In a world where the invisible hand of politics guided the nation’s destiny, one man dared to reshape the very fabric of American governance. Enter John M. Olin, the enigmatic force behind a seismic shift in the political landscape, whose influence continues to reverberate through the corridors of power. John M. Olin was a founding father of modern American-conservative politics who pioneered think tank advocacy and gave seed money to educate current and future policymakers and lawyers. This is the story of that visionary strategist whose ideas and resources left an indelible mark on American politics, forever altering the course of the country.
John M. Olin was an American businessman and philanthropist born in 1892. John came from a family of industrialists: his grandfather built mills and waterwheels and his father founded the Olin corporation. Inspired by what he viewed as increasing liberalism within his alma mater, Cornell, John M. Olin used his wealth and strategic philanthropy to play a pivotal role in the rise of the New Right. According to an Olin Foundation memorandum, quoted in Dark Money, Olin “saw very clearly that students at Cornell, like those at most major universities, were hostile to businessmen and to business enterprise, and indeed had begun to question the ideals of the nation itself.” To rebut this, Olin created a foundation that would try to put an end to the rise of the left, he would mainly do so with a four pronged approach: creating and funding conservative think tanks and organizations, introducing “law and economics” into prestigious law schools, focusing resources towards local judges throughout the nation, and creating the Federalist Society. With these four things, John M. Olin was able to transform America.
The Olin Foundation wanted to have their say in American politics, but wanted the rise of the right to not be associated with one person or organization, to appear like natural growth. One of the ways they accomplished this was through the funding of conservative think tanks, giving $500,000 to the Heritage Foundation in the late 1980’s, contributing to the Hoover Institute and the American Enterprise Institute. Along with think tanks, Olin funded conservative publications such as Firing Line and the American Spectator just to name a few. According to The Harvard Crimson, he heavily supported the Dartmouth Review, a conservative newspaper at a traditionally liberal university, even giving them $100,000 (around $260,000 in today’s money) in 1988 to help finance a lawsuit. The Dartmouth Review has produced generations of conservative political figures, including prominent contemporary voices such as Dinesh D’Souza, Laura Ingraham, and Joseph Rago. It was the Olin Foundation’s support for these political organizations that allowed them to thrive and have meaningful, lasting impacts on the country.
The John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Business, The John M. Olin Center for Law, Economics, and Public Policy, The John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics, and The John M. Olin Program in Law and Economics. What are they? These are the names of law programs at Harvard, Yale, UVA, and Stanford. Other Olin law programs can be found at Cornell and The University of Chicago. John M. Olin knew that his money only went so far and he would not be around forever to support organizations that aligned with his beliefs, so he ingrained himself and his ideology into top law schools throughout the country. He ensured that long after him, people that decide, fight, and uphold the law would be instilled with his values.
Olin didn’t just fund regular law programs, he created the field of Law and Economics. The idea of Law and Economics ensures that people remember to uphold the law with economic values in mind, it, to quote Brian Butler, professor at The University of North Carolina, Asheville, “asserts that the tools of economic reasoning offer the best possibility for justified and consistent legal practice.” For example, if an oil company violates a regulation or a damaging oil accident occurs (such as an oil spill), a student of Law and Economics might see less cause for punishment than a proponent of different study of law. This is because the theory of Law and Economics upholds the idea that if companies have to pay a large sum of money, it might result in layoffs or higher gas prices–damaging society at large. John M. Olin’s contribution to law programs and his introduction of Law and Economics programs to major universities taught future policy makers of America to prioritize the needs of economic powers rather than the public.
Not only did Olin finance law programs with the goal of inspiring future lawmakers, he implemented his ideas directly in courthouses across the nation. He would fund weekend resort trips for federal judges where they could hear speeches given by Nobel-winning economists in the morning, and enjoy the Florida beaches in the afternoon. Because these retreats were presented as mere economics instruction, even liberal judges were enthusiastic.
Perhaps the most crucial thing that the Olin Foundation did to enforce its ideology was fund the Federalist Society. The Federalist Society is now one of, if not, the most important legal organization in the American right, but when Olin began funding it, the group was a mere student-led organization at a couple national universities. To highlight just how important the Federalist Society is today, five of the nine Supreme Court judges are current or former members. The Society even directly provided former President Donald Trump a shortlist of judges for his three nominations.
John M. Olin’s seismic impact on the American political landscape continues to resonate today, prompting crucial questions about the role of wealth and its influence in a democratic society. His strategic philanthropy, which fostered a robust conservative infrastructure, has shaped policy debates, legal practice, and the ideological makeup of the judiciary for decades. As we grapple with ongoing polarization and ideological divisions, we must confront the implications of deep-pocketed donors shaping political outcomes. Are we comfortable with the disproportionate influence of a few? How can we ensure a fair and equitable democratic process? Moreover, as we navigate a rapidly changing world, we must critically examine the enduring relevance of Olin’s impact and envision a political landscape that embraces diversity and inclusive dialogue. The legacy of John M. Olin serves as a reminder of the power of individuals to shape a nation’s destiny, compelling us to engage in a broader conversation about power dynamics, influence, and the future of democracy in America.
This is so well written and thought out. Super interesting topic. Great job.