He opened the door. I said, “Dr. Friedman, I’m Bob Chitester.” He said, “Please call me Milton. We’ve been expecting you. Come in and meet Rose.” That was January 14, 1977 in San Francisco, just weeks after Milton Friedman was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in economics. It was the beginning of what they came to call “the most exciting venture of our lives:” the production of the PBS TV series Free to Choose and the best selling book based on the series.

I had come to San Francisco with an introduction from Allen Wallis, a former classmate of Milton’s; then Chancellor of the University of Rochester and Chairman of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He was to become Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs under George Shultz. Allen had participated in a 1975 symposium I organized in Erie, Pennsylvania on the topic “Technology and Society;” in the course of which he came to know we shared similar views about economics, government and human behavior.

It was our shared belief that PBS should telecast a response to John Kenneth Galbraith’s series, Age of Uncertainty, which led to the Friedman meeting.

That first evening with the Friedmans, we discussed many topics including economic freedom, hypocrisy, our families, public television, incentives and individualism. I quoted from their book Capitalism and Freedom and read poetry. They listened and asked many questions. A little over a month later, Milton and Rose agreed to undertake the development of a TV series, which became Free to Choose. Two aspects of the project were unconventional. Milton refused to write a script in advance of filming. Points to be made in each scene were agreed upon but his commentary was extemporaneous. Secondly, he and Rose wrote the book after filming was completed, using transcripts of the TV programs as a starting point.

Nearly 30 years later, I realize how much that first meeting reflected the essence of Milton Friedman. He was a famous Nobel Prize winning economist. I was a bearded, leather jacketed small town TV executive, yet he treated me as competent and honorable, as he did everyone he met, until you proved otherwise.

Over the intervening years I invited hundreds of people to join me for a “private dinner with Milton and Rose.” Most were, or soon became, great admirers of his quickness of mind and insatiable curiosity. They were charmed by his warmth and generosity, learned much about logic and careful thinking and departed wondering how anyone could dislike or disagree with this “truth seeker.”

To me Milton’s most admirable characteristic was his ability to disagree without being disagreeable; to have close friendships with people who aggressively challenged his ideas. His admonition was to never question the motive of an intellectual opponent --- a lesson I struggle to embrace.

On January 29, 2007, PBS will telecast the 90 minute biography of Milton and Rose that I helped to create. I assured them The Power of Choice: The Life and Ideas of Milton Friedman would be an intellectual biography, but more than anything else, I wanted everyone to see the deep abiding humanity of this man.

Initially, Milton didn’t like the idea of a biography. He told me, “Bob, I’m not interested in committing time to a program that focuses on me; I want people to focus on ideas.” In giving us access to his personal and professional archives, in trusting our ability to use the story of his life to interest people in the pursuit of knowledge, he paid me the ultimate compliment.

On Sunday, November 12, 2006, I called to arrange for the three of us to have dinner together the following Tuesday. Milton had just returned from the hospital and Rose said, “He can’t go out, but we can order something in.” Milton thanked me again for some chocolates I had sent to him in the hospital, remarking that “we’re still enjoying them, they were delicious and what a variety.” I can still “feel” the twinkle in his eyes.

Tuesday when I called to discuss what food to bring in, Rose informed me Milton was again feeling ill and we’d have to postpone our get-together. Early Thursday morning, November 16, 2006, Milton Friedman’s heart stopped. With his death, people striving to make their lives better lost a champion and freedom lost one of its most effective and valiant advocates, while I lost a teacher /mentor of incomparable value. I once told Milton it would take me a lifetime to repay his appreciation of the work we did together. I count on the memories of his faultless advice, fatherly concern and that twinkle in his eyes to help me achieve that goal.

ONLINE ARTICLES/INTERVIEWS--listed chronologically
Register of the Milton Friedman Papers 1931-1991 - Hoover Institution Archives Speeches and writings, correspondence, notes, statistics, printed matter, sound recordings, videotapes, and photographs, relating to economic theory, economic conditions in the United States, and governmental economic policy.
President Honors Milton Friedman for Lifetime Achievements, May 2002
Friedman: Market offers poor better learning, USA Today, May 19, 2002
Milton Friedman at 90 Thomas Sowell, July 25, 2002
 
...on Drugs
Prohibition and Drugs Newsweek, May 1 1972
Stop Taxing Non-Addicts Reason, October 1988
An Open Letter To Bill Bennett WSJ, Sept. 7 1989
Bennett Fears 'Public Policy Disaster!--It's Already Here WSJ, Sept. 29 1989
A War We're Losing WSJ, Thursday, March 7 1991
Interview with Milton Friedman on the Drug War "America's Drug Forum," 1991
The War We Are Losing Hoover Institution Press, 1991
The Drug War as a Socialist Enterprise Friedman & Szasz, 1992

...on Global Economy
The Case For Free Trade "The Tyranny of Controls," 1980
Monetary Revolutions discussion with Robert Hall & Daniel Gressel, 1992
Money discussion with Robert Hall & Daniel Gressel, 1992
Efforts in E. Europe to Localize Gov't discussion with R. Ebel & T. Hazlett, 1993
Privatization Trends in E. Europe discussion with R. Ebel & T. Hazlett, 1993
If Only the United States Were as Free as Hong Kong WSJ, July 8 1997
Reviving Japan WSJ, Dec. 17 1997
The Hong Kong Experiment National Review, Dec. 31 1997
Milton Friedman Bullish on Asia Far Eastern Economic Review, March 26 1998
Milton Friedman on the World Economy Stanford University, Oct. 28 1998
A Primer on Exchange Rates Forbes, Nov. 2 1998
Abolish the IMF Forbes, Nov. 2 1998
The Suicidal Impulse of the Business Community San Jose, Nov. 21 1998
Money, Value and Monetary History after Friedman Kelly Ross, Ph.D., 1998

...on Health Care
Health Care Reform Idea Channel, 1992

...on Schools
Public Schools: Make Them Private CATO Briefing Paper, June 23 1995
School Vouchers-The Next Great Leap Forward WSJ, July 9 1998
 

BOOKS/VIDEOS
Audiobooks Type in Milton Friedman to see what's available
Books A listing of 106 books penned by Friedman--online ordering available
Videos and Transcripts Free To Choose
In Depth: Milton Friedman  Interview with BookTV which aired on 9/2/00 on C-SPAN. You can watch the interview on-line at BookTV or order it on-line at the C-SPAN Store. The identification number for the program is 159003.