William F. Buckley Jr.

William F. Buckley Jr.
Name	William F. Buckley Jr.
Caption	Buckley in 1985
Birth date	24 November 1925
Birth place	New York City, New York, U.S.
Death date	27 February 2008
Death place	Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Mexico, Yale University
Occupation	Author, commentator, editor
Known for	Founder of National Review, Host of Firing Line, Conservative activism
Spouse	Patricia Alden Austin Taylor, 1950, 2007

William F. Buckley Jr. was an American public intellectual, author, and commentator who became a defining figure in the modern conservative movement in the United States. He founded the influential magazine National Review in 1955, which served as a foundational platform for fusionism and helped unify disparate strands of right-wing politics. His erudite and polemical style, showcased through his long-running television program Firing Line and over fifty books, positioned him as a leading critic of liberalism and communism for over five decades.

Early life and education

Born into a wealthy Catholic family in New York City, he was the sixth of ten children of William F. Buckley Sr., an oil entrepreneur. He spent part of his youth in Sharon, Connecticut, and in Camden, South Carolina, before attending preparatory school in England. His early education was steeped in conservative thought, influenced by his father's staunch anti-communism and isolationism. He served stateside in the United States Army during World War II before enrolling at the University of Mexico. He subsequently graduated with honors from Yale University in 1950, where he was a member of the Skull and Bones society and served as chairman of the Yale Daily News. His experience at Yale led to his first major book, God and Man at Yale (1951), a scathing critique of what he viewed as the university's collectivist and secularist tendencies.

Founding of *National Review*

In 1955, with financial backing from his family and other donors, he launched National Review, declaring its mission to stand "athwart history, yelling Stop." The magazine became the central organ of post-war intellectual conservatism, explicitly opposing the dominant New Deal consensus and Marxism. Under his editorship, National Review promoted fusionism, a philosophy articulated by Frank Meyer that sought to synthesize traditionalist conservatism with libertarianism. The publication also provided a crucial platform for writers like James Burnham, Whittaker Chambers, and Russell Kirk, while famously excommunicating fringe elements such as the John Birch Society and Ayn Rand's Objectivism from the mainstream movement.

Political activism and views

His activism extended beyond publishing. He was a founding member of the Young Americans for Freedom and helped draft its founding document, the Sharon Statement. In 1965, he mounted a quixotic campaign for Mayor of New York City as the candidate of the Conservative Party of New York State, famously quipping when asked what he would do if he won: "Demand a recount." A staunch Cold War hawk, he was a vigorous supporter of Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist investigations, though he later expressed nuanced criticisms. His views evolved on some issues; he became a proponent of drug liberalization and denounced the Iraq War and the John Birch Society. He consistently advocated for free-market economics, a strong national defense, and cultural conservatism.

*Firing Line* and media career

From 1966 to 1999, he hosted the television debate program Firing Line, which became the longest-running public affairs show with a single host in American television history. The program featured a wide array of guests, from Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher to Noam Chomsky, Allen Ginsberg, and Muhammad Ali. His distinctive, polysyllabic speaking style, characterized by an arched eyebrow and a vast vocabulary, made him a recognizable media personality. He also wrote a syndicated newspaper column, "On the Right," and was a frequent contributor to publications like the New York Times Magazine.

Writing and other works

A prolific author, he wrote over fifty books spanning genres. These included political commentary like Up from Liberalism (1959), a series of spy novels featuring CIA agent Blackford Oakes, and sailing memoirs such as Airborne (1976). He also penned several works on his Catholicism, including Nearer, My God (1997). His collected correspondence, published posthumously, offers detailed insights into his relationships with figures like Ronald Reagan, John Kenneth Galbraith, and Norman Mailer.

Personal life and legacy

In 1950, he married socialite Patricia Taylor; they had one son, author Christopher Buckley. An avid sailor and harpsichordist, he maintained homes in New York City and Stamford, Connecticut, where he died in 2008 from complications of diabetes. His legacy is that of the principal architect of the modern American Right, who transformed conservatism from a marginalized set of ideas into a potent political force that culminated in the election of Ronald Reagan. Institutions like the Hoover Institution and the American Conservative Union recognize his foundational role, while critics from the left and some on the paleoconservative right debated his ideological compromises.

Category:American political writers Category:American magazine founders Category:American television talk show hosts