A message from Joseph L. Bast
President, The Heartland Institute
Dear Friends:
On Thursday, October 29, The Heartland Institute celebrated the 25th anniversary of its founding with a reception, silent auction, and dinner with speakers at the Hilton Chicago Hotel. It was a great evening shared with about 450 friends and supporters from across the country.
Author and television personality Terry Savage performed wonderfully as mistress of ceremonies. Keynote addresses by Dave Padden (Heartland’s founder and chairman emeritus), the Hon. Harrison Schmitt (Apollo 17 astronaut, moonwalker, and former U.S. Senator), and me (the speech I sort of delivered can be found here) were all well received.
One of the highlights of the evening was a series of short statements and salutes offered by a Who’s Who of the conservative and libertarian movements, including Robert Chitester, John Goodman, Jonathan Hoenig, Robert Jackson, Jim Johnston, David Keene, Yuri Maltsev, Joseph and Kathy Morris, and others ... including a surprise cameo appearance by Diane Bast, Heartland’s long-serving executive editor and (somewhat coincidentally) my long-suffering spouse.
My sincere thanks go out to everyone who helped make the evening a complete success: the table buyers who helped us raise more than $100,000; the staff who flawlessly executed everything from the silent auction to the pre-recorded videos; and all the think tank leaders and allies who came to Chicago to help celebrate this occasion.
The Heartland Institute’s first 25 years showed what commitment, creativity, and a lot of energy can achieve. I’m determined to make sure the next 25 years will be at least as productive as the first. Thanks for all the help and encouragement, and see you next year!
Sincerely,
Joseph L. Bast
President
