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Pierre F. Goodrich (1894-1973) - millionaire businessman and lawyer, was one of the early philanthropist supporters of the libertarian/free market cause in America.

His father, James Goodrich, served as governor of Indiana from 1917 to 1921 and as adviser to Presidents Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover.

The Goodriches made their money by selling all their stocks in the overvalued market of 1929, and then buying it back at a much lower price during the Great Depression. They built an empire around a diverse base including mining and banking; Pierre Goodrich himself was President and main stockholder of the Indiana Telephone Corporation.

A friend of F.A. Hayek, Goodrich supported various libertarian causes throughout his life, including the Institute for Human Studies and the Universidad Francisco Marroquin in Guatemala, but he is best known for founding the Liberty Fund in 1960. Upon his death in 1973, Mr. Goodrich left most of his estate to the Foundation for the purpose of exploring the many dimensions of liberty. This interest is reflected in the name he chose for the Foundation. The Liberty Fund Board of Directors and staff are guided by his philosophy and instructions in developing specific programs.