Ed Crane (executive)
American libertarian activist
Edward Harrison Crane (August 15, 1944 – February 10, 2026) was an American libertarian activist who co-founded the Cato Institute, serving as the organization's president until October 2012.
In the 1970s, Crane was one of the most active leaders within the Libertarian Party. He directed the party as its national chair from 1974 to 1977, worked on John Hospers's presidential bid and managed Ed Clark's 1978 campaign for Governor of California. In 1980, Crane served as communications director to the Libertarian Party presidential ticket of Clark and vice presidential candidate David H. Koch. Prior to founding the Cato Institute, Crane was a chartered financial analyst and vice president of Alliance Capital in California.
Crane was a member of the board of various organizations, including Americans for Limited Government, a group that assists grassroots efforts throughout the country, and the Institute for Free Speech. He was also a member of the Mont Pelerin Society.
Tenure at Cato Institute
In 1977, with funding from Charles Koch, Crane established the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank.
While at Cato, Crane expanded the organization from a staff of 10 and a budget of $800,000 when it first opened in San Francisco to a staff of 127 and a budget of $21 million in a newly renovated building in Washington, D.C.
In 2012, a shareholder dispute arose between Crane and Charles and David Koch. Crane accused the Kochs of trying to take control of the organization.
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