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The Grim Reaper is Relentless — Unfortunately

Last October, the Grim Reaper cut down my long-time colleague and friend, Bill Niskanen – Chairman Emeritus of the Cato Institute. If Niskanen’s loss wasn’t bad enough, I learned in April that I had lost another friend and brilliant economist, Ralph Turvey. On September 14th, we will celebrate Ralph’s life at the Reform Club, in London. For this event, I prepared the following, a “remembrance.”

I feel as though I cut my economic eye teeth on “Turvey.” Yes, I even wrote two articles with titles that contained the word “Turvey:”

 

and

 

But, my favorite remembrance of Ralph wasn’t from economics, per se. Once, after Ralph had abandoned his regular duties at LSE in the 1960s, I asked him why he still embraced the title, “Professor.” He immediately replied, and with twinkle in his eye: “Well Steve, in London, the title ‘Professor’ can still pull the first table in a proper restaurant.”

We both then had a very good laugh and resumed our intense discussion on the beauty of water meters.

 

Author Steve H. Hanke

Thursday March 24th, 2016

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