He’s still alive at 92 (b. Jun 30, 1930 in Gastonia, NC), but retired. Sowell grew up in Harlem, served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, graduated Magna Cum Laude from Harvard, Masters from Columbia, PhD Economics University of Chicago, economist, social theorist, philosopher, author, Senior Fellow Hoover Institution, Stanford University, National Humanities Medal, and Francis Boyer award.