Turning Point – 1977, the 1977 Libertarian Party National Convention was held at the Sheraton-Palace Hotel in San Francisco between July 12 and 17, 1977. It had more than 50 events and an estimated attendance of 1500 people.

Event

A march across the room was organized by a group of libertarian feminists in support of the Equal Rights Amendment; the March featured a few of the leading women in the movement and two men: Robert Anton Wilson and Steve Trinward.

Staff and committees

Walter Grinder, platform committee chair

Changes

• The Executive Committee was renamed the National Committee
• The maximum number of regions was increased from 8 to 10

Speakers, panelists, and honorees

External audio
John D. Marks delivers a speech at the 1977 conference. via Plutopia News Network.

• Linda Abrams
• David Bergland
• Nathaniel Branden, Objectivist leader
• Karl Bray, tax activist
• Jim Eason, radio talk show host
• John Hospers
• Diane Hunter-Smith
• Ann Jackson
• Paul Krassner, editor of The Realist
• Dr. Timothy Leary, 1960s Guru
• Roger MacBride, 1976 presidential nominee
• John D. Marks, co-author of The CIA and the Cult of Intelligence
• Eugene McCarthy, independent presidential candidate and opponent of MacBride in 1976
• Tonie Nathan, 1972 vice presidential candidate
• David Nolan (libertarian), party founder
• Ron Paul, former U.S. Congressman
• Sharon Pressley
• Earl Ravanel, unofficial shadow Secretary of State
• Murray Rothbard, keynote speaker
• Margo St James, chair of COYOTE
• Robert Anton Wilson, author

LNC

• David Bergland, chair
• Mary Louise Hanson, vice chair
• Sylvia Sanders, secretary
• Paul Allen, treasurer
• Ed Clark, at large
• Carol Cunningham, at large
• Eric Garris, at large
• John Hildberg, at large
• Charles Koch, at large
• Dick Randolph, at large
• Murray Rothbard, at large
• Bill Evers, regional representative
• RA Childs, Jr., region 9
• Michael Fieschko, region 9 (alt?)

Other noted events

• William Westminster distributed a pamphlet entitled "On Account of Tyranny"
• The IRA initially had a table, but was asked to leave after their $10 literature table fee was refunded. Their table had been singled out by a speech by David Nolan.
• Aron Kay, pie-throwing Yippie, was present on a mission to pie Timothy Leary

Bibliography

• "National Convention 1977." LPedia.
• Against the Wall (newsletter), vol. 5, no. 10.
• "Libertarian Party National Convention – San Francisco, July 14–17, 1977." Libertarian Party.

Two typewritten pages containing the text of two resolutions adopted at the 1977: a condemnation of singer Anita Bryant's anti-gay campaign, and of the Briggs Initiative, a California proposition to bar homosexuals from working in public schools.

• Palmer, Tom G., with Tom Avery. "The 1977 Libertarian Party National Convention." Libertarianism.com (October 1977).
• Times-Post Service. "Libertarian Coalition Made Up of Odds, Ends." Salinas Californian (July 15, 1977), p. 34.
• Staff writer. "Liberatarians [sic] Adopt 'Plank.'" Santa Cruz Sentinel (July 21, 1977), p. 8.