An inspiration to economist Alan Greenspan and many others, novelist-philosopher Ayn Rand (1905–1982) was born Alissa Zinovievna Rosenbaum in St. Petersburg, Russia, and moved to America in 1926.

Inspired by Victor Hugo and Aristotle, her first novel, We the Living (1936), examined life under Russian communism. “It is as near to an autobiography as I will ever write,” she explained.

Rand is best known for The Fountainhead (1943), featuring the memorable architect Howard Roark, loosely inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright, and Atlas Shrugged (1957), her 1,168-page masterpiece and final work of fiction. Through these works she introduced Objectivism, a philosophy that champions reason, individual rights, and what Rand called “rational selfishness.”

“There are two sides to every issue,” Rand declared. “One side is right and the other is wrong, but the middle is always evil.”

Controversial and often panned by critics, Rand continued to write with fierce passion about individuality and productive work. Readers have long debated her conclusions, yet few deny the focus of her voice. Her characters reflect integrity, independence, and resolve.

A tribute to hard work and excellence, Rand once observed, “The quickest way to kill the human spirit is to ask someone to do mediocre work.”

A lifelong admirer of poetry, Rudyard Kipling’s stirring poem If was her favorite. The verse was read at her funeral.