The Chicago Tribune reports that about a hundred professors at the University of Chicago are protesting the creation of The Milton Friedman Institute at the school where he taught for about thirty years starting in 1946.

"It is a right-wing think tank being put in place," said Bruce Lincoln, a professor of the history of religions and one of the faculty members who met with the administration Tuesday. "The long-term consequences will be very severe. This will be a flagship entity and it will attract a lot of money and a lot of attention, and I think work at the university and the university's reputation will take a serious rightward turn to the detriment of all."

The school is putting about $500,000 and using some buildings being abandoned by its seminary to attract a group of $1 million and $2 million donors. Perhaps Prof. Lincoln thinks that money would have come to a center for the history of religions if it wasn't for that little Milton?

Well, it's worse than that. Here's a copy of the letter, posted by one Michael K Bourdaghs while sitting in a coffee shop in St. Paul, who notes

I guess I should be happy that we at least aren't selling liver transplants to Japanese yakuza gang leaders.

Now that's some real collegiality!

h/t: Newmark's Door

Labels: economics