Welcome to the Libertarian Hall of Fame
A project of Free New York, Inc.

What Do We Owe the Libertarians?
by Jim Ostrowski

Introduction to the Libertarian Hall Of Fame

We believe the time has come to honor those who, throughout history, fought for individual liberty against tyranny in all its forms.

We’re starting the Libertarian Hall of Fame (LHF) online but will soon acquire a suitable home for the Hall of Fame as well as its companion project, the Grover Cleveland Library and Museum.

Both museums will be located in the same building in Buffalo, New York, where Cleveland, our last Jeffersonian President, served as Mayor.

Buffalo is an appropriate place for a Libertarian Hall of Fame because of its central location in the Northeast United States and its proximity to Canada’s leading city, Toronto, less than two hours away. 40 percent of the U. S. population lives within 500 miles of Buffalo as does 60 percent of Canada’s.

Several potential members of the LHF have ties to Buffalo or Western New York.

Buffalo is the perfect location for another reason. It’s a historical laboratory experiment in liberty versus statism. Around 1900, in an era of substantial individual liberty, Buffalo rose to become one of the economic powerhouses on the planet. In the last 45 years, however, it has experienced a continuing decline due to the rise of big government. In 2004, a movement arose to free Buffalo and free New York State from big government, political machines and special interests. That movement was led by Free Buffalo whose statewide affiliate is Free New York, Inc.

Free New York’s mission is to continue that historical experiment, this time by replacing statism with liberty! The Libertarian Hall of Fame will therefore not only be an end in itself, honoring heroes in the historical fight for liberty, but will also be an important tool in reversing the 45-year decline of Buffalo, Western New York and the entire “Rust Belt.”

We will have an open and public selection process which will include a massive poll of readers. Our selection committee will be announced shortly.

As we use the term, “Libertarian” refers to someone who has advocated, supported, fought or died for individual liberty or freedom in some important way. We use the term in a broad sense and not in any narrow, doctrinaire, sectarian or partisan way. If a nominee has made a significant contribution to human liberty, she or he will not be disqualified from membership because of a lack of philosophical consistency or personal probity in other areas. Libertarian thought is ancient and though it has been strongest in America, libertarian heroes have existed in all eras and all areas of the globe. This will truly be an international museum.