James U. Blanchard III

James U. Blanchard III (deceased 1999) was a former advisor to The Free Africa Foundation.

"In addition, Jim co-founded the Industry Council for Tangible Assets to combat unscrupulous business practices in the coin and bullion industry, and helped reverse several burdensome U.S. laws on behalf of American investors. He served for many years on the board of The Cato Institute, one of Washington's most respected pro-free-market think tanks, and was a member of the board of governors for Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans.

"Over the years, Jim's efforts on behalf of personal liberty and free markets won him numerous accolades, including Man of the Year from the World Gold Association, the Von Mises Award from the Ludwig Von Mises Institute, the Investor's Best Friend award and Junior Achievement's New Orleans Businessman of the Year award...

"Jim co-founded the Blanchard Group of Funds, which held as much as $1.7 billion under management before being sold in July 1995. He was the executive editor and publisher of Gold Newsletter, which stands as the oldest precious metals-related advisory publication in the world after 30 years of continuous publication."

Lawrence Reed. the president of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy (a free market research and educational organization in Midland, Michigan) wrote in 1999 that:


 * "In 1974, Gerald Ford signed a bill that restored the right of Americans to own gold. The real hero of that moment was Jim Blanchard, who had formed the National Committee to Legalize Gold in 1971 and spearheaded a nationwide grassroots campaign. He knew that governments don’t like gold because they can’t print it. He saw gold ownership as a fundamental human right, a hedge against government mismanagement of money, and the first essential step down the long road to monetary integrity.


 * "True to his spirit, some of Jim’s efforts were dramatic and unconventional. He arranged for a biplane to tow a “Legalize Gold” banner over President Nixon’s 1973 inauguration. He also held press conferences around the country at which he would brandish illegal bars of gold and publicly defy federal officials to throw him in jail. These and many other stories about Jim’s colorful career can be found in his 1990 autobiography, Confessions of a Gold Bug...


 * "On my return in 1986 from visiting with activists in the anti-communist underground in Poland, I went to Jim with a request. I advised him that for $5,000, pro-freedom forces in Warsaw could translate Milton Friedman’s Free to Choose into Polish and then print and distribute hundreds of copies throughout the country. He wrote that check on the spot, and many others for similar causes behind the Iron Curtain. Not content only to fund these worthy endeavors, he often transported illicit, pro-freedom literature himself when he visited communist countries.


 * "One of Jim Blanchard’s favorite foreign projects was assisting anti-communist rebel forces inside war-torn Mozambique in the 1980s and early 1990s. He once sent a colleague and me on a clandestine journey inside the country to live for two weeks with the rebels in the bush and help spread a pro-freedom message. Once the war was over and Mozambique adopted policies friendly to private property and free markets, Jim pitched in to assist in reconstruction. Through Blanchard Mozambique Enterprises, he obtained a concession to rejuvenate 580,000 acres and create the largest privatized game reserve in the world. His plans for the development of lodges and resort facilities within the reserve will go forward and will in turn support the wide-scale reintroduction and protection of a number of big game animals."

Related Sourcewatch articles

 * Blanchard and Company
 * Jefferson Financial