Paul L. Poirot

[Baldy] was a member of a veritable "lost generation" from the libertarian point of view ... And so Baldy simply set out, in his quiet and gentle way, to create a body of students and followers. In those early days at FEE, for example, almost every staff member had been brought into the movement by Baldy: W.M. Curtiss, Paul Poirot, Ivan Bierly, Ellis Lamborn, all students of Baldy at Cornell. Baldy was indeed a notable inspiration and guide for young people, and his followers are now everywhere in the libertarian world.

Paul Poirot edited the incarnation of The Freeman ... from the little magazine's inception in 1955 until his retirement in 1987. ... Poirot had a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell. ... Poirot had a wry sense of humor that he could tap instantaneously. ... He did not use an editor's familiar blue pencil. He did not re-write articles. He simply sent them back, with a brief note suggesting a possible change, or maybe nothing at all if he was not interested ... Poirot's legacy is a generation of people who learned the basics of free market economics from The Freeman.

Now, as we mark the retirement of Dr. Paul L. Poirot, who has contributed so much time, energy, and wisdom to the cause of liberty, it is perhaps appropriate for each of us to ask himself: Why should I follow this man's lead ...? ... [F]or more than thirty years, Paul Poirot and his various authors did a masterful job of explaining moral principles and showing how they apply to public issues as well as to private matters ... Let us thus ... thank Paul Poirot for his tireless efforts, his wise counsel, and his steadfast commitment to the highest principles ...

I would not push the illiberal no­tion than any individual is like any other. It is because of our differences that liberty is so vital. But Baldy did adhere to the guiding rule of Soc­rates, 'Know thyself.' He believed with Socrates that goodness is based on knowledge, wickedness on igno­rance. ... Much of Baldy’s life was devoted to exposure of these frustrations of the free market economy and these limitations on freedom. And that is a never-ending task. Fortunately for us, we have his record and example of the ideal of a free man toward which to strive.