David Nolan (politician)

David Nolan
Nolan at the 2008 Libertarian Party national convention
1st Chair of the Libertarian National Committee
In office
1971–1972
Succeeded bySusan Nolan
Personal details
Born
David Fraser Nolan

(1943-11-23)November 23, 1943
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedNovember 21, 2010(2010-11-21) (aged 66)
Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
Political partyLibertarian (after 1971)
Other political
affiliations
EducationMassachusetts Institute of Technology (BS)
OccupationWriter, politician
Known forFounding the Libertarian Party
Inventing the Nolan Chart

David Fraser Nolan (/ˈnlən/; November 23, 1943 – November 21, 2010[1]) was an American activist and politician. He was one of the founders of the Libertarian Party of the United States, having hosted the meeting in 1971 at which the Party was founded.[2][3] Nolan subsequently served the party in a number of roles including National Committee Chair, editor of the party newsletter, Chair of the By-laws Committee, Chair of the Judicial Committee, and Chair of the Platform Committee.

He is also known as the inventor of the Nolan Chart,[4] an attempt to improve on the left versus right political taxonomy by separating the issues of economic freedom and social freedom and presenting them on a two-dimensional plane instead of the traditional line. Decades after its introduction, it continues to be popular, with millions of copies having been distributed, including by the group Advocates for Self-Government as the "World's Smallest Political Quiz".

  1. ^ "Libertarian co-founder David Nolan died in Tucson". fox11az.com. November 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 19, 2011. Retrieved November 23, 2010.
  2. ^ Martin, Douglas. David Nolan, 66, Is Dead; Started Libertarian Party, The New York Times, November 22, 2010. "After switching his major to political science, his involvement in conservative politics deepened. He was a founding member of M.I.T. Students for Goldwater in 1964, promoting the Republican presidential candidacy of Senator Barry Goldwater of Arizona, and helped it become the largest chapter in New England."
  3. ^ Bill Winter, "1971–2001: The Libertarian Party's 30th Anniversary Year: Remembering the first three decades of America's 'Party of Principle'" LP News
  4. ^ Doherty, Brian. "Radicals for Capitalism" p. 32. PublicAffairs.