This week, we mourned the loss of Fred Smith, the founder of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, who passed away peacefully in his home at 83 years old.
To say Fred left his mark on the liberty movement would be an understatement. In a town full of DC insiders and special interests, he dared to start an organization focused on shrinking government and taking on federal overreach within the belly of the beast: The administrative state.
In 1984, Fred and his wife, Fran, decided to start the Competitive Enterprise Institute (CEI) at their kitchen table. This was after spending years as a policy analyst at the Environmental Protection Agency—where he saw firsthand how the government wielded its power to impose burdensome restrictions on the American people. Fred decided to dedicate the rest of his life challenging government overreach and asking important questions no one else would about the actual costs of regulation. Every year, CEI puts out a critical report, the 10,000 Commandments, that serves as the go-to source on analyzing the scope, scale, and impact of regulations.
Fred grew CEI into a powerhouse think tank that soon garnered the reputation as “rebel rousers” by their opponents, but also as the leading voice on regulatory reform by supporters. And it fit his character quite nicely. Fred was principled, quick-witted, and someone you didn’t want to get on the other side of an argument with.
I remember meeting Fred 15 years ago when I first started dating my now husband, Alex. I was a journalist at the time and very new to the DC think tank world. Alex brought me to a CEI gathering, and that’s where I met Fred with his signature cigar in hand. I remember how welcoming he was bringing in an outsider like me, but I also remember him spending a lot of time talking to me about why CEI exists and why it’s such an important voice. I can tell he had a knack for converting, I mean bringing, new people into his worldview. I naively asked him why it was such a bad thing to have this much regulation, and boy, did I get my answer.
Fred was also an incredible mentor to many in the movement. Some of my closest friends started their careers at CEI and are now championing freedom and opportunity within the halls of government, the private sector, and other esteemed policy institutions. My now-husband was newly out of college, and Fred took a chance on him, hiring him as their first immigration policy analyst and giving him ample opportunity to carve out his niche. He did this with others, too, letting them explore their policy interests even on the thorniest of issues like labor laws, immigration, and the environment. Now, Alex is a vice president at the Cato Institute, and I know he is forever grateful to Fred for giving him that chance.
Today, the CEI community, both current and alumni, are still close, and it is because of Fred—whom we all affectionately describe as “venerable.” He fostered an environment of experimentation, innovation, and most importantly, fun. Some of my best memories took place after hours in the CEI headquarters. This is where many young and ambitious policy nerds came together to form what is now a movement across the country championing limited government. His legacy only continued under the leadership of SPN’s incoming board chairman Lawson Bader when he was president of CEI, and now Kent Lassman, current CEI president.
The silver lining is after many years of significant health challenges, Fred is now at peace. And he can rest assured that he left behind a legacy that will not soon be forgotten, and one that is much needed at a time like this.
Thank you, Fred. We will miss you.
Photo Credit: Competitive Enterprise Institute.
