In November, the Hayek Institut and the Austrian Economics Center (AEC)will be organizing the 10th Ceremony for the Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award. The celebration will take place in Vienna, Austria, and will be part of the Austrian Economics Conference the AEC is co-organizing.
This year’s laureates are extraordinary individuals worthy of recognition and praise. Indeed, Richard J. Stephenson is one of the most generous and effective philanthropists worldwide, while Tom Woods is one of the main driving forces of libertarianism in the United States and beyond.
The details of the Award Ceremony, ticket availability, and more, will be disclosed shortly. In the meantime, you can read below about the awardees, the previous list of recipients, and the Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award itself.
Richard J. Stephenson (USA)
Philanthropist, entrepreneur, global merchant banker and servant leader, Richard J Stephenson is the founder and chairman of Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA). He has been Chairman of the Board since the company’s inception in 1988.
Mr. Stephenson was taught by his parents to live a life in accordance with the moral code: When you see someone who is less well off than yourself, and you are in a unique position to do something about their plight, without harm to self, family or Lord, you simply step into the opportunity and do it. No fuss, no muss, no conversation. He is a 33° Scottish Rite Freemason, Shriner, Knights Templar, Distinguished Eagle Scout of America, and recipient of the prestigious 2017 Horatio Alger Award, which since 1947 has honored the achievements of admirable leaders who have succeeded despite facing adversity, and who are committed to higher education and charitable efforts in their local and global communities.
Following his mother’s death from cancer, and the painful reality of her lack of hope-fulfilling options, treatment and care, Mr. Stephenson made a promise to change the face of cancer care: “I never wanted to see another cancer patient suffer the agony of living without hope.” Thus, he and his family founded CTCA® in 1988 to fulfill that promise and introduced to the world what he aptly coined the Mother Standard® of care, the kind of care you would want for your loved one.
During Mr. Stephenson’s tenure as Chairman, CTCA has pioneered and proven the importance of a new paradigm in cancer care that empowers patients and their caregivers by providing them with services and programs they desire, where and when they desire them, in one seamless and comprehensive setting. In this setting, they are offered more innovative, integrated and hopeful options with which to better manage their cancer and enjoy a greatly enhanced quality of life.
Today, through its national network of hospitals specializing in the treatment of adult patients with cancer, CTCA offers an integrative approach to care that combines advancements in precision cancer treatment, surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy, with supportive therapies designed to manage side effects and enhance quality of life both during and after treatment. CTCA also offers a range of clinical trials to reveal new treatment options supported by scientific and investigational research, and is rated one of the most admired hospital systems in the U.S. in national consumer surveys.
Prior to founding CTCA, Mr. Stephenson developed a career as a highly successful international merchant banker. He graduated in 1962 from Wabash College and, while earning his J.D. degree from Northwestern University, he established International Capital Investment Company (ICIC), where he still serves as Chairman.
In 1991, Mr. Stephenson founded Gateway for Cancer Research, which he still chairs and supports and which to date has raised more than $85 million to fund more than 160 cutting-edge clinical trials around the world. This nonprofit organization spends 99 cents of every dollar received from public contributions to fund these trials which have changed the course of life and hope for thousands of cancer patients.
Today, the Stephenson family, including his wife, Dr. Stacie Stephenson, and his five children, are all actively and passionately devoted to his mission.
Tom Woods (USA)
Thomas E. Woods, Jr. (United States), is a senior fellow of the Mises Institute and host of The Tom Woods Show, which releases a new episode every weekday. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Harvard and his master’s, M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Columbia University.
Tom is the author of twelve books, most recently Real Dissent: A Libertarian Sets Fire to the Index Card of Allowable Opinion, Rollback: Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse and Nullification: How to Resist Federal Tyranny in the 21st Century.
His other books include the New York Times bestsellers Meltdown: A Free-Market Look at Why the Stock Market Collapsed, the Economy Tanked, and Government Bailouts Will Make Things Worse and The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History. His critically acclaimed book The Church Confronts Modernity was released in paperback by Columbia University Press in 2007.
Woods has appeared on CNBC, MSNBC, FOX News Channel, FOX Business Network, C-SPAN, and Bloomberg Television, among other outlets, and has been a guest on hundreds of radio programs, including National Public Radio, the Dennis Miller Show, the Michael Reagan Show, the Dennis Prager Show, and the Michael Medved Show.
The Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award
Each year, the Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award honours an outstanding economist, business leader, or writer of our times whose work and lifetime achievements best exemplify the principles of freedom and free enterprise represented by Friedrich A. v. Hayek and the Austrian School of Economics.
The Award’s Recipients List:
- Gloria Álvarez (2018) for introducing a new generation to the classical liberal thinking and for promoting the cause of freedom and responsibility.
- Dr. Richard W. Rahn (2018) for decades of tirelessly promoting sound economic policy and for sharing his wisdom with the global community of freedom-loving individuals.
- Dr. Arthur Laffer (2016) in recognition of his lifetime contributions in his fight against high taxation.
- Peter Thiel (2015) successful technology entrepreneur and philanthropist having demonstrated the innovative spirit that F.A. v. Hayek considered a precondition for human advancement.
- Prof. Dr. Deirdre McCloskey (2014) in recognition of her rich and pugnacious publications and in defense of our moral values.
- Dr. Dambisa Moyo (2013) in recognition of her prolific writings and courageous media presence not only in the US but worldwide.
- Prof. Leonhard Liggio (2013) in recognition of his efforts to share the best of the great classical liberal synthesis to change the world for the better.
- Prof. Dr. Niall Ferguson (2012) in recognition of his outstanding contributions in defense of individual liberty and economic freedom.
- Mario Vargas Llosa (2011) in recognition of his writings on behalf of liberty. He received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2010.
Recipients of the Hayek Lifetime Achievement Award are selected each year by a blue-ribbon awards committee including members of the board both of the Hayek Institute and Austrian Economics Center in consultation with leading Austrian School economists and economic historians, business leaders, and public intellectuals in making their decision.