Richard J. Barnet, 75; Founded Liberal Think Tank, on ‘Enemies List’

Richard J. Barnet, 75, a co-founder of the Institute for Policy Studies, a liberal think tank, died Thursday of kidney failure at his home in Washington, D.C.

Barnet founded the institute in 1963 with Marcus Raskin, who, like Barnet, had worked in the John F. Kennedy administration. The institute advocated social action opposing the Vietnam War and tackled civil rights and environmental issues. The Lyndon B. Johnson administration reportedly placed FBI informers in the organization’s ranks and put wiretaps on its phones. Later, Barnet ended up on President Nixon’s “enemies list.”

Over the years, the institute has maintained its liberal stance. It now considers itself a leading opponent of U.S. policy in Iraq.

Barnet was born in Boston and graduated from Harvard, where he also earned his law degree. After serving in the Army, he practiced law in Boston before joining Harvard’s Russian Research Center. He joined the State Department in 1961.

Barnet was co-director of the think tank from 1963 to 1978, then was a senior fellow and distinguished fellow from 1978 until his retirement in 1998. He wrote 15 books, his focus being primarily on globalization and U.S.-Soviet relations. He was a frequent contributor to the Nation, Harper’s and the New Yorker magazines.