In Memoriam: Libertarian Legend Theodore “Ted” Michael McAnlis

The Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County honors the life and legacy of former State Chair Ted McAnlis (August 24, 1937 – May 17, 2025), who passed away peacefully at home in North Palm Beach, at the age of 87. A brilliant mind, an accomplished golf course designer, and a man unafraid to live by his principles, Ted was the embodiment of unapologetic liberty in action, known to sign his letter “Freeman at Common Law.”
Born in Howland, Ohio, McAnlis earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from The Ohio State University and began his career with NASA and Aerojet General. But his passion for freedom and fairways led him to a new life designing some of Florida’s most iconic golf courses, including work on the legendary Blue Monster at Doral and dozens of layouts from Venice to Wellington.

A lifelong skeptic of government overreach, McAnlis didn’t just talk the talk, he walked it. He stood up to the federal tax regime with defiant resolve, becoming one of Florida’s most well-known tax protesters. Citing the unconstitutional nature of the income tax and the Orwellian tracking system of Social Security numbers, “the mark of the devil,” as he called them, McAnlis refused to file federal income taxes for over two decades.

For this act of conscience, he was convicted and sentenced to ten years in prison in 2003. He represented himself at trial, standing firm on his beliefs and reminding us all that the price of liberty often comes due in courage. McAnlis used trusts, alternative banking, and even a church to shield his earnings; not out of greed, but out of a deeply held conviction that he, and every American, owns the fruits of their labor.
To his critics, McAnlis was a rebel. To us, he was a patriot, one of the rare few willing to challenge Leviathan on its own terms.

McAnlis served as Chair of the Libertarian Party of Florida, was a member of the Libertarian Party of Palm Beach, and was a 1982 U.S. Senate write-in candidate. He wrote frequent letters to the editor and was a fixture at Toastmasters, where he refined his sharp wit and sharper arguments. Every year, his family looked forward to his iconic Christmas letters—part update, part stand-up routine, and always unmistakably Ted.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 65 years, Barbara, their three children (Scott, Karen, and Kenneth) four grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren. His laughter, his love of liberty, and his legacy live on in them and in all of us who dare to question authority.

The Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County salutes Ted McAnlis, engineer, artist, outlaw, and legend.

“The only thing government ever creates is more government.” – Ted McAnlis

A private memorial is being held on June 29, 2025. In lieu of flowers, his family has asked for donations to the Salvation Army; the Libertarian Party of Palm Beach County further requests that you honor McAnlis’ memory by resisting tyranny, thinking freely, and living as sovereign individuals, just like he did.