Rose Friedman, wife of the late Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman, passed away this morning at her home in California. A talented economist in her own right, she met her husband at the University of Chicago in 1932, and is reputed to be the only person who ever beat her husband in a debate.

The talented couple worked together for many years, collaborating on Free to Choose, a book later turned into a PBS miniseries. In 1996, they founded the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice because of their interest in “improvement in the quality of the education available to children of all income and social classes in this nation, whether that education is provided in government or private schools or at home. ” Without a doubt, the country is in need of significant education reform, and the Friedmans’ support of this important issue has helped expand educational options for countless American families.

School choice has long been an issue that the Independent Women’s Forum has highlighted; to sign IWF’s petition in support of school choice, click here.