Originally from Texas, Dick served for 25 years as a colonel for the U.S. Army. After moving to Hawaii in 1971 and retiring as a colonel four years later, Dick worked for Northwestern Mutual for 26 years. At 71 years old in 2001, Dick founded the Grassroot Institute to embark on a crusade for liberty. He earned himself the reputation of a “happy warrior” for the way he strongly but kindly—and with a sense of humor— defended libertarian ideals and the free market. In keeping with his devotion to the Founding Fathers’ ideas, he always carried his pocket copy of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence.
Dick’s vision for improving American public policy was founded on the independent application of his principles. “Forget the left and forget the right, those are meaningless terms,” he said. “What we need to look at is whether we’re going toward individual liberty or whether we’re going down toward statism,” Dick continued. “Somebody has to watch these people that are running the government, and the Declaration said, ‘We the People’ have that responsibility, authority, and obligation.”
Recently, the Cato Institute’s Project on Jones Act Reform has worked with the Grassroot Institute to raise public awareness and lay the groundwork for repeal or reform of this 101-year-old failed protectionist law, which effectively bans foreign ships—or even simply foreign-built ships—from domestic maritime trade in the United States. Justified on national security grounds, the law was meant to ensure a strong maritime sector to bolster U.S. capabilities in times of war or national emergency. These envisioned benefits, however, have proved illusory while the Jones Act has imposed a very real and ongoing economic burden. Thanks in large part to our efforts, the Jones Act has garnered interest in Congress, with several legislative remedies— ranging from a total repeal bill to various reforms—introduced this year.
In November 2020, Dick Rowland passed away at age 90. His colleagues and friends at the Grassroot Institute fondly remember his influence. “We’ve lost one of the bravest and most courageous fighters for liberty,” says chairman Robin Stueber. “Dick Rowland was an inspiring leader whose life advanced the cause of liberty in Hawaii and across the world,” says president and CEO Keli’i Akina.
At the Cato Institute we were recently honored to receive a contribution from the legacy fund created by Dick Rowland to continue advancing liberty in his memory. It is energizing that Dick’s personal legacy for liberty continues to live through our work for our shared values.
