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Lecture Series

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

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Grand Rapids, MI

    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 19th 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 Hebert headshot
    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

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    Start Date

    End Date

    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

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