John Hospers has lived an impressive life.

According to Ballot Access News, the first-ever Libertarian Party presidential candidate, turned 91 on June 9.

Hospers is a philosophical giant whose works on philosophy have become standard reading at major universities.  Hospers became friends with Ayn Rand in 1961, and, according to The Daily Objectivist, “Hospers wasn’t exactly a libertarian when he met Ayn Rand, but he largely came around to her way of thinking.”

In 1971, Hospers published Libertarianism: A Political Philosophy for Tomorrow, a book-length study of the modern philosophy of liberty.  It is widely considered to be one of the defining books of the liberty movement.

Recognizing that Ayn Rand’s ethical system could also be supported by others unfamiliar with Objectivist epistemology and metaphysics, he codified a somewhat broader common principle that opposes the initiation of physical force — the non-aggression principle. This principle still guides modern libertarians and, as such, serves as the fundamental backbone for modern libertarian thought.

Hospers is most famous for having received one electoral vote from Virginia, in 1972. He and George Wallace are the only actual minor party or independent presidential candidates who have received an electoral vote in the last 60 years. His running mate, Tonie Nathan, was the first woman and first Jewish American to receive an electoral vote.

Dr. Hospers switched to the Republican Party in his later years — recognizing the value of the Republican Liberty Caucus strategy — and signed on as an Honorary Advisor of the RLC.  He endorsed George W. Bush in 2004, primarily due to Bush’s foreign policy positions.

In 2002, an hour-long video about his life, work, and philosophy was released by Liberty Fund in Indianapolis — as part of its Classics of Liberty series.

Happy birthday, Dr. Hospers!