Tucker Andersen has made habits of patience, discipline, and endurance. Whether in finance, philanthropy, or his 49 completed marathons, he has approached every endeavor with a long-term vision. His decades-long support of the Cato Institute exemplifies this commitment.

“Tucker is among the longest-serving directors on Cato’s board: 31 years. During that time, he introduced so many people to the organization who became instrumental to its success,” says Peter Goettler, president and CEO of the Cato Institute.

“My whole life has been a series of marathons,” Tucker says. “I was on the Cato board for 31 years and have been on the Phillips Exeter Investment Committee for 36 years. I’ve been on the board of trustees for two churches over 20 years. And I was with the same firm for approximately 30 years. So that’s what my life is—I view my life as a marathon.”

When he began as a student at Wesleyan University in 1959, Tucker was engrossed in his studies, but political issues always seemed to linger in the background.

“At Wesleyan, I was too busy with my studies to pay attention to government or history or any of those sorts of things,” Tucker recalls. “[But] I grew up at the time of the Red Scare, and I was one of those guys who actually did the drills, so you’d avoid the atomic radiation by hiding under your school desk,” he says. Although initially disinterested in politics and government, Tucker was forced to acknowledge the true impact of war and public policy on real people when his friend was brutally executed by the Viet Cong.

“Then in 1965, the thing that most affected me was when a very good friend at school, a conscientious objector serving in a rescue unit in Vietnam, went back for his second term, and it was announced through the Walter Cronkite program that he was the first US civilian casualty in Vietnam.”

It was no longer possible to see policy as an abstract debate, when the potentially dire consequences of policy decisions were made manifestly obvious by these personal losses. Yet it wasn’t until years later that he found a home for his ideas at the Cato Institute, where peace is a top priority.

“I was sort of being taught at the knees of people like Ed Crane, Roger Pilon, and Ted Carpenter,” Tucker explains. As a leader at Cato and also learning from the leaders in our movement, Tucker helped reestablish long-lost principles of the Founders—individual liberty, limited government, free markets, and peace— as once again central to the national policy debate in America.

Over time, both Tucker and his wife Karen became increasingly committed to Cato. Eventually, he was asked to take on a formal leadership role to help guide the organization for decades to come, as Cato’s first board member from outside the existing libertarian movement.

Tucker’s principled vision and the connection of his network to Cato have helped grow the Institute from humble origins—six analysts and a slightly less than $2 million budget—to an enduring force that is intent on going the distance. His leadership and vibrant presence at Cato’s gatherings for Partners who support the Institute go back to the early 1990s—if there was a Cato event, you were sure to see Tucker and his green jacket on stage.

The green jacket made another appearance this past September at our biennial Cato Club Retreat for Partners in beautiful Ojai, California, when Tucker took the stage to announce that his and Karen’s commitment to liberty will endure far beyond their lifetimes. As Legacy Society members, they have arranged a transformational bequest in their estate plans to ensure that Cato’s work persists for generations. To recognize this extraordinary commitment and to honor the Andersens, we have proudly named our Saturday night program at the Cato Club Retreat “The Tucker and Karen Andersen Keynote.”

“Cato is one of three institutions that we feel very good about and want to make sure that we propagate,” Tucker says. “We contribute because we believe in the organization.”

After ensuring Cato’s growth and adherence to its mission for decades, Tucker and Karen invite you to consider how you might join the Vision for Liberty campaign to create the resources necessary for Cato to continue advancing liberty for future generations.

“Like Tucker, Cato is built to last,” Peter Goettler says. “That commitment really must be the strongest for people making this kind of plan and commitment to Cato because it’s a lifetime of accomplishment reflected in the legacy that Tucker and Karen will leave.”

Tucker decided to share the news of his and Karen’s eight-figure legacy gift to Cato to provide the necessary momentum to publicly launch the Institute’s Vision for Liberty campaign.

“As someone deeply involved with Cato for many years, I can say that the work being done here is more critical now than ever. We encourage all of you to join us,” Tucker says.

Tucker and Karen Andersen’s gift is paving the way for others to join the campaign and to have a similar enduring impact by applying persistent effort toward a long-term vision.

“Whether through a major gift, increased annual giving, or a planned gift, together we can ensure that Cato remains the premier institution for advancing liberty for generations to come,” says Tucker.