Koch Brothers and Florida State

If you have ever used Dixie Cups or Brawny paper towels, you have used a product manufactured by Koch Industries.  Some of you may know of Koch Industries, a private energy conglomerate based in Wichita, Kansas.  Koch is involved in manufacturing, refining, and distribution of petroleum, chemicals, energy, fiber, minerals, and fertilizers.

Known for their unquestionable allegiance to free markets and free enterprise, the Koch brothers have made headlines recently for offering to fund professorships in the economics department at Florida State University.  First, a little background.  Charles and David Koch have created the think tanks, political organizations to advance their belief that government taxes and regulations choke the free market and prosperity.  In addition to owning the second largest private U.S. corporation, the Koch brothers’ assets are worth $22 billion each.  

Libertarian Charles Koch pledged $1.5 million for positions in the department.  In return, Koch representatives get to screen and sign off on any hires for a new program promoting, “political economy and free enterprise.”  Traditionally, when a university donor gives funds, they have little say in who gets the position.  The power to choose professors without outside interference is considered a hallmark of academic freedom.  

David Rasmussen, dean of the College of Social Sciences at FSU, defended the deal when it was passed in 2008 with little public controversy and now- “I have no objections to people who want to help us fund excellent at our university.  I’m happy to do it.”  The issue was revived two weeks ago when two FSU professors criticized the contract in the Tallahassee Democrat as an abomination to academic freedom.  Bruce Benson, chairman of FSU’s economics department, voiced his support of the grant, “The Kochs find, as I do, that a lot of regulation is actually detrimental and they’re convinced markets work relatively well when left alone.  So far, they’re fine with what’s going on.  But I agree with what they believe whether they give us money or not.”

Jennifer Washburn, author of University, Inc, a book on industry’s ties to academia, said, “This is an egregious example of a public university being willing to sell itself for next to nothing.”