William Perry Joins The Objectivist Center

The Objectivist Center has hired William E. Perry as director of community relations. In order to introduce Perry to TOC members, Logbook has asked him a few questions about his background and his new job at the center.

Logbook: You've recently retired from the practice of law. What did you do during your legal career?

Perry: I was a lawyer for twenty-eight years. For twenty-one of those years I was a prosecutor for the Navajo Nation and four counties in Arizona including both large and small counties. As a prosecutor I tried murder, child molestation, and public corruption cases, as well as more routine ones. I spent about five years as a defense attorney and was also the director of a paralegal training program for the Navajo Nation. For the last year, I served as a part-time judge, filling in for regular judges as a justice of the peace and a Superior Court judge.

Logbook: What did you like most about your work as a prosecutor?

Perry: I liked the trial work, especially the murder and public corruption cases. I was also a supervisor at various times in my career and especially enjoyed working with young prosecutors on their trial skills.

Logbook: Did you ever have experiences where being an Objectivist deeply influenced the way you worked?

Perry: As a prosecutor, there is an important balance between seeking the truth and obtaining convictions. You must constantly evaluate your case and not merely focus on convicting the defendant. If you discover that the defendant is not guilty during the further investigation and preparation of the case, you have an ethical obligation to dismiss the case. The ethical rules state that "the role of the prosecutor is to see that justice is done." Dismissing the case is a very difficult thing to do once you have charged the defendant with a crime.

I had an extremely ugly child molestation case in which I became convinced that the acts charged in the indictment did not occur. I found this out in talking to the young victims. I requested the authority to dismiss the case. The elected official I worked for denied that request and reassigned the case. Ultimately, the second prosecutor became convinced that I was right and dismissed the child molestation charges.

The role of the prosecutor was attractive to me as an Objectivist because that ethical requirement is the most important part of being a prosecutor.

Logbook: How did you become interested in Objectivism?

Perry: In 1963, I picked up a copy of The Fountainhead in the college bookstore of University of California, Berkeley. I immediately read all of Rand's novels, and have been re-reading them and reading about Objectivism ever since.

Logbook: What kind of involvement have you had in the Objectivist movement?

Perry: I had no involvement at all until I attended the Institute for Objectivist Studies summer seminar in Boulder, Colorado, in 1998. I had read extensively but had never attended an Objectivist function of any kind. At the summer seminar, I met Jackie Hazelton, Jim Kirk, and Shawn Klein. We formed Arizona Objectivists, which is an Objectivist discussion group in the Phoenix area. I have attended six summer seminars, speaking at two. I became a TOC sponsor almost immediately after my first summer seminar.

Logbook: What attracted you to The Objectivist Center?

Perry: I was impressed with the free exchange of ideas and intellectual content of the first summer seminar I attended. I began reading David Kelley's work and was in agreement with his approach. I met many interesting people in the Objectivist community. That experience and those friendships continue to grow as the years go on.

Logbook: How would you describe your new job at the center?

Perry: I will build and maintain positive relationships with center customers and donors, take over the editing of Logbook, work as a liaison and resource for local Objectivist groups, work with other Objectivist organizations, and do fundraising. Since the center staff is small, I am sure that I will be doing many other things as well.

Logbook: What excites you about your new job?

Perry: I am taking my hobby and way of living and making it into my occupation. I will be working with great people at the center. I will be able to travel and see friends in local Objectivist groups around the country and make new friends. I will be doing exciting work and advancing Objectivism.