Walter Block

Born in 1941 in Brooklyn to a Jewish family he was initially a socialist. He did his undergraduate degree at Brooklyn College where he fell under the influence of the libertarian doctrines of Ayn Rand. He did a PhD at Columbia University where he became interested in the Austrian School of economics.

Professor Block is a skilled handball player and an avid swimmer. He is married to Mary Beth Block, a Columbia University alumnus trained as a social worker. Professor Block lives with his wife and his dog, Lill. He has a daughter, Hannah, who is currently pursuing a doctorate at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. His son, Matthew, is a highly placed computer programmer at The Microsoft Corporation.

He is now a professor of economics at Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana and is a leading authority in his field.