2024 Baron Award

Annual BARON AWARD Presentation
Spring Meeting, The Philadelphia Society, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay – April 20, 2024

Roger Custer presents 2024 Baron Award to Roger Ream

It is my honor today to talk about two role models and titans of our movement who made a difference not only in my life but in those of hundreds personally and tens of thousands through their work on behalf of our country’s founding ideas.

Today we bestow the Baron Award to recognize that member of The Philadelphia Society who most faithfully exemplifies, in word and deed, the good fellowship, personal loyalty, intellectual integrity, and moral courage of our beloved friend and colleague, John Von Kannon who left us in 2015.
Established in 2016 by Neal and Jane Freeman: The Baron Award shall be given annually to that member of The Philadelphia Society who most faithfully exemplifies, in word and deed, the good fellowship, personal loyalty, intellectual integrity, and moral courage of our beloved friend and colleague, John Von Kannon (1949-2015).

This year’s recipient has much in common with John Von Kannon and exemplifies his values in everything he does. He is the long term president of a major movement institution and goes way beyond to supplement that work through board service and through personal mentorship, including of me for more than 15 years.

It is my privilege to announce this year’s winner of the Baron Award is Roger Ream.

Roger is long time president of The Fund for American Studies, which has had an incredible impact on so many lives. He would be a worthy recipient just for his work there over the last 33 years but there is so much more.

Roger’s deep interest in growing our movement through fellowship, integrity, loyalty, and courage makes him stand out. I’ve seen it in my own life as have so many others whether they are TFAS alumni or friends and colleagues from his work with this Society (he is past president), Donors Capital Fund, Foundation for Economic Education, Frank Meyer Society, U.S. Air Force Academy, and several others.
Roger was honored with the 2021 Bradley Prize, one of the highest honors in our movement. Upon that occasion, Bradley Foundation president Rick Graber said, “Roger’s commitment to developing the liberty leaders of the future has strengthened the ideals of freedom in the U.S. and beyond.” He continued, “His remarkable career has been dedicated to ensuring that younger generations understand and advance the foundations of a free society.”

For more than 40 years, Roger Ream has pursued his passion to advance freedom and free markets and has exemplified the values of John Von Kannon and The Philadelphia Society.

Please join me in congratulating Roger Ream.

Remarks by Roger Custer