Walter P. Stern, who died February 27 at the age of 93, was for decades the most influential American you’ve never heard of. An Air Force veteran who became one of the most well-regarded figures in the investment world, Wally was an exemplar of professional accomplishment and patriotism. But his most enduring influence came not from his professional work but from his avocation: the promotion public-policy work that would keep America secure, prosperous, and free.
In 1973, a family friend suggested that he attend a lecture by the founder of Hudson Institute, the legendary futurist Herman Kahn. Wally was immediately fascinated by Herman, a leading grand strategist of the thermonuclear age who popularized the notion of “thinking the unthinkable,” or imagining how nuclear war might be fought, to figure out how to prevent it. In addition to shaping nuclear deterrence and civil defense, Herman championed the idea to “expand the policy imagination” through creative, interdisciplinary inquiry, ranging from systems theory to future studies and international economic development.
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