The John M. Olin Foundation was a conservative American grant-making foundation established in 1953 by industrialist John M. Olin, president of Olin Industries, a chemical and munitions manufacturing business. Uniquely structured to expend all its assets within a generation of the founder's death to prevent mission drift and preserve donor intent, the foundation focused on funding legal, academic, and public policy initiatives—including law and economics programs, think tanks, and conservative causes promoting free-market economics, free enterprise, limited government, and national security agendas. It countered leftist and anti-communist ideologies and supported individuals beginning their careers in these fields. Over its active years, the foundation disbursed more than $370 million primarily to conservative think tanks, media outlets, and university law programs supporting free-market scholarship. The foundation made its final grant in summer 2005 and officially disbanded that year.