Volume 15, Number 9, September 2009 Archives Conversion Reaches Milestone ix years ago, the Ayn Rand Archives, a special on-site ARI server to store all of the image files, and phase are the conversion of the digital files onto S collection of ARI, took on a formidable a dedicated off-site back-up and storage system. bound acid-free paper and microfilm. The third challenge: reformatting the Ayn Rand Papers, While the digitization phase is complete, a and final phase involves the development of a an important collection of personal materials quality-control process begun earlier this year dedicated browser to enable scholarly access via from the life of Ayn Rand. The reformatting, or continues. Every one of the image files is being the Web and custodial management. “conversion,” would reproduce the entire collec- individually checked and, to date, approximately “While there is still much work to be done, tion, which includes manuscript pages and more 35,000 of the files have undergone quality control the accomplishments achieved in the past year than one thousand photographs, in media such as and been approved. represent the culmination of years of painstaking microfilm, acid-free paper and electronic files. Two major phases of the conservation proj- effort,” said Yaron Brook. “The completion of this Such a project would create enduring copies ect remain. The major components of the second phase of the project is a major milestone in the of the materials and permit scholars around the ongoing process of securing the permanent legacy world to access the collection over the Internet. of Ayn Rand’s work. I would like to thank the Now, after the creation of approximately a hun- donors who have contributed to this vital under- dred thousand digital images, Impact is pleased to taking and to encourage anyone interested in the announce that phase one of this three-part conser- project to contribute to the next phases, which are vation and access project is complete. just as crucial to the project’s goals.” The hundred thousand image files represent Going forward, major investment will be the digitization of 185 legal-size document cartons needed to complete the remaining stages of the and twenty-six oversize boxes—approximately 150 conservation process. If you would like to con- linear feet of material. The digitization process also tribute to that effort, please contact Duane Knight: included the creation of a digital file structure rep- [email protected]. licating the arrangement of the papers, a dedicated Ayn Rand’s papers being photographed by a technician Anthem and The Fountainhead Essay Contest Winners Announced he results are in. More than 16,000 Anthem that one than the others,” she said. “I liked the competition between us, but we’re also really Tand 7,000 Fountainhead essay contest idea of trying to explain the hopeful aspects of supportive of each other. My siblings were very entries have been judged, and both contests set the story, since most of the world in which the happy for me when we found out that I had new participation records. The top prize win- story is set seems pretty grim.” won—and Erin was a semifinalist!” ners are Hillary Purcell (Anthem) of Cincinnati, Ms. Purcell faced some stiff competition Ms. DeWald, an eleventh-grader at the Ohio, and Dinah DeWald (The Fountainhead) from within the family. “My brother Tim and Arizona School for the Arts, also has an inter- of Phoenix, Arizona. my sisters Erin and Stacy also entered the con- esting story. She has won Ms. Purcell, a tenth- test as part of our English class. We’re quadru- the $10,000 Fountainhead grader at Mariemont High plets, so we were in the same class and had the grand prize one year after School, entered the Anthem same assignment. There’s always a little friendly placing second in the 2008 essay contest as an Eng- Anthem essay contest. “I lish class assignment. Her was very surprised at win- winning essay answered the Thank you to Essay Contest Donor ning again,” she said. She question why the novella, On behalf of ARI, Impact would like to extend a special attributed her success in despite its bleak setting, is a “thank you” to the Emmett and Miriam McCoy Foundation, the essay contests to having Hillary Purcell Dinah DeWald story of liberation and hope. which generously funded all costs associated with the read Ayn Rand for years and “I chose to answer the question I did because Fountainhead essay contest this year. to having thought extensively about the ideas I thought I could make a better argument with continued on page 4 Essential Reading: ARI Publications, Voices for Reason OAC Applications RI writers and Voices for Reason, the blog ABC news anchor John Stossel quoted Up 52 Percent A of the Ayn Rand Center, have been attract- ARI analyst Alex Epstein’s Voices for Reason ing attention from major media outlets, academ- blog post “Government Propaganda” in his Applications to the Objec- ics and businessmen. Here are some highlights. professional blog. This same post was also tivist Academic Center for ARI analyst Tom Bowden’s “Justice Holmes linked to by the heavily trafficked Web site academic year 2009–10 have and the Empty Constitution,” published in the Instapundit. Mr. Epstein’s op-ed “Google increased 52 percent over summer edition of The Objective Standard, has Deserves to Be Celebrated, Not Persecuted by last year. The OAC, which offers four-year under- been making the rounds in scholarly circles. It Trustbusters,” originally published in Investor’s graduate and graduate programs in Ayn Rand’s received mention on George Mason University’s Business Daily, was quoted by Steve Forbes in philosophy, has witnessed steady growth since its History News Network, on the Chronicle of his Other Comments column on Forbes.com. launch in 2001. According to Debi Ghate, ARI vice Higher Education’s Arts and Letters Daily Web And Mr. Epstein’s op-ed “Why We Should president of Academic programs, the magnitude of site and on the blog of bookforum.com, a Web Celebrate Oil’s Birthday” was published in this year’s surge is especially notable. site for book reviews. Investor’s Business Daily. “We expected a boost in applications given An article by ARI fellow Keith Lockitch has “Why Ayn Rand Is Still Relevant,” an article all the attention Ayn Rand has received in the been published in the academic journal Energy by ARI executive director Yaron Brook and mass media this year,” she said, “but a 52 percent and Environment, volume 20, number 5. The ARI writer and research specialist Don Watkins, jump in the number of people ready to commit article, “Climate Vulnerability and the Indispens- was published on CNBC.com. Dr. Brook also to seriously studying Objectivism in a four-year able Value of Industrial Capitalism,” defends the appeared on the CNBC television show CNBC program is especially encouraging. It’s one more thesis that capitalism is man’s best defense against Reports on two consecutive evenings in August. piece of evidence—in a long chain—that interest natural disasters. A PDF of the article is available Video clips of those appearances are available on in Objectivism and awareness of ARI is spreading, at aynrandcenter.org/media_topic_science. ARC-TV.com. continued on page 3 Prime Movers in Activism How to Fight Government Health Care By Lin Zinser The Prime Movers in Activism is a network of nals. “The legal treatment accorded to criminals is prolific activists that have The Non-Objectivity of much superior to that accorded to businessmen,” come together to share she writes. “The criminal’s rights are protected ideas and plan events. Antitrust by objective laws, objective procedures, objective In this column, ARI rules of evidence. A criminal is presumed to be vice president of Public Each month Impact suggests readings and other innocent until he is proven guilty. Only business- Outreach Lin Zinser highlights the work of resources for fans of Ayn Rand’s fiction who wish men—the producers, the providers, the support- these activists and suggests ways in which to learn more about her philosophy, Objectivism. ers, the Atlases who carry our whole economy on others can become involved in activism. yn Rand described the Sherman Act of 1890, their shoulders—are regarded as guilty by nature A which declared trusts to be illegal, as “the and are required to prove their innocence, without t the time of this writing, mid-August, most infamous piece of legislation in American any definable criteria of innocence or proof, and A health care is the crucial public policy history” and singled it out as “the turning point on are left at the whim, the favor, the malice of any issue. At town hall meetings and at Tea Parties, the road to the ultimate destruction of American publicity-seeking politician, any scheming stat- angry Americans are voicing their opposi- industry.” Why did Ayn Rand find the Sherman ist, any envious mediocrity who might chance tion to the government’s attempt to radically Act, and all other antitrust laws that would follow to work his way into a bureaucratic job and who expand its control over the health-care industry. it, so damaging and abhorrent? feels a yen to do some trust-busting.” (“America’s This frustration presents us with a tremendous The antitrust laws, Rand wrote, are “an Persecuted Minority: Big Business,” Capitalism: opportunity to provide intellectual ammunition unenforceable, uncompliable, unjudicable mess The Unknown Ideal) to those concerned. of contradictions” that have “kept American For more on this topic (in addition to the Many protesters oppose government businessmen under a silent, growing reign of ter- works already cited), read Capitalism: The health care solely on the grounds that it is ror.