Personal Reflections on Milton Friedman
Bob Chitester, Producer, Free To Choose
 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 premiered 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.
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