Fred L. Smith Jr. | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1940-12-26)December 26, 1940 Alabama, U.S. |
| Died | November 23, 2024(2024-11-23) (aged 83) Maryland, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Tulane University |
| Occupation(s) | Economist, political writer |
| Spouse | Fran Smith |
Fred L. Smith Jr. (December 26, 1940 – November 23, 2024) was an American economist and political writer. He was the founder and president of theCompetitive Enterprise Institute, aWashington, D.C.–based nonprofitlibertarianthink tank.[1] He wrote on topics such asantitrust law,environmental regulation, and the economic impacts ofglobal warming.
Smith was born inAlabama on December 26, 1940.[2] He was raised inSlidell, Louisiana.[2] He held a B.S. degree in theoretical mathematics and political science fromTulane University where he earned the Arts and Sciences "Dean's Medal" (Tulane's highest academic award) and was elected toPhi Beta Kappa.[3]
Smith founded theCompetitive Enterprise Institute in 1984. In 2003, Smith lobbied theSecretary of the Treasury against a proposal that would require banks to report interest earned by non-resident aliens.[4]
Smith appeared onCrossfire in 2006 and stated: "We know that there are these elaborate computer models that have never been right before, may be right this time, that suggest climate changes, possibly good, possibly bad. Most of the indications right now are it looks pretty good. Warmer winters, warmer nights, no effects during the day because of clouding, sounds to me like we’re moving to a more benign planet, more rain, richer, easier productivity to agriculture.".[5][6] Smith defended contributions of companies such asExxonMobil to groups skeptical of climate change, explaining that support for such organizations can be expected to rise as public interest in global warming issues increases, saying, "Firefighters' budgets go up when fires go up."[7]
Smith was married to and is survived by Fran Smith, an adjunct scholar at CEI who also serves on its board of directors.[2]
Smith died at home in Maryland, on November 23, 2024, at the age of 83.[2]
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