1977 until his death in 2000. He frequently discussed the foundation's commitment to supporting the "counter-intelligentsia". Conservative scholar James Piereson was the last executive director and secretary. The foundation supported conservative thinkers such as Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute; Mac Donald is the John M. Olin Fellow at this New York City–based institution. In 2005, following longstanding plans, the foundation announced its final grants and closed its doors. The foundation closed in the same year as the Franklin W. Olin Foundation, which was established by John Olin's father, Franklin W. Olin. The Franklin W. Olin Foundation also shut down for donor intent reasons, but the two foundations were entirely independent and unrelated, except for the family connection of their founders. According to the Philanthropy Roundtable, the Olin Foundation "dispensed hundreds of millions of dollars to scholars, think tanks, publications, and other organizations" and "shaped the direction and aided the growth of the modern conservative movement that first sprang into visibility in the 1980s." According to the New York Observer, the Foundation distributed "grants to conservative think tanks and intellectuals—the architects of today's sprawling right-wing movement—for a quarter-century." Notable persons James Piereson – past executive director and board member Peter M. Flanigan – past director Charles F. Knight – past director William E. Simon - past president Sponsored professorships There are several dozen John M. Olin Professors at universities and law schools around the world, including: John M. Olin Professor at Fordham University (formerly Ernest van den Haag) John M. Olin Professor at George Mason University (currently Walter E. Williams) John M. Olin Professor at Yale Law School (currently George L. Priest) John M. Olin Professor at Georgetown University (formerly Walter F. Berns) See also Donors Trust References Further reading John J. Miller, A Gift of Freedom: How the John M. Olin Foundation Changed America (2005) Jane Mayer, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right (2016) External links Jason DeParle, "Goals Reached, Donor on Right Closes Up Shop" (May 29, 2005), The New York Times. John M. Olin Center for Inquiry into the Theory and Practice of Democracy National Review Online: "Foundation's End," by John J. Miller "Muscular Philanthropy: Tough love and the John M. Olin Foundation", Townhall.com, November 15, 2005 Political and economic research foundations in the United States The Heritage Foundation Organizations established in 1953 Organizations disestablished in 2005