Voices of Freedom: Thomas Sowell
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
Highlighting Juneteenth
Thomas Sowell
(b. 1930)
Economist
“Doing the right thing is fun. If nothing else, it surprises people.”
Thomas Sowell was born into poverty in North Carolina. His father died when he was an infant, and his mother died when he was a toddler. Thomas was adopted by a great-aunt, and spent his early years in extreme poverty. When he was nine, the family moved to Harlem. There, his home life was chaotic, with frequent quarrels that forced Thomas to room with neighbors.
Sowell qualified for prestigious Stuyvesant High School, but had to drop out when he was 17 due to financial difficulties, working odd jobs to make ends meet. In 1951, he was drafted into the Marine Corps. Although the Korean War was still being fought, Sowell did not see combat, and was honorably discharged in 1952.
After his discharge, Sowell moved to Washington, DC, where he worked at a civil service job while finishing high school, then studying at nights at Howard University. He did so well on the college boards that he was admitted into Harvard University, where, in 1958, he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 1959, he earned a master’s in economics from Columbia University, then began his doctoral studies at the University of Chicago, receiving his doctorate in 1968. While at Chicago, Sowell’s research moved from being a Marxist to an advocate of free-market economics, one of the “Chicago School” of economists.
In the years after 1968, Dr Sowell taught at a number of universities, including Cornell University, Howard University, Rutgers, Brandeis University, and UCLA. Since 1980, he has been a fellow Stanford’s Hoover Institution.
Dr Sowell is a prolific author, having published more than 40 books on economics and social issues, as well as numerous essays and opinion pieces. His work is noted for its depth of research, intellectual honesty, and clarity of presentation.
Dr Sowell’s book Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy is available at the Kenosha Public Library. The Thomas Sowell Reader, a selection of his essays other writings, is also available at the Kenosha Public Library.
