Wish We Were Here Episode 16: Liberty’s Pitchman — Robert LeFevre & The Freedom School

‹‹ Wish We Were Here
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By Noel Black and Jake Brownell
June 17, 2016
"Freedom School Flag" by Stan Payne, May 23, 1959.
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District "Freedom School Flag" by Stan Payne, May 23, 1959.
"Award to Freedom School" (Robert LeFevre, left, and Roger Milliken) by Stan Payne, 1959
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District "Award to Freedom School" (Robert LeFevre, left, and Roger Milliken) by Stan Payne, 1959
"Freedom School Car" by Stan Payne, 1963.
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District "Freedom School Car" by Stan Payne, 1963.
Image from the Rampart College Newsletter from 1965 showing a young Charles Koch (second from left) standing next to Robert LeFevre
Courtesy of Mark Ames Image from the Rampart College Newsletter from 1965 showing a young Charles Koch (second from left) standing next to Robert LeFevre
An aerial view of the Freedom School Campus, looking SE
Courtesy of Douglas County School District An aerial view of the Freedom School Campus, looking SE
Robert LeFevre and Guests in Front of the Liberty Log in Liberty Lodge
Courtesy of Douglas County School District Robert LeFevre and Guests in Front of the Liberty Log in Liberty Lodge
Illustration from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District Illustration from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Copy from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District Copy from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Illustration from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District Illustration from a Freedom School Promotional Brochure
Pages from The Freedom School Bulletin, ca. 1962-63
Courtesy of Colorado College Special Collections Pages from The Freedom School Bulletin, ca. 1962-63
Pages from the Freedom School Prospectus ca. 1963-1964
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Pages from the Freedom School Prospectus ca. 1963-1964
Class Photo from a Freedom School Prospectus ca. 1963-1964
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Class Photo from a Freedom School Prospectus ca. 1963-1964
A Freedom School Pamphlet
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District A Freedom School Pamphlet
Pages from the Freedom School Prospectus, ca. 1962-1963
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Pages from the Freedom School Prospectus, ca. 1962-1963
Cover of the Freedom School's 1961 Annual
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Cover of the Freedom School's 1961 Annual
The cover of LeFevre's book THIS BREAD IS MINEs
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District The cover of LeFevre's book THIS BREAD IS MINEs
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District
Freedom School photo of students outside Rose Wilder Lane Hall ca. 1963-63
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Freedom School photo of students outside Rose Wilder Lane Hall ca. 1963-63
Freedom School Letterhead
Courtesy of Pikes Peak Library District Freedom School Letterhead
Charles Koch pictured on the Trustees Page from the 1966 Freedom School Bulletin
Courtesy of Colorado College Charles Koch pictured on the Trustees Page from the 1966 Freedom School Bulletin
The Freedom School Prospectus 1962
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District The Freedom School Prospectus 1962
"Phrontistery Class" by Stan Payne, 1964.
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District "Phrontistery Class" by Stan Payne, 1964.
Cover of the Rampart College/Freedom School Bulletin, 1966
Courtesy of Colorado College Cover of the Rampart College/Freedom School Bulletin, 1966
From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
Courtesy of Colorado College From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
Courtesy of Colorado College From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
Courtesy of Colorado College From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
Courtesy of Colorado College From the Rampart College Bulletin, 1966
From a Freedom School Publication ca. 1962
Courtesy of the Pikes Peak Library District From a Freedom School Publication ca. 1962
Architectural rendering of the proposed Rampart College Library (unbuilt)
Courtesy of Douglas County School District Architectural rendering of the proposed Rampart College Library (unbuilt)
The "Liberty Log" inside Liberty Hall
Noel Black The "Liberty Log" inside Liberty Hall
Signatures on top of the "Liberty Log"
Noel Black Signatures on top of the "Liberty Log"
Robert LeFevre's signature on the "Liberty Log"
Jake Brownell Robert LeFevre's signature on the "Liberty Log"
Rose Wilder Lane Hall today
Noel Black Rose Wilder Lane Hall today
The classroom inside Rose Wilder Lane Hall (recently a basketball court)
Noel Black The classroom inside Rose Wilder Lane Hall (recently a basketball court)
Looking down into the former classroom inside Rose Wilder Lane Hall
Looking down into the former classroom inside Rose Wilder Lane Hall
Columbine Hall todayt
Columbine Hall todayt
Liberty Lodge (looking West)
Liberty Lodge (looking West)
Falcon's Lair Lodge today
Falcon's Lair Lodge today

In the mid-20th Century, a man named Robert LeFevre (pronounced Luh-FAVE) created a small mountain academy just north of Colorado Springs called The Freedom School. The school, and his teachings, played an important role in the popularization of libertarianism in America. They also helped shape the minds of some of the the most powerful men in American industry and politics, not the least of which were Charles and David Koch, aka The Koch Brothers--two of the wealthiest men in the world.

On this episode of Wish We Were Here we tell the nearly-forgotten story of LeFevre and his short-lived libertarian boot camp.

Click HERE to read the FBI's file on LeFevre and the Freedom School.

Click HERE to read Mark Ames's article "Meet Charles Koch's Brain"

Click HERE for Brian Doherty's book Radicals for Capitalism: A Freewheeling History of the Modern American Libertarian Movement

Click HERE to read Jane Mayer's 2010 New Yorker article, "Covert Operations: The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama."

Click HERE to watch historian Will Schultz's 2015 presentation on The Freedom School and Robert LeFevre.

Click HERE to read the complete Historical Assessment of the former Freedom School property.

Music in this episode was composed by Sam Erickson, of the band We Are Not A Glum Lot.

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