President’s letter, September 2021
Dear Friends,
I write today from my deep sense of gratitude for your support and in a spirit of celebration of what we together have accomplished.
It’s hard for me to believe, but the first experimental economics workshop was conducted more than twenty-five years ago, in 1995 at the University of Arizona. Annual workshops followed, and their acclaimed success and warm welcome in the economics community and beyond led to the idea of forming IFREE, the International Foundation for Research in Experimental Economics.
IFREE was chartered in early 1997. Under a carefully considered provision of its charter, IFREE terminates—sunsets—after twenty-five years. We at IFREE are approaching that twenty-five-year milestone, a full quarter century in business as a 501(c)(3) foundation.
IFREE has been a second professional home for me. For a quarter century, I have collaborated with a dedicated volunteer IFREE Board and Officers, many donors, grantees, proposal reviewers, workshop faculty, awardees and others, to spread the infectious excitement that comes from viewing economics as an experimental discipline that integrates seamlessly into a broader tapestry of the social sciences and humanities.
On September 22, remaining unexpended IFREE funds were transferred to the Vernon L. Smith Experimental Economics Education Fund, a Donor Advised Fund, Alaska Community Foundation.
I would like to invite you to continue your support of the experimental economics education agenda, which will serve university and high school trainings and educational outreach.
Peace be with you.
Vernon 