Return of the ‘Tariff Man’

Reason writes in memoriam of CEI’s founder passing

In Memoriam: Fred Smith, the quirky and brilliant founder of the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI), passed away on Saturday night.

“He was gregarious, whip-smart, stubbornly principled, and he was fun,” writes CEI senior economist Ryan Smith in a tribute to his former boss. “Everybody in Washington knew Fred, and Fred knew everybody. Even people who disagreed with everything he stood for couldn’t help but like him. He was always smiling and laughing, even when making serious intellectual arguments. People around him couldn’t help but take on some of his joy. Fred was a Washington institution, in a good way.”

Many in the free market movement owe their jobs and inspiration to Smith. For those of us, like myself, who never worked directly for Smith or CEI, his reputation (and that of his wife Fran, who lives on) was always larger than life. That part won’t change.

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