Ralph Anspach (September 13, 1926 – February 12, 2022) was an American economist, professor, and entrepreneur best known for creating the board game Anti‑Monopoly and for his successful legal challenge against Parker Brothers over the rights to the game Monopoly. His work combined academic research in economics with activism concerning intellectual property and antitrust issues.
Early Life and Education
- Birth: September 13, 1926, in New York City, New York, United States.
- Family Background: Son of a German‑Jewish immigrant father and a mother who worked as a schoolteacher.
- Education:
- Bachelor of Arts in Economics, City College of New York (1948).
- Master of Arts in Economics, University of Chicago (1950).
- Ph.D. in Economics, University of Pennsylvania (1955). His dissertation focused on price theory and market regulation.
Academic Career
- University of Pennsylvania: Joined the faculty in the Department of Economics in 1957, eventually attaining the rank of Associate Professor. His teaching and research emphasized industrial organization, antitrust policy, and the economics of competition.
- Publications: Authored several peer‑reviewed articles on price discrimination, market structures, and economic education. Notable works include “The Economics of Monopoly” (1975) and “Market Power and Competition Policy” (1981).
Anti‑Monopoly and Legal Advocacy
- Inspiration: While researching the history of the game The Landlord’s Game—an early 20th‑century educational game created by Lizzie Magie—Anspach discovered that Parker Brothers had claimed exclusive rights to Monopoly without crediting Magie’s earlier work.
- Creation of Anti‑Monopoly: In 1974, Anspach designed and published Anti‑Monopoly, a board game intended to critique monopolistic practices and to restore credit to Magie. The game’s release prompted a lawsuit from Parker Brothers alleging trademark infringement.
- Legal Outcome: The case, Anti‑Monopoly, Inc. v. Parker Brothers, culminated in a 1979 settlement that recognized Anspach’s right to produce Anti‑Monopoly and led to a broader public discussion about the origins of Monopoly. The litigation also contributed to increased scholarly attention to Lizzie Magie’s role in the game's history.
Later Activities
- Intellectual Property Advocacy: Anspach became a vocal critic of overly restrictive intellectual‑property regimes, speaking at conferences and writing op‑eds on the balance between innovation incentives and public access.
- Philanthropy: Established the Ralph Anspach Trust, which funded scholarships for economics students and supported research on market competition and antitrust law.
- Recognition: Received the Antitrust Law Association’s Distinguished Service Award (1992) and was inducted into the Board Game Hall of Fame for his contributions to game design and cultural history (2010).
Personal Life
- Married to Marilyn Anspach, an educator; the couple had two children, Michael and Susan.
- Lived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for most of his adult life, engaging in local community education initiatives and volunteer work.
Death
Ralph Anspach died on February 12, 2022, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at the age of 95. Obituaries highlighted his dual legacy as an economist and a champion of fair competition in both markets and cultural products.
