"LAMB: And as you know--you wrote about it--there was quite a
controversy over his first and second marriage, and they are from his
first marriage?
Mr. EBENSTEIN: They--they're both from his first marriage. Hayek
had a divorce from his first wife. She--his first wife would not give
him a divorce, so ultimately he came to the United State in
considerable part to be able to establish residency in 1950 in
Arkansas, which at that time was about the only place that had
permissive, no-fault divorce laws. He then was able to obtain a
divorce and then subsequently married his second cousin. Well, he
married a cousin of his who had been a childhood sweetheart, so it was
something that was not in a--an entirely happy chapter in his life, as
Larry refers to it but...
LAMB: What do they think of it?
Mr. EBENSTEIN: Well, I--I think that it was very hard on them at the
time. At the same time, Hayek was someone who was dedicated to his
work, and in talking both to--particularly to his daughter, she made a
comment along the lines that, `I hardly knew my father, because he
spent so much time researching and--and writing.' This was his primary
activity. It's also been suggested to me that in part as a result of
his unhappy family circumstances, this was part of the reason why he
wrote as much as he did. But I think the truth is that Hayek was
someone who was absolutely committed to the life of the mind, and
regardless of his family circumstances, he would have been a pure
scholar.
LAMB: Why--what was the reason for the divorce, and--and was it
abrupt?
Mr. EBENSTEIN: It was--it was strictly a matter that he wanted
to--he wanted to marry his cousin. They had been--as--as young
people, they had been in a--in a relationship. He then left for the
United States. When he came back, as a result of miscommunication,
she was then in another relationship, and they didn't marry at that
time. They considered trying to marry before World War II, but
decided not to, and then as a result of World War II--his second wife
was in Austria during World War II, so they had no contact for almost
six or seven years. After the war, they decided--Hayek says in his
autobiographical notes that whatever the cost, he'd have to seek a
divorce and that's what he did.
LAMB: What year did he divorce?
Mr. EBENSTEIN: He divorced in 1950."
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