He was well into his 60’s when I became aware of him. His protege Dr. Walter Williams will be with us awhile longer, but who else has the chops and clout of these two?
He was a late bloomer. He was a Marine - and a marxist, BTW - during the Korean War. He was a photographer for the Marines (and photography is his hobby in retirement). He didn’t go to college until later, and he was 30 before he did an analysis of the “minimum” (the true minimum being zero when you aren’t employed) wage.When he figured out that the minimum wage law hurt low-earning people in general and blacks in particular, the scales fell away from his eyes and his naiveté toward government “help” dissipated. But his breakout “Knowledge and Decisions” didn’t hit until 1980, when he was about 50. That's when I first knew of him.
Pretty much no one I can recall.
I do not entirely agree with Sowell on certain issues, but I esteem him. I tend to agree more with Williams.
I always like it when Williams guest hosts Rush’s show and he has Sowell on. The Quest for Cosmic Justice and Vision of the Annointed were formative for me.