Walter Williams loved teaching. Unlike too many other teachers today, he made it a point never to impose his opinions on his students. Those who read his syndicated newspaper columns know that he expressed his opinions boldly and unequivocally there. But not in the classroom.
Walter once said he hoped that, on the day he died, he would have taught a class that day. And that is just the way it was, when he died on Wednesday, December 2, 2020.
He was my best friend for half a century. There was no one I trusted more or whose integrity I respected more. Since he was younger than me, I chose him to be my literary executor, to take control of my books after I was gone.
But his death is a reminder that no one really has anything to say about such things.
As an economist, Walter Williams never got the credit he deserved. His book “Race and Economics” is a must-read introduction to the subject. Amazon has it ranked 5th in sales among civil rights books, 9 years after it was published.
Another book of his, on the effects of economics under the white supremacist apartheid regime in South Africa, was titled “South Africa’s War Against Capitalism.” He went to South Africa to study the situation directly. Many of the things he brought out have implications for racial discrimination in other places around the world.
I have had many occasions to cite Walter Williams’ research in my own books. Most of what others say about higher prices in low income neighborhoods today has not yet caught up to what Walter said in his doctoral dissertation decades ago.
Despite his opposition to the welfare state, as something doing more harm than good, Walter was privately very generous with both his money and his time in helping others.
He figured he had a right to do whatever he wanted to with his own money, but that politicians had no right to take his money to give away, in order to get votes.
In a letter dated March 3, 1975, Walter said: “Sometimes it is a very lonely struggle trying to help our people, particularly the ones who do not realize that help is needed.”
In the same letter, he mentioned a certain hospital which “has an all but written policy of prohibiting the flunking of black medical students.”
Not long after this, a professor at a prestigious medical school revealed that black students there were given passing grades without having met the standards applied to other students. He warned that trusting patients would pay — some with their lives — for such irresponsible double standards. That has in fact happened.
As a person, Walter Williams was unique. I have heard of no one else being described as being “like Walter Williams.”
Holding a black belt in karate, Walter was a tough customer. One night three men jumped him — and two of those men ended up in a hospital.
The other side of Walter came out in relation to his wife, Connie. She helped put him through graduate school — and after he received his Ph.D., she never had to work again, not even to fix his breakfast.
Walter liked to go to his job at 4:30 AM. He was the only person who had no problem finding a parking space on the street in downtown Washington. Around 9 o’clock or so, Connie — now awake — would phone Walter and they would greet each other tenderly for the day.
We may not see his like again. And that is our loss.
Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His website is www.tsowell.com. To find out more about Thomas Sowell and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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Walter Williams, a great American patriot. I will miss your columns. God rest your soul in peace. You were a great man. Thank you, Thomas Sowell for the great column, on your dear friend, Walter.
Ditto
I was saddened, i saw this mentioned on Newsmax, but sickened, i still have not seen EVEN ONE 5 second segment on his passing, over on FOX puke news..
Especially when you consider, HOW OFTEN HE was a guest speaker on MANY of their shows.
A great loss indeed, and thank you Prof. Sowell for writing this beautiful obituary! RIP Professor Williams!
I remember a news story about him, I believe with Katie Couric, and how he worked very hard to pay his own way for his education, not participating in the affirmative action program. She was visibly surprised that he made it on his own and was a strong conservative. I enjoyed reading his commentaries an hearing him sub for Rush. He will be missed by many.
There’s a seat real close to God for him… he helped humanity in general for decades.
It was always a breath of fresh air to read a Walter Williams column, he was like a conscience against the radicals who dominated the public discourse on many subjects. Impressive too were his ‘Black by demand’ were his radio stints filling in for other talk show hosts. He will certainly be missed, I hope the black community appreciates insigh and continues his work.
They should build him a statue, but some BLM fool will just tear it down.
They would because he he did not play into their victimhood ruse, he told everyone time and again that they could make it on their own without the need for a thug group like BLM.
HE does deserve his own statue, a LOT MORE THAN all those we keep seeing being put up for MLK..
When I read opinion columns, I always read Walter Williams last, his columns were the dessert for my reading. I would have loved to have met the man in person, I thought that he’d have been a great President. He’ll be sorely missed, the man was a national treasure! I could have just as easily written the same words about Dr. Thomas Sowell, another national treasure. Both men clear thinkers blessed with plain old common sense! God bless, Rest in peace!
Beautiful tribute Dr. Sowell. Brought a tear to my eye.
Lots of what you mentioned about the man, I had no idea.
He was by far my favorite guest host on Rush, he had the heart of a teacher, so much so that I’d bet he could take the most boring subject imaginable and make it interesting…THAT’s how good he was.
My condolences to his family and friends on the loss of a great man.
God Speed to you Dr. Williams.
P.S. I hope you don’t see any document resembling our Constitution where you’re at.