Ed Crane (politician)
Edward Harrison Crane (born August 15, 1944) is an American libertarian and co-founder of the Cato Institute. He served as its president until October 1, 2012.
Ed Crane | |
|---|---|
| Born | Edward Harrison Crane August 15, 1944 Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Academic career | |
| Institution | Cato Institute (1977–2012) |
| Field | Economics, politics, social science, culture |
| School or tradition | Libertarianism |
| Alma mater | University of California, Berkeley (BSc) University of Southern California (MBA) |
| President of the Cato Institute | |
| In office 1977 – October 1, 2012 | |
| 3rd Chair of the Libertarian National Committee | |
| In office 1974–1977 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Nolan |
| Succeeded by | David Bergland |
| 2nd Vice Chair of the Libertarian National Committee | |
| In office 1972–1974 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Nolan |
| Influences | Ludwig von Mises, F.A. Hayek, Milton Friedman |
In the 1970s, he was one of the most active leaders within the Libertarian Party. He directed the Party as its National Chair from 1974 to 1977, worked on John Hospers's Presidential bid and managed Ed Clark's 1978 campaign for Governor of California. In 1980, Crane served as communications director to the Libertarian Party presidential ticket of Clark and vice presidential candidate David Koch. Prior to founding the Cato Institute, Crane was chartered financial analyst and vice president of Alliance Capital in California.
Crane has been a member of the board of various political organizations, including Americans for Limited Government, a group that assists grassroots efforts throughout the country, and the Center for Competitive Politics. Crane is also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.