Ernest W. Lefever
Ernest Warren Lefever (November 12, 1919 – July 29, 2009) was an American political theorist and foreign affairs expert who founded the Ethics and Public Policy Center in 1976 and was nominated for a State Department post by President Ronald Reagan. After his nomination was rejected by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee he formally withdrew his nomination.
Early life and education
Lefever was born in York, Pennsylvania, on November 12, 1919. He grew up in a pacifist tradition and was ordained as a minister in the Church of the Brethren. He attended Elizabethtown College, graduating in 1942. He attended Yale Divinity School, where he was awarded a degree in 1945, later receiving a doctoral degree in Christian ethics from the school in 1956.[1]
Immediately following
In 1976, Lefever established the Ethics and Public Policy Center to apply "the Judeo-Christian moral tradition to critical issues of public policy" by defending "the great Western ethical imperatives—respect for the inherent dignity of the human person, individual freedom and responsibility, justice, the rule of law, and limited government."[1][3] EPPC was criticized for accepting a $25,000 contribution from Nestlé while the organization was in the process of developing a report investigating medical care in developing nations, which was never published, in an alleged deal to minimize Nestlé's marketing of infant formula in many of those countries.[1]
State Department nomination
President Ronald Reagan nominated Lefever for a post as
Opposition to the nomination at Senate hearings came from Jacobo Timerman, a journalist from Argentina who had been tortured by that country's military government.[1] Time magazine described Timerman as "a silent but nonetheless potent presence" at the hearings.[5] Two of Lefever's brothers opposed the nomination, with Donald Lefever testifying that his brother was not up to the job, and the allegation made by the brothers that Ernest Lefever had supported William Shockley's views that "blacks were genetically inferior".[6] Lefever was rejected by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee which voted 13–4 to reject his nomination, with five Republican Senators joining all eight Democrats in rejecting the nomination.[4][7] The post was ultimately filled by Elliott Abrams.[1]
Personal
A resident of Chevy Chase, Maryland at the time of his death, Lefever died at age 89 on July 29, 2009, due to Lewy body dementia at a nursing home in New Oxford, Pennsylvania. He was survived by his wife, the former Margaret Briggs, whom he married in 1951, as well as two sons and four grandchildren.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Bernstein, Adam. "Ernest W. Lefever dies at 89; founder of conservative public policy organization", Los Angeles Times, July 31, 2009. Accessed August 3, 2009.
- ^ Ernest W. Lefever Archived 2009-08-17 at the Wayback Machine, Ethics and Public Policy Center. Accessed August 3, 2009.
- ^ About, Ethics and Public Policy Center. Accessed August 3, 2009.
- ^ a b Martin, Douglas. "Ernest W. Lefever, Rejected as a Reagan Nominee, Dies at 89", The New York Times, August 4, 2009. Accessed August 5, 2009.
- ^ Blake, Patricia; Brelis, Dean. "Now, the Timmerman Affair", Time (magazine), June 22, 1981. August 3, 2009.
- ^ via Associated Press. "Brothers Claim Lefever Thinks Blacks Inferior". The Gainesville Sun, June 4, 1981. Accessed August 3, 2009.
- ^ via Associated Press. "Lefever quits, Senate panel says he's unfit", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 6, 1981. Accessed August 3, 2009.
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