Power & Market

The Mises Lecture That Inspired Ron Paul to Run for Congress

The Mises Lecture That Inspired Ron Paul to Run for Congress
Power & Market Tho Bishop

It's amazing what you can find in the Mises digital archives.

Here is a lecture by Ludwig von Mises on Socialism that he gave at the University of Houston. In the audience was a doctor from Lake Jackson, TX. After listening to this talk, he decided to run for Congress.

This was the only time Ron Paul met Mises, as he notes in his book Mises and Austrian Economics: A Personal View.

Because of my interest in individual liberty and the free market, I became closely associated over the years with friends and students of Mises, those who knew the greatness of Mises from a long-term personal friendship with him. My contact, however, was always through his writings, except on one occasion. In 1971, during a busy day in my medical office, I took a long lunch to drive 60 miles to the University of Houston to hear one of the last formal lectures Mises gave—this one on socialism. Although 90 at the time, he was most impressive, and his presentation inspired me to more study of Austrian economics.

Between Mises's Austrian accent and the recording quality of the 70s, it's not the easiest to understand. But still, a very neat piece of history. 

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