The Worldly Philosophers, Vol.1, Number 21 November 4, 2007 THE Worldly Philosophers Club For Individualists Who Seek Worldly Wisdom

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Obert C. Tanner 1904 - 1993   O.C. TANNER: GOODNESS, TRUTH, AND BEAUTY By Mark Skousen In this issue . . . - The story of a businessman, philosopher and philanthropist The need to award individuals for their accomplishments Tanner’s two favorite philosophers   What is your legacy?   "All human values can be classified as follows:  in social relations, goodness comes first; in personal beliefs, truth comes first; and in life’s everyday joys, beauty comes first."                                                     --Obert C. Tanner Dear Worldly Philosophers,   Last month I was in Utah for my mother’s funeral.  She died quietly in her sleep at the age of 82.  She faced the daunting task of raising us 10 children after my father died suddenly of cancer in 1964.  Yet she somehow survived and prospered, teaching us the virtues of hard work, thrift, and honesty.  She lived a full life as a builder of homes, a creator of gardens, a maker of intricate braided rugs, and a piano player.  She was famous in Utah for her iris gardens, and she could identify 700 varieties of irises!    Visiting Utah reminded me of another great individual who I’ve admired for many years, although I never met him:  Obert C. Tanner (1904-93).  O. C. Tanner was an extraordinary worldly philosopher.  How many men do you know who were successful as a businessman, teacher, and philanthropist? Building a Successful Business   Obert grew up dirt poor in a family of 10 children, but through innate intelligence, education and hard work, became a multi-millionaire jeweler in Salt Lake City.  Tanner founded the O. C. Tanner Company in 1927 to manufacture jewelry, and provide class rings and pins to honor the achievements of high-school graduates.  His goal was to award individuals for their accomplishments.  (He seldom talked about profits.) Today, in addition to selling beautiful jewelry, O. C. Tanner Company provides recognition award programs to some 10,000 companies reaching millions of employees in 170 countries.   Obert Tanner had an intense love for beauty and quality, and believed that his awards should reflect that feeling. His love of beauty is evident at O.C. Tanner headquarters, where employees work in open, welcoming facilities among eight decorative fountains.  (Obert Tanner donated beautiful fountains to hospitals, parks, and universities throughout the western U.S.)    The Importance of Education   But Tanner wasn’t just a businessman.  He also obtained degrees in law and philosophy at three universities--Utah, Harvard, and Stanford--and taught religious studies at Stanford (1939-44) and philosophy at the University of Utah (1945-72).    As a university professor, Tanner's fields focused especially on moral philosophy and the philosophy of religion.  After reading Ben Franklin’s Autobiography, he chose Socrates and Jesus as his favorite heroes. From the one he took the belief that the unexamined life is not worth living; from the other he learned compassion for human suffering and an unyielding hope for an eventual human felicity. He authored several books on the New Testament (I have one of them in my library).  He is widely known in academic circles for his passionate advocacy and defense of intellectual freedom. Even though he was a supporter of free-market capitalism, he once defended a card-carrying communist’s invitation to speak on campus.     A Businessman with a Cause   Later in life, he showed growing interest in various causes.    A lifelong democrat, he dedicated much of his retirement years to national and international efforts to establish world peace.  His public service spanned several decades of dedicated work, including membership in the United Nations and the National Commission on the Bicentennial of the United States Constitution.  He wrote, "Economic freedom--our free enterprise system--is mankind’s best defense of our intellectual freedom."    With his wealth, Tanner established eleven philosophy library rooms at colleges and universities and has endowed more than a dozen lectureships, including the world-renowned "Tanner Lectures on Human Values," given annually at the University of Utah, University of California, Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, Michigan, Stanford, Yale, and Princeton universities.   O. C. Tanner and his wife, Grace, also suffered tragedy.  Three of their sons died at an early age, but they were courageous in their grief.  "We do not intend to be symbols of tragedy for our friends," they said, "but rather the love of life."  They are survived by their daughter, Carolyn Tanner Irish, who is chairman of the board at O. C. Tanner Company.    Good living, AEIOU,   Marcus Aurelius   P. S.  If O. C. Tanner were alive today, he'd be a big fan of FreedomFest.  He once wrote, "Freedom is a fragile plant that bends easily to every breeze of pressure."  Education and learning are the key to preserving our rights.  That’s why I created FreedomFest, the world’s largest annual gathering of free minds, where we learn, network, socialize and celebrate:  8 themes, 88 speakers, and over 888 attendees.  The dates are July 9-12, 2008, at Bally’s/Paris Resort.  7-11 in Las Vegas!  For the greatest show on earth, go to www.freedomfest.com or call Tami Holland at 1-866-266-5101.