»Vernon L. Smith Colloquium

In partnership with Liberty Fund and with the support of the Vernon L. Smith Experimental Economics Education Fund and the John Templeton Foundation, the Smith Institute hosted the first Vernon L. Smith Seminar in Experimental Economics, aka, the Vernon Smith Bootcamp. The purpose was to discuss the work and scientific philosophy of Vernon Smith in the Liberty Fund tradition of Socratic dialogue.  Thirteen conferees – including graduate students, newly minted PhDs, and assistant professors in economics, political theory, and physics – read in advance and discussed approximately 525 pages of material that spans Vernon Smith’s career. 

The seminar opened with a reception on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at The Beach House in Hermosa Beach, CA.   Profs. Erik Kimbrough, John Thrasher, and Dillon Tauzin expertly lead the three 90-minute discussion sessions per day the following Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.  The seminar concluded on Saturday night, June 1, with a Question & Answer session and dinner with Vernon Smith.