History

January 10, 1971 The New York Times Magazine publishes an article by two Columbia College seniors, Stan Lehr and Louis Rossetto Jr., entitled "The New Right Credo—Libertarianism." Rossetto goes on to found Wired magazine. He recently gave an interview where he talks about libertarianism, Reason magazine, and revolution.

Academic year 1979-80 The Columbia Libertarian Caucus was co-founded by Glenn Farber (CC '81), who writes that the group "had a pretty lively and diverse membership covering several different schools on campus." We don't know how long the group lasted, but we're told it was "going strong" when Mr. Farber graduated.

Academic year 2001-02 The Columbia University Libertarians is founded but then abandoned.

Fall 2002 Through the Libertarian Party campus contact and by word of mouth, a new group is organized and petitions to be recognized as the Columbia College Libertarians.

December 17, 2002 In the middle of final exams, the Student Governing Board of Earl Hall officially recognizes the Columbia College Libertarians.

February 11, 2003 The Hungarian Convention: In preparation for the first meeting, Will Thomas (CC '06) and Damian Najman (Law '05) meet at the Hungarian Pastry Shop to draft a constitution.

February 12, 2003 Our very first meeting is held at Hartley Lounge. We decide to have a vote via email to ratify the constitution and elect officers.

February 17, 2003 The constitution is ratified by unanimous vote. Our first Executive Board is elected: Will Thomas as president, Damian Najman as vice-president, Chris Haynes (GS '05) as treasurer and Nick Clark-Spear (CC '06) as secretary.

Spring 2003 We continue to meet, usually at Strokos Pizza, to plan events and publicity.

Spring 2003 Our web site goes live.

April 9, 2003 A small group of Columbia College Libertarians go out to dinner with Gene Healy of the Cato Institute, who had come to the Law School to speak about the war on drugs. We have a very good time, and look forward to host Mr. Healy at future CCL events.

April 21, 2003 We have a second election of officers who will serve through the 2003-04 academic year: Will Thomas, Damian Najman and Chris Haynes are reelected, and Rob McNamee (CC '06) is elected secretary.

April 23, 2003 We hold our First Movie Night, featuring “The People vs. Larry Flynt.”

April 30, 2003 We hold another Movie Night, to show “Traffic.” Three activists from the Manhattan LP come to meet our members.

September 5, 2003 Activities Day! We set up a table with posters and literature on College Walk. Many students take the World's Smallest Political Quiz, and over thirty sign up for our mailing list.

September 10, 2003 Hunter DuBose (MBA '99) becomes the first member of our Board of Advisors.

Fall Semester, 2003 We host four events, featuring Dr. Roger Pilon (GS '71) of the Cato Institute; Scott Bullock of the Institute for Justice; Jacob Sullum of Reason magazine with Todd Seavey of the American Council of Science and Health; and Senate Candidate Michael Benjamin, a Republican with some libertarian leanings.

January 23, 2004 The good folks at the Cato Institute hook us up with student pricing for a City Seminar featuring John Stossel at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle.

Spring Semester, 2004 Our guest speakers include Professor Randy Barnett of Boston University School of Law and June Arunga of the Inter-Region Economic Network, a free-market think tank in Kenya. We also hold a couple of "fireside chats" at a nearby cafe.

June 10, 2004 The sweet life of a student: A group of us make it to the Cato Institute's Policy Perspectives 2004 with P.J. O'Rourke and others at the Waldorf=Astoria, again with a student discount.

September 10, 2004 Activities Day again! We set up our table full of literature on College Walk, and sign up sixty-five students for our mailing list.

September 26, 2004 New officers are elected for the 2004-05 academic year: Marco Zappacosta (CC '07) as president, Horace Grant (GSAS) as vice-president, Andrew Wilson (CC '07) as treasurer, and Emily Reeves (CC '06) as secretary.

Academic year 2004-05 Weekly meetings are held every Tuesday at 9:00 p.m. in Hamilton #306, later in #309. We start a blog, and are listed as one of only eight "highlighted libertarian campus organizations" on the national LP website. We continue to host speakers on campus.

Sometime since then New executive board is elected:
President: Marco Zappacosta (CC '07)
Vice-President: Horace Grant (GSAS)
Treasurer: Andrew Wilson (CC '07)
Secretary: Emily Reeves (CC '06)

September 2007 Another executive board is elected:
President: Mathieu Gordon (CC '08)
Vice-President: Amy Penniston (BC '08)
Treasurer: John Marshall (CC '08)

April 2008 Another executive board is elected:
President: Sean Spielberg (CC)
Vice President and Treasurer: Masood Manoochehri (CC)
Outreach Director: Brenden Cline (CC)
Executive Director: Joseph Moukattaf (CC)

Leadership

President: Sean Spielberg
Vice President and Treasurer: Masood Manoochehri
Outreach Director: Brenden Cline
Executive Director: Joseph Moukattaf

If you're not sure which of us to contact, please email libertarians@columbia.edu.

Constitution

Preamble
The Columbia College Libertarians is a political organization and a chartered member of the Earl Hall Student Governing Board, formed to promote the principles of the Libertarian Party.

Definitions
The Columbia College Libertarians, hereafter referred to as “CCL,” shall be governed by a board of officers, hereafter referred to as the “Executive Board.”

Article I - Purpose
Section 1: Purpose
The purpose of CCL shall be to promote, through educational and political activity, the principles and candidates of the Libertarian Party.
Section 2: Executive Board
The Executive Board shall advance the purpose of CCL by:
a. Running CCL in a professional and efficient manner,
b. Ensuring the continuity of CCL, and
c. Maintaining strong ties to the Libertarian Party.

Article II - Membership
Section 1: Membership
Membership shall be open to students, faculty, staff and alumni of Columbia University who support the purpose of CCL and who register with the Executive Board.
Section 2: Privileges and Responsibilities
General membership privileges and responsibilities are the opportunity to attend CCL meetings and to plan and participate in CCL-sponsored events. Only those members who are students at Columbia University may vote and hold office.
Section 3: Dues
There are no dues for membership, although admission may be charged at certain CCL-sponsored events.
Section 4: Membership Termination
A membership is terminated when the member notifies the Executive Board that he or she no longer wishes to be a member, or when the member is expelled by a 2/3 majority vote for (a) irresponsible or unruly conduct at a CCL meeting or CCL-sponsored event, (b) leaving the University for any reason other than graduation, or (c) conviction of a felony or misdemeanor. Upon termination of membership, the former member must return to the Executive Board any CCL belongings in his or her possession. Upon graduation, a student member must notify the Executive Board if he or she wishes to become an alumni member.

Article III - Meetings
Section 1: Meetings
CCL meetings shall be called by the Executive Board or by petition of 1/3 of the membership. The Executive Board shall notify all members of meetings.
Section 2: Quorums
A quorum for a regular meeting shall be any three members, provided that at least one is a member of the Executive Board.
Section 3: Parliamentary Procedure
Except as otherwise provided for in this constitution, all meetings shall be conducted more or less according to Robert's Rules of Order.

Article IV - Officers
Section 1: Executive Board
The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Treasurer, and the Secretary.
Section 2: President
The President shall preside over meetings and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Executive Board or the membership. The President may not serve as Treasurer simultaneously. Only a member who is an undergraduate student may serve as President.
Section 3: Vice-President
The Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President, and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Executive Board or the membership.
Section 4: Treasurer
The Treasurer shall keep CCL funds and financial records, make disbursements as directed by the Executive Board, and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Executive Board or the membership. The Treasurer may not serve as President simultaneously. Only a member who is an undergraduate student may serve as Treasurer.
Section 5: Secretary
The Secretary shall keep minutes of meetings, all club records, and correspondence, and perform such other duties as may be delegated by the Executive Board or the membership.
Section 6: Election and Vacancies
Officers shall be elected in April every year, and shall serve a term of one year, commencing upon their election. If there is no clear majority, a runoff election shall be held among the two candidates with the highest vote totals. In the event of a tie, if no candidate withdraws, the election shall be determined by the flip of a coin. Vacancies shall be filled by special election at the next regular meeting following the vacancy.
Section 7: Removal of Officers
An Executive Board member may be removed from office by a 2/3 majority vote.

Article V – Ratification, Amendments and By-Laws
This constitution shall be ratified by a 3/4 majority vote.
This constitution may be amended by a 3/4 majority vote at any regular meeting.
By-laws may be added to this constitution by a 2/3 majority vote at any regular meeting.

Notable faculty

Present
* Jagdish N. Bhagwati, Professor of Economics
* Charles Calomiris, Professor of Finance and Economics
* Robert A. Mundell, Professor of Economics
* Arvind Panagariya, Professor of Economics
* Andrzej Rapaczynski, Professor of Law
* Mark Skousen, Professor of Economics

Past
* Gary S. Becker, Professor of Economics, 1957-68.
* Milton Friedman, Part-time Lecturer, 1937-40; Associate Director, Statistical Research Group, Division of War Research, 1943-45; Research Professor, 1964-65.
* C. Lowell Harriss, Professor Emeritus of Economics
* Fritz Machlup (1902 - 1983), Visiting Professor, 1948.
* Ilse Mintz, Professor of Economics (1960s?).

Notable alumni

Founding Fathers
* Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804), King's College 1774-1776; Trustee 1784-1804.
* John Jay (1745-1829), King's College 1764.
* Gouverneur Morris (1752-1816), King's College 1768: The Fun-Loving Founding Father.

At the Hoover Institution
* Richard A. Epstein, B.A. in Philosophy, 1964: The Accidental Libertarian.
* Milton Friedman,* Ph.D. 1946.
* Thomas Sowell, A.M. in Economics, 1959.

At the Cato Institute
* Mark A. Groombridge, Ph.D. in Political Science. Also taught at Columbia.
* Roger Pilon, B.A., 1971. 2001 Alumni Medal of Distinction, School of General Studies.
* Richard W. Rahn, Ph.D. in Business Economics, 1972.

More economists
* Benjamin Anderson (1886-1949), Ph.D. in Economics, 1911. Also taught at Columbia.
* Walter Block, Ph.D. in Economics, 1972. Thesis title: "The Economics of Rent Control in the U.S."
* Murray N. Rothbard (1926-1995), B.A. in Math., 1945, M.A. in Economics, 1946, Ph.D., 1956.

Other
* Louis Rossetto Jr. (founder of Wired magazine), B.A. in Political Science, 1971, M.B.A.

About us

Mission statement The mission of the Columbia College Libertarians is to promote, through educational and political activity, the principles of libertarianism and the candidacies of those who espouse these principles.

Membership Membership is open to all students, alumni, faculty and staff of Columbia University and its affiliated schools.

Mailing list To join our mailing list, send an email to majordomo@columbia.edu, with a blank subject and this in the message body: subscribe libertarians-all

Meetings Meetings are held almost every week during the fall and spring semesters - generally every Tuesday night at 9pm in Hamilton 309. A reminder is sent out to the mailing list before every meeting.