F.A. Harper

F. A. Harper
Born	(1905-02-07)February 7, 1905 Middleville, Michigan
Died	April 21, 1973(1973-04-21)
Nationality	United States
School or tradition	Austrian School
Influences	Herbert J. Davenport

Floyd Arthur "Baldy" Harper (February 7, 1905 – April 1973) was an American academic, economist and writer who was best known for founding the Institute for Humane Studies in 1961.

Baldy Harper was born and raised in Middleville, Michigan and graduated from Michigan State University. He went on to obtain a doctorate in agricultural economics from Cornell University. Economist Herbert J. Davenport was influential to Harper during his time at Cornell.

In 1930, Harper married Marguerite Kaechele. The couple had four children: Barbara, Harriet, Helen, and Larry.

The Federal Farm Board employed Harper as a research field agent in 1930 and 1931. He worked as a business analyst for the Farm Credit Association in 1934. In academia Harper spent 19 years as a professor of marketing at Cornell University and in 1937 was appointed acting head of the Department of Agricultural economics at the University of Puerto Rico. He left Cornell in 1946 after university officials decided that he should not be assigning readings of Austrian economist Friedrich Hayek's work. In 1946, Harper helped Leonard Read start the Foundation for Economic Education. A member of the Mont Pelerin Society, Harper was present at the group's first meeting in 1947 along with Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig Von Mises, Milton Friedman, and Karl Popper. Harper served on the staff of the Foundation for Economic Education until 1958, when he became a co-director of the William Volker Fund, a position he held until 1961. In the early 1960s, Harper served as a visiting professor of moral philosophy at Wabash College. Harper is best known for founding the Institute for Humane Studies. Initially he served as the Institute's secretary and treasurer. In 1965 he became the Institute's president, a position he held until his death in 1973.

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