In Remembrance of Jon Basil Utley (1934 –2020)

Christopher A. PrebleThe pro ‐​freedom and anti‐​war movement lost one of its most dedicated champions this past weekend. Jon Basil Utley was born in the Soviet Union in 1934. His British‐​born mother, Freda, had gone there as a pro ‐​communist intellectual and writer. But after his father was spirited away to one of Stalin’s gulags (where he was executed in 1938), Freda fled with young Jon and became an outspoken critic of the Soviet Union, including in several bestselling books. They eventually emigrated to the United S tates where Freda hosted meetings of prominent anti ‐​communists in their home. That is where Jon met many leading intellectuals and activists of the Cold War era, connections that lasted a lifetime. He became an accomplished writer in his own right, as well as a successful businessman. He traveled extensively.Jon was a nearly ubiquitous presence at DC gatherings and globally. He attended many events at Cato, as well as Grover Norquist ’s Wednesday meetings at Americans for Tax Reform. He supportedReason magazine and the Reason Foundation, and many other libertarian causes. And he was proud to be associated withThe American Conservative magazine, where he served on the board of directors, and as publisher.Whenever I encountered Jon at one of these meetings, he would always greet me with a warm toothy smile and a firm handshake. He made me feel so welcomed at these gatherings – but he did ...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs