Ralph Stanley dies

Ralph Stanley, Pres Reagan’s transit-scrutineer, pioneer-in-chief of the Dulles Greenway tollroad near here, successful lobbyist for a private transp law in Virginia, and a very good friend died recently at age 49. He struggled with malignant melanomas, among the most deadly of cancers for longer than most so afflicted. We’ve sung the guy’s praises previously. He was a man of energy, originality, accomplishment, likeable eccentricity, and huge integrity. He pioneered the first investor-financed tollroad in the US in the automobile era, but unfortunately he had a falling out with the Bryant family, the dominant investor, before the completion of the road. He was not even recognized at the opening ceremonies in the fall of 1995, though he was standing there all 6’6" inches in the front row of the audience, and Maggie Bryant, the head of the company recognized fifty other people, it seemed, in an interminable speech. It took very great restraint on my part not to interrupt the ceremony I recall, being in two minds as to whether to shout out pointing to him: “This is Ralph Stanley, your first employee. Recognize him too” or some such, but I didn’t. He said when I told him that he was glad I didn’t, but now I wish I had. In reporting the Greenway for REASON, then for FORBES magazine and for the CATO INSTITUTE I got so intrigued by Stanley and his ideas that I decided to specialize in tollroads and start this little newsletter. In our last conversation he said he was delighted the Dulles Greenway had come good after its rocky start, and said he was sure tolls have a big future. Vale Tallman!