Professor Elam

Shermichael Singleton is spending time with us here at UNT Dallas this summer.  We picked Shermichael as one of our two reps to Rotary Youth Leadership Camp.  He stopped by my office yesterday and we discussed his desire to study law and political science.  I asked if he read Tom Sowell; indeed he was not aware of Dr. Sowell and was much surprised to find the good Dr. to be a person of color.  Dr. Sowell tops my list of original thinkers in this country.  So for Shermichael and others seeking new and original thought, here is my short list of ‘Colorful Thinkers.’

Tom Sowell is the Milton and Rose Friedman Scholar at Stanford. That alone would be notable but there is good reason for his selection to hold that ‘chair.’  He has published over forty books, numerous academic essays.  Any week will see two or three columns.  his latest on Attention Getters  is typically incisive and observant.  Originally a firebrand liberal, he is now, is reflective of much more conservative thought. And if you are looking for an educationaly entertaining Friday, you can do no better than if you catch Walter Williams interviewing Dr. Sowell when Walter subs for Rush on his radio show. 

Walter Williams  is a Professor of Economics at George Mason Unveristy. He is also well published and  exhibits a great sense of dry humor when substituting for Rush.  Both Sowell and Williams are highly critical of the current education fads including culture diversity as opposed to real grounding in basic subjects, so be forewarned. 

Larry Elder  the Sage of South Central graduated from Brown (same as John Kennedy and Cristina Amananpour) and Univ of Michigan Law School.  He holds forth on KACB radio every day and has authored among other books, Ten Things You Can’t Say in America . 

Columns by these three are featured on Town Hall. 

Ken Hamblin’s Pick a Better Country  gets little or no attention in today’s universities which is a shame. It details how he got hired through an affirmative action program, notes that it near impossible for anyone on the job to take him seriously, and then details how he became a successful photographer and pilot.  Regrettably, his talk show in Denver has not survived but his book remains a standout.

I always enjoy reading Herman Cain.   After turning around Godfather Pizza, he has become  a successful columnist, author, personality, and subs for Neal Boortz on his Boortz talk show.

Successful, innovative, original thinkers, I’ll vote for that.