...
, the publications director and editor of Liberty magazine. Former chapter heads included Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo is an American author and the editorial director of the website Antiwar.com. He describes himself as a "conservative-paleo-libertarian."-Background:...
, Lee Cronk, Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan
Greg Costikyan, sometimes known under the pseudonym "Designer X" , is an American game designer and science fiction writer.Costikyan's career spans nearly all extant genres of gaming, including hex-based wargames, role-playing games, boardgames, card games, computer games, online games and mobile...
and Alan R. Weiss
Alan R. Weiss
Alan R. Weiss is a computer industry expert on benchmarking and Software development tools, as well as telehealth and embedded systems. In January 2009, Weiss, along with business partner Samuel B. Fuller, formed , an innovative telehealth devices and medical health care services company...
.
The SLS was very active in organizing protests against draft registration during the presidential administration of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
. It later organized protests against governmental support for nuclear power. As part of this effort, it worked closely with scientist John Gofman
John Gofman
John William Gofman was an American scientist and advocate. He was Professor Emeritus of Molecular and Cell Biology at University of California at Berkeley. Some of his early work was on the Manhattan Project, and he shares patents on the fissionability of uranium-233 as well as on early processes...
, a veteran of the Manhattan Project and a key developer of an early process for separating plutonium from fission products, in a campaign to repeal such subsides for nuclear power as the Price Anderson Act. Gofman, sometimes described as the "father" of the modern anti-nuclear movement in the United States, was a self-described libertarian. Many members of SLS supported the Libertarian presidential campaign of Ed Clark
Ed Clark
Ed Clark is an American politician who ran for Governor of California in 1978, and for President of the United States as the nominee of the Libertarian Party in the 1980 presidential election....
in 1980 but, unlike the Young Libertarian Alliance and its successor Students for Clark, SLS did not officially take a stand.
Decline
Beginning in 1982, the SLS began began to fall apart as a national organization over disagreements between the Radical Caucus of Murray RothbardMurray Rothbard
Murray Newton Rothbard was an American author and economist of the Austrian School who helped define capitalist libertarianism and popularized a form of free-market anarchism he termed "anarcho-capitalism." Rothbard wrote over twenty books and is considered a centrally important figure in the...
, Williamson Evers
Williamson Evers
Williamson M. "Bill" Evers is an American political activist and education researcher. In 1988, he became a resident scholar at Stanford University's Hoover Institution -- first as a national fellow, then a visiting scholar, and most recently a research fellow...
and Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo
Justin Raimondo is an American author and the editorial director of the website Antiwar.com. He describes himself as a "conservative-paleo-libertarian."-Background:...
, and others associated with Ed Crane
Ed Crane
Edward H. Crane is the founder and president of the Cato Institute.In the 1970s, he was one of the most active leaders of the Libertarian Party...
and the Cato Institute
Cato Institute
The Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank headquartered in Washington, D.C. It was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane, who remains president and CEO, and Charles Koch, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of the conglomerate Koch Industries, Inc., the largest privately held...
. In 1982, it had to make massive cutbacks when billionaire, Charles Koch, withdrew his financial support. After the last National Director, Chris Gunderson, failed to get replacement funding, SLS quickly collapsed. It seems to have disappeared as a national organization in 1983 though a few chapters remained active for several years.
Reestablishment
Justin Raimondo was involved in an attempt to reestablish a national organization under the aegis of antiwar.comAntiwar.com
Antiwar.com is a website devoted to opposing aggressive war, imperialism, and assaults on freedom associated with both. The editors describe their politics as libertarian. Their stated motiviation is, "to show how the imperialistic tendencies of the American government lead to a loss of civil...
and led by Mike Ewens of the Washington University chapter, but although some local chapters seem to have been founded not much else appears to have been done on a national basis and the website is offline. The banner of organizing libertarian students has since been picked up by a new organization Students for Liberty
Students For Liberty
Students For Liberty seeks to support student groups that hold a wide-range of philosophical beliefs that all share an underlying dedication to liberty with resources like leadership training, literature, grants, and speakers...
and Young Americans for Liberty.