1977 Libertarian National Convention

Turning Point – 1977, the 1977 Libertarian Party National Convention was held at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel in San Francisco between July 12 and 17, 1977. It had more than 50 events and an estimated attendance of 1500 people.

1977 Libertarian National Convention

Convention
Date(s)	July 12–17, 1977
City	San Francisco, California
Venue	Sheraton-Palace Hotel

Event

A march across the room was organized by a group of libertarian feminists in support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the March featured a few of the leading women in the movement and two men: Robert Anton Wilson and Steve Trinward.

Staff and committees

Walter Grinder, platform committee chair

Changes

• The Executive Committee was renamed the National Committee
• The maximum number of regions was increased from 8 to 10

Speakers, panelists, and honorees

External audio
John D. Marks delivers a speech at the 1977 conference. via Plutopia News Network.

• Linda Abrams
• David Bergland
• Nathaniel Branden, Objectivist leader
• Karl Bray, tax activist
• Jim Eason, radio talk show host
• John Hospers
• Diane Hunter-Smith
• Ann Jackson
• Paul Krassner, editor of The Realist
• Dr. Timothy Leary, 1960s Guru
• Roger MacBride, 1976 presidential nominee
• John D. Marks, co-author of The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence
• Eugene McCarthy, independent presidential candidate and opponent of MacBride in 1976
• Tonie Nathan, 1972 vice presidential candidate
• David Nolan (libertarian), party founder
• Ron Paul, former U.S. Congressman
• Sharon Pressley
• Earl Ravanel, unofficial shadow Secretary of State
• Murray Rothbard, keynote speaker
• Margo St James, chair of COYOTE
• Robert Anton Wilson, author

LNC

• David Bergland, chair
• Mary Louise Hanson, vice chair
• Sylvia Sanders, secretary
• Paul Allen, treasurer
• Ed Clark, at large
• Carol Cunningham, at large
• Eric Garris, at large
• John Hildberg, at large
• Charles Koch, at large
• Dick Randolph, at large
• Murray Rothbard, at large
• Bill Evers, regional representative
• RA Childs, Jr., region 9
• Michael Fieschko, region 9 (alt?)

Other noted events

• William Westminster distributed a pamphlet entitled "On Account of Tyranny"
• The IRA initially had a table, but was asked to leave after their $10 literature table fee was refunded. Their table had been singled out by a speech by David Nolan.
• Aron Kay, pie-throwing Yippie, was present on a mission to pie Timothy Leary

Bibliography

• "National Convention 1977." LPedia.
• Against the Wall (newsletter), vol. 5, no. 10.
• "Libertarian Party National Convention – San Francisco, July 14–17, 1977." Libertarian Party.

Two typewritten pages containing the text of two resolutions adopted at the 1977: a condemnation of singer Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign, and of the Briggs Initiative, a California proposition to bar homosexuals from working in public schools.

• Palmer, Tom G., with Tom Avery. "The 1977 Libertarian Party National Convention." Libertarianism.com (October 1977).
• Times-Post Service. "Libertarian Coalition Made Up of Odds, Ends." Salinas Californian (July 15, 1977), p. 34.
• Staff writer. "Liberatarians [sic] Adopt 'Plank.'" Santa Cruz Sentinel (July 21, 1977), p. 8.