I, Pencil

Leonard E. Read (1898?1983) established the Foundation for Economic Education in 1946. For the next 37 years he served as FEE?s president and labored tirelessly to promote and advance liberty. He was a natural leader who, at a crucial moment in American history, roused the forces defending individual freedom and private property. His life is a testament to the power of ideas. As President Ronald Reagan wrote: ?Our nation and her people have been vastly enriched by his devotion to the cause of freedom, and generations to come will look to Leonard Read for inspiration.? Read was the author of 29 books and hundreds of essays. ?I, Pencil,? his most famous essay, was first published in 1958. Although a few of the manufacturing details and place names have changed, the principles endure. Lawrence W. Reed is the president of the Foundation for Economic Education