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David Nolan, the principal founder of the Libertarian Party, died Sunday. He was just two days shy of his 67th birthday.
Initial speculation was that Nolan had a heart attack, although at least one libertarian website is now reporting that he actually suffered a stroke while driving and was involved in a single-car accident.
Nolan was a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and worked in the publishing and advertising industries for several decades. He was a founding member of the Students for Goldwater group at MIT in 1964 and heavily involved in the “liberty movement” prior to 1971, when he served as the driving force behind the creation of the Libertarian Party.
Aside from his role as founder of the LP, Nolan is best known as the person who popularized the “Nolan Chart,” a diagram of political philosophies that goes beyond just liberal and conservative labels.
“He was sort of a guiding light,” Jack Dean, a longtime friend and political ally told the Arizona Daily Star. “He was kind of our conscience. Dave was a presence at every national convention; everyone respected him. He kept reminding everybody what the goal was.”
Nolan had also run for office several times as a Libertarian. He was most recently the Libertarian nominee for U.S. Senate in Arizona earlier this year where he campaigned vigorously against incumbent John McCain, winning over 80,000 votes or about 5% in that race.
He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth.
Thanks for everything David, sadly your efforts will still go unnoticed by most for years to come. May G_d bless your Family
Thanks. Overview at http://www.Libertarian-International.org of sad deaths in the movement this weekend.
Not only have Libertarians lost a guiding light, so has America and perhaps the world. David Nolan, you see, helped Found the Libertarian Party (LP) in 1976 in his living room with the late Roger MacBride and Toni Nathan. With leaders including Ed Clark, Melinda Pillsbury-Foster, L. Neil Smith, David Bergland, Dr. Mary Ruwart, the late great Aaron Russo, and many others, the LP is the third largest political party in the USA by far. While the LP has had its share of problems, the Liberty Movement (that is to say, the Movement for more individual freedom, personal responsibility, free markets, and dramatically less bureaucracy) has taken firm roots with the candidacy of Ron Paul for President in 2008 and the modern Tea Party Movement. God bless David Nolan, his wife Elizabeth, and may he rest in peace. His legacy is secure indeed, and the fight for All Your Freedoms All The Time goes on.
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