The Roe Award was established in 1992 and fittingly named after the late Thomas A. Roe, Jr., founder of State Policy Network. Roe was a loyal supporter of the state-based think tanks, providing support through his South Carolina-based Roe Foundation. In addition to being SPN’s founding chairman, Roe was a successful businessman, generous philanthropist, and a man who consistently rolled up his sleeves to get a job done. After years of success in building free-market think tanks at the national level, Tom led the charge to help the states develop their own engines of liberty — an aspiration that President Reagan himself encouraged Tom to pursue.
The Roe Award pays tribute to those in the state public policy movement whose achievements have greatly advanced free-market philosophy and policy solutions. It recognizes leadership, innovation, and accomplishment in public policy. The award is an eagle, a symbol of liberty and the courage and conviction necessary for its preservation.
Thomas A. Roe Award Recipients
2023 (Chicago, IL)
Charles Mitchell and Matthew Brouillette, Commonwealth Foundation
2022 (Atlanta, GA)
Randy Hicks, Georgia Center for Opportunity
2021 (Orlando, FL)
Justin Owen, Beacon Center of Tennessee
2019 (Colorado Springs, CO)
Kim Dennis, Searle Freedom Trust
2018 (Salt Lake City, UT)
John Kramer, Institute for Justice
2016 (Nashville, TN)
Clint Bolick
2015 (Grand Rapids, MI)
Whitney Ball, founder of DonorsTrust
2014 (Denver, CO)
Jeff Coors, President & CEO of Golden Technologies Company Inc.
2013 (Oklahoma City, OK)
Joe Lehman, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
2012 (Amelia Island, FL)
Dr. David Brown, Board Member of the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs & The Heritage Foundation
2011 (Seattle, WA)
John Tillman, Illinois Policy Institute
2010 (Cleveland, OH)
Tarren Bragdon, The Maine Heritage Policy Center
2009 (Asheville, NC)
Art Pope, John William Pope Foundation
2008 (Scottsdale, AZ)
Brooke Rollins, Texas Public Policy institute
2007 (Portland, ME)
Kevin Gentry, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation
2006 (Milwaukee, WI)
Darcy Olsen, Goldwater Institute
2005 (Charleston, SC)
Jon Caldara, Independence Institute
2004 (Austin, TX)
Sally Pipes, Pacific Research Institute
2003 (Seattle, WA)
Gisèle Huff, Jaquelin Hume Foundation
2002 (Indianapolis, IN)
Jo Kwong, Atlas Economic Research Foundation
Gary Palmer, Alabama Policy Institute
2001 (Boulder, CO)
Steve Buckstein, Cascade Policy Institute
Bridgett G. Wagner, The Heritage Foundation
2000 (St. Louis, MO)
J. Stanley Marshall, James Madison Institute
William H. “Chip” Mellor, Institute for Justice
Lovett “Pete” Peters, Pioneer Institute
1999 (Dallas, TX)
Grover N. Norquist, Americans for Tax Reform
Robert W. Poole, Jr., Reason Foundation
1998 (Atlanta, GA)
C.C. Guy, South Carolina Policy Council
Edward T. McMullen, Jr., South Carolina Policy Council
John M. Hood, John Locke Foundation
Joseph P. Overton, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
1997 (Tempe, AZ)
Carl Helstrom, The JM Foundation
Bob Williams, Evergreen Freedom Foundation
1996 (Minneapolis, MN)
William Eggers, The Reason Foundation
John H. Fund, The Wall Street Journal
Lawrence W. Reed, Mackinac Center for Public Policy
1994 (Tampa, FL)
John Andrews, Texas Public Policy Foundation
Joseph Bast, The Heartland Institute
1993 (Traverse City, MI)
Joseph Dolan, The JM Foundation
Thomas A. Roe, The Roe Foundation
J. Patrick Rooney, Golden Rule Insurance Company