Back ويليام ف. باكلي Arabic ويليام ف. باكلى ARZ ویلیام باکلی، جونیر AZB William F. Buckley Jr. Czech William F. Buckley, Jr. Welsh William F. Buckley, Jr. German William F. Buckley, Jr. Spanish William F. Buckley juunior Estonian ویلیام باکلی، جونیر Persian William F. Buckley, Jr. Finnish

William F. Buckley Jr.

"William F. Buckley" redirects here. For his father, see William F. Buckley Sr. For other persons of like name, see William Buckley (disambiguation).

William F. Buckley Jr.
Buckley in an undated handout photograph
Buckley in an undated handout photograph
BornWilliam Francis Buckley
(1925-11-24)November 24, 1925
New York City, U.S.
DiedFebruary 27, 2008(2008-02-27) (aged 82)
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.
Occupation
  • Editor
  • author
  • political commentator
EducationYale University (BA)
Subject
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1950; died 2007)​
ChildrenChristopher Buckley
ParentWilliam F. Buckley Sr.
Relatives
Military career
Service / branchUnited States Army
Years of service1944–1946
RankFirst lieutenant
Battles / warsWorld War II

William Frank Buckley Jr. (born William Francis Buckley;[a] November 24, 1925 – February 27, 2008) was an American conservative writer, public intellectual, and political commentator.[1]

Born in New York City, Buckley spoke Spanish as his first language before learning French and then English as a child.[2] He served stateside in the United States Army during World War II. After the war, he attended Yale University, where he engaged in debate and conservative political commentary. Afterward, he worked for two years in the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1955, he founded National Review, a magazine that stimulated the conservative movement in the United States. In addition to editorials in National Review, Buckley wrote God and Man at Yale (1951) and more than 50 other books on diverse topics, including writing, speaking, history, politics, and sailing. His works include a series of novels featuring fictitious CIA officer Blackford Oakes and a nationally syndicated newspaper column.[3][4]

From 1966 to 1999, Buckley hosted 1,429 episodes of the public affairs television show Firing Line, the longest-running public affairs show with a single host in American television history, where he became known for his distinctive Transatlantic accent and rich vocabulary.[5]

Buckley's views varied, and are considered less categorically conservative than those of most conservative intellectuals today.[6] His public views on race rapidly changed from the 1950s to the 1960s, from endorsing Southern racism to eagerly anticipating the election of an African American to the presidency.[7]

Buckley called himself both a conservative and a libertarian.[8][9] He is widely considered one of the most influential figures in the conservative movement.[10][11][12]


Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).

  1. ^ Italie, Hillel (February 27, 2008). "Author, Conservative Commentator William F. Buckley Jr. Dies at 82". KVIA.com. Associated Press. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  2. ^ "The Spanish-Speaking William F. Buckley". Dissent Magazine. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "Cumulus.hillsdale.edu". Archived from the original on May 25, 2010.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYTobit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ The Wall Street Journal, February 28, 2008, p. A16
  6. ^ Perlstein, Rick, An Implausible Mr. Buckley: A new PBS documentary whitewashes the conservative founder of National Review, The Infernal Triangle, The American Prospect, April 17, 2024
  7. ^ Felzenberg, Alvin (May 13, 2017). "How William F. Buckley, Jr., Changed His Mind on Civil Rights". POLITICO Magazine. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  8. ^ C-SPAN Booknotes October 23, 1993
  9. ^ Buckley, William F., Jr. Happy Days Were Here Again: Reflections of a Libertarian Journalist, Random House, ISBN 0-679-40398-1, 1993.
  10. ^ "William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement". Bill of Rights Institute. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  11. ^ "The Man Behind the Modern Conservative Movement, with Sam Tanenhaus". Niskanen Center. March 17, 2021. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
  12. ^ Boaz, David (February 28, 2008). "Bill Buckley Is Dead. Has Conservatism Died with Him?". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 25, 2023.

Developed by StudentB