How ice got to India: A story of property rights and pond water

The year is 1837. Imagine that you live in Calcutta and a man with a thick Boston accent offers you some ice cream. There is no such device as a refrigerator, much less a freezer, and yet here is a man offering you a cold (and delicious) treat. How did it get there? In this lecture, Dave Hebert explains how ice harvesters in 19^th century Boston were able to create their own system of property rights that allowed each person living around a local pond to thicken ice as needed. The result? These entrepreneurs shipped blocks of ice to destinations as far flung as India, opening up a new market to places where ice (and all its benefits) did not exist.

A free livestream of this lecture will be available to view @ 12 noon Eastern on December 5 for those who cannot join in person.

Group discounts for schools and other organizations available.
Register and pre-pay for 4 lectures and get the 5th free. Call 616.454.3080 to order.

David J. Hebert, Ph.D.

Aquinas College

Assistant Professor of Economics and Department Chair

David Hebert is an Assistant Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Markets, Ethics, and Entrepreneurship at Aquinas College. He graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Economics from Hillsdale College in 2009 and then attended George Mason University, where he earned a Masters in 2011 and Doctorate in 2014. During graduate school, he was a F.A. Hayek Fellow with the Mercatus Center and a Fellow with the Department of Health Administration and Policy and also worked with the Joint Economic Committee in the U.S. Congress. Since graduating, he has worked as an Assistant Professor at Ferris State University and Troy University and was also a Fellow with the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. His work has appeared in numerous academic outlets as well as popular outlets such as The Hill, The Daily Caller, The Ripon Forum, and Investor's Business Daily.

Event Details

Watch Again

Start Date

December 5, 2019

End Date

December 5, 2019

Location

Acton Institute | Mark Murray Auditorium
98 E. Fulton Street
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
United States

Schedule

11:30 a.m. Doors open
12:00 p.m. Lecture begins
12:30 p.m. Q&A
1:00 p.m. Lecture ends

Tickets

$15 General | $10 Student
Includes box lunch and beverage

(Please RSVP at least 48 hours in advance to guarantee a box lunch.)

Group discounts for schools and other organizations available.
Register and pre-pay for 4 lectures and get the 5th free. Call 616.454.3080 to order.

Event livestream is free.

Parking

Directions to the Acton Institute

Metered street parking is available. Please bring sufficient change with you for meters or pay for parking with the Motu Parking app on your smartphone (iOS and Android).

Paid parking lots are also available nearby. Please enter building off of Sheldon Blvd.

Map showing nearby parking.pdf