Posted on 06/28/2004 7:31:10 PM PDT by neverdem
In 1954, when Ronald Reagan was still a registered Democrat and host of "General Electric Theater," the 28-year-old William Frank Buckley Jr. decided to start a magazine as a standard-bearer for the fledgling conservative movement. In the 50-year ascent of the American right since then, his publication, National Review, has been its most influential journal and Mr. Buckley has been the magazine's guiding spirit and, until today, controlling shareholder.
Tonight, however, Mr. Buckley, 78, is giving up control. In an interview, he said he planned to relinquish his shares today to a board of trustees he had selected. Among them are his son, the humorist Christopher Buckley; the magazine's president, Thomas L. Rhodes; and Austin Bramwell, a 2000 graduate of Yale and one of the magazine's youngest current contributors.
Mr. Buckley's "divestiture," as he calls it, represents the exit of one of the forefathers of modern conservatism. It is also the latest step in the gradual quieting of one of the most distinctive voices in the business of cultural and political commentary, the writer and editor who founded his magazine on a promise to stand "athwart history, yelling 'Stop,' at a time when no one is inclined to do so, or to have much patience with those who urge it."
In explaining his decision, Mr. Buckley said he had taken some satisfaction in the triumph of conservatism since then, though he expressed some complaints about President Bush's unconservative spending and some retrospective doubts about the wisdom of invading Iraq. But his decision, Mr. Buckley said, had more to do with his own mortality.
"The question is choose some point to quit or die onstage, and there wouldn't be any point in that," Mr. Buckley said, recalling his retirement from his television program "Firing Line" a few years ago. "Thought was given and plans were made to proceed with divestiture."
With characteristic playfulness, Mr. Buckley said that he had not disclosed the timing of the hand-over. He plans to give the trustees his shares at a private party tonight at an Italian restaurant near the magazine's East 34th Street office. "It is kind of a big event in my life," he said, sipping a glass of wine over lunch at the same restaurant last week. "I thought I might as well put a little bit of theater in it. When I leave this building a week from now, I will probably feel a little bit different."
Mr. Buckley, whose syndicated column will continue to appear in the magazine, said he did not expect changes in the contents of the magazine. Richard Lowry, the editor, will continue in that job. Mr. Rhodes, president of National Review, will become chairman of the newly formed board of trustees. The trustees will include Evan Galbraith, an executive of Morgan Stanley who was ambassador to France under Mr. Reagan, and Daniel Oliver, who was chairman of the Federal Trade Commission under Mr. Reagan and whose son, Drew Oliver, was an assistant editor at the magazine.
By virtue of his relative youth, Mr. Bramwell is the most notable of the five trustees. "I wanted somebody who is very young and very talented," Mr. Buckley said. "One likes to think in the long term."
A former officer of the Conservative Party of the Yale Political Union, Mr. Bramwell began writing for National Review two years ago as a Harvard law student. At a recent ceremony at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, he presented Mr. Buckley an award for contributions to the conservative movement along with an admiring, perhaps even Buckleyesque, appraisal of Mr. Buckley's literary style.
"By ironic periphrasis, arch understatement and surprising deployment of familiar and of course unfamiliar words, Buckley convinced his opponents that he knew something they did not, and what's more, that he intended to keep the secret from them," Mr. Bramwell said as he presented the award. "Thus did he waken their minds to the possibility that liberalism is not the philosophia ultima but just another item in the baleful catalogue of modern ideologies."
Not everyone shares this assessment of Mr. Buckley's work. Leon Wieseltier, literary editor of The New Republic, called Mr. Buckley's sometimes baroque style "genially ridiculous."
Mr. Wieseltier added: "It is a kind of antimodern pretense, but of course he is in fact a completely modern man. His thinking and his writing have all the disadvantages of a happy man. The troubling thing about Bill Buckley's work is how singularly untroubled it is by things."
But Mr. Buckley's voice has always been singular. He was not much older than Mr. Bramwell when he founded National Review. The son of an oilman, Mr. Buckley was already famous for his first book, "God and Man at Yale" (1951). Conservatism in the United States was close to its 20th-century nadir, marked by Dwight D. Eisenhower's defeat of the conservative Robert Taft for the 1952 Republican nomination.
The first issue of National Review appeared in 1955. As Mr. Buckley tells it, he became chief editor in part because deferring to a young man was unthreatening to many venerable contributors. "It was easier to allow them to accept a 29-year-old than to select among themselves who will be boss," he said.
William J. Casey, who later became director of central intelligence under Mr. Reagan, incorporated the magazine. Mr. Buckley retained ownership of all the voting stock. National Review has never made a profit, Mr. Buckley said. It makes up any shortfalls each year with contributions from about 1,000 to 1,500 donors, and every other year it sends a solicitation to its subscribers in an effort to add names to the "A list" of regular donors. Mr. Buckley will continue to write the fund-raising letters, he said.
As for conservatism today, Mr. Buckley said there was a growing debate on the right about how the war in Iraq squared with the traditional conservative conviction that American foreign policy should seek only to protect its vital interests.
"With the benefit of minute hindsight, Saddam Hussein wasn't the kind of extra-territorial menace that was assumed by the administration one year ago," Mr. Buckley said. "If I knew then what I know now about what kind of situation we would be in, I would have opposed the war."
Asked whether the growth of the federal government over the last four years diminished his enthusiasm for Mr. Bush, he reluctantly acknowledged that it did. "It bothers me enormously," he said. "Should I growl?"
Still, he professed more than a little pride at the country's rightward drift during his years in control of National Review. "We thought to influence conservative thought, which we succeeded in doing," he said.
WFB is an amazing intellectual ! I will never forget all of his interviews with Malcolmn Muggeridge ! They were some of the best interviews of all time !
WFB, thanks for 50 years or so, of rational thought. You helped more than a few of us to make it through the second half of the 20th century. Enjoy your semi-retirement.
I'm actually in the middle of reading WFB Junior's account of the construction of, resistance to, and eventual destruction of the Berlin Wall.
He was definitely a towering influence in my life, especially in my growing appreciation for the conservative perspective on economic, social, political and cultural issues.
One of the best gifts that I've ever received was an annual subscription to "National Review", courtesy of my older sister.
I think that this news calls for a salute of some kind.
Get out your lighters folks!
Saw him in person years ago. I wish him well. He could skewer libs with the best we have until he mellowed (or perhaps tired).
He is even more impressive in person.
Of course this isn't supported with the actual quote and a source. I have my doubts.
I just emailed my friend the same thought. I loved hearing Muggeridge and Buckley discuss religion. They had such clear minds. I had the pleasure of hearing Muggeridge speak many, many years ago. What a gentle soul. I still miss "Firing Line" and especially the political debates. They were very cordial and yet spirited debates.
BTTT
I suppose that you can take any person's brief comments and twist them out of context if you have a specific predetermined agenda in mind before writing a story.
Then again, there have been a lot of conservatives expressing reservations about Operation Iraqi Freedom.
I wouldn't pass judgment until I saw the full text of any sort of interview conducted by the NYT, including all of the quotations that were left on the cutting room floor.
I wish him well. He came out as a conservative when there were hardly any others on the scene. "God and Man at Yale" was a great inaugural book.
That makes two of us! I still think that there's a gaping void in the Saturday morning lineup of PBS programming. As much as I enjoy watching "Uncommon Knowledge", William F. Buckley knew how to do it up right.
He and Warren Steibal really broke the mold when they conceived of that show. I wish that there was something comparable on television today, but there simply isn't. There's no way to get around that fact.
He used to tape all his Firing Line shows in Columbia, SC.
I never knew what his connection to Columbia was.
Now he can sail his yacht beyond the coastal water limits and smoke all the pot he wants.
Happy retirement, Buzz!
That said, it was Rush who became a stalwart for me and brought conservative values alive in a way that WFB could never do. I became a conservative because of WFB and an activist because of Rush. I thank them both.
Okay, so it's a completely different Columbia.
You get the point.
We'll miss you Bill!
I met the man 23 years ago and had the opportunity to question him on some topics while he was visting the University of Rochester.
My father, however, beats me on this hands down - not only did he meet Buckley in the early 60's, but he has an autographed copy of "Rumbles Left and Right".
The only thing that struck me as odd was the weird verbal affectation that you always pick up on television, which didn't seem as prominent when I met him.
Somehow, it just didn't stick out in person.
I really don't know how you get an accent like that from Texas-or from Connecticut for that matter-but other than that, I can't say much negative in the way of W.F.B. Jr.
Like you guys, I met him once 20 years ago -- in a small seminar with him and Nathan Tarcov, and afterwards. Don't remember any of the content of the seminar, but WFB wore the nicest suit this green and easily impressed Midwestern boy had ever seen.
His decline has been difficult to watch for the past decade or so, but one can't help but be grateful for what he did for all of us in his better days. I hope he's able to enjoy a bit of a retirement. It would be well deserved.
Ditto! I remember in the early 70's College days. My husband and I were avid readers. We didn't always have money for food but we never missed a week of NR. My dad was a military Officer my husbands dad was director of Operations Research for a large Gov. Contract Corp that built fighter planes. I think we always had it at home. So did his family. I will always love WFB. I feel very sad.
I've only completed four WFB books, and skimmed approximately a half dozen others, but have read nearly every single syndicated column of his since '96.
It's simply startling how he's managed to retain his clarity of thought after all these years.
I couldn't have said it any better. I'm from NYC. When he ran for mayor and advocating secession of the city from NY State, was about the time I started paying attention to politics. Therefore, I couldn't have a heart and be a liberal, hence, my screen-name.
Does anyone else seem to recall Michael Kinsley and Mort Kondraeke (and maybe Mark Green) as some of the adjunct "examiners" on the show?
Very few have mastered the English language as has Mr. Buckley, he'll be missed.
The old light bulb glows a little dimmer.
I wasn't really implying anything or being saecastic. I as/was actually curious why he filmed his show in South Carolina. He
even had to bring his guests and his moderator, Michael Kinsley down there every week.
Sure it is. They've put the quotes in the article. Besides Buckley's recent articles been lambasted on FR along with other great conservatives like Phylis Schlafly by the gibbering hordes of what-Bush-does-defines-conservative-so-stfu-theres-a-war-on-u-du-commie-rat-bastard crowd here.
The desinence of an epoch
The war pushed back the tide of rogues who would acquire WMD. This obviously in in our vital interest.
My dedicated Democrat mother never understood why I wanted to watch Buckley on Saturdays instead of cartoons. I don't understand it either, except that he captivated me. I was a gradeschooler in the early 60s. But in the back of my mind while growing up, there was William F. Buckley -- the reasoned side of public discourse.
When asked about his odd accent, Buckley would usually respond along the line of: "Well, how exactly should I sound? I spoke Spanish almost exclusively until I was 7, and I went to Jesuit boarding school in England in my mid teens"
I'm sure there have been days when GWB has felt the same way.
I never knew what his connection to Columbia was.
The Buckley family had or may still have a winter home in Camden, SC, about 30 miles northeast of Columbia. It's horse country, home of the Carolina Cup (spring) and the Colonial Cup (fall), steeplechase races which are major social events; and is an easy drive to the Pinehurst, NC area, with its golf, tennis, and spas. WFB's brother, Reid, still runs the Buckley School of Public Speaking in Camden.
Then again, I do remember hearing something about the creators of "Firing Line" wanting to entice viewers who lived outside of the Beltway and/or coasts, so that may also have had something to do with their choice of location.
I never knew that thanks, I live in Pinehurst now but don't recall the Buckleys being here (to my knowlege) in the last few years.
It always reminded me of a mix of the "Beverly Hillbillies" and "I Spy."
Never quite added up in my mind, though it does make for some interesting dinner conversation, if you want my opinion.
WFB tried to get Whittaker Chambers to go into a partnership to begin the magazine. Whittaker declined because he thought the controversy surrounding him would doom the magazine. Whittiker did writer for NR for a number of years.
One of the best books I've ever read was Witness by Whittacker Chambers.
Anyone remember Buckley and Gore Vidal doing commentary during the- what- 1960 election?
Buckley is the reason for Reagan, IMHO.
Is that true about Spanish and Jesuit boarding school?
Who will take his place?
William F. Buckley biography
A brief biography of William F. Buckley, the founder of National Review magazine, an author, lecturer, sailor, socialite, and pop icon.
William F. Buckley was born on November 24, 1925, in New York City, the sixth of ten children in a devoutly Roman Catholic family. Because his grandfather had made a fortune in the oil business, Buckley's childhood in Connecticut was one of wealth and priviledge, but also one of discipline and intellectual rigor. He was educated in England and France, and graduated from the Millbrook School in Millbrook, NY, in 1943.
Buckley's first language had been Spanish, having been raised by Mexican nannies, and he now studied at the University of Mexico before being drafted into the Army in 1944. After being discharged in 1946, he worked briefly for the CIA. He then attended Yale University, graduating in 1950. Shortly thereafter, at the age of 25, he became a literary sensation with the publication of his book, "God and Man at Yale," a scathing indictment of what would later be called "political correctness."
Buckley founded National Review magazine in 1955, at a time when the words "conservative" and "intellectual" were rarely seen in the same sentence. His magazine revolutionized political thinking, and had a profound affect on conservative leaders such as Barry Goldwater and Ronald Reagan. He became even more influential when his newspaper column, "On the Right," was syndicated in 1962. In 1965 he ran for mayor of New York under the Conservative Party banner and received 13.4 of the vote.
What finally propelled Buckley to iconic status was his weekly television show, "Firing Line." He had been a skilled debater at Yale, and viewers loved to watch him spar with such guests as Norman Mailer, Germaine Greer, the Dalai Lama, and Groucho Marx. A Psychology Today poll conducted in the early Seventies found that an alarmingly high percentage of women fantasized about Buckley while having sex with their husbands.
With the election of Ronald Reagan in 1980, Buckley and his wife, Pat, became the most sought-after socialites in Washington. His Blackford Oakes spy novels were consistent best sellers. With the high life, however, came contraversy. Many were shocked at Buckley's callous response in the early years of the AIDS epidemic; he went so far as to suggest that those who suffered from the disease should be tattooed on their backsides.
In the early 1990's, Buckley stepped down as editor of National Review, though he continued on as a contributing editor, and devoted more time to such passions as sailing and playing the harpsichord. He broadcast his last "Firing Line" in the year 2000.
= = = = = = = = =
The Carolina Navy
By Becket Knottingham
becket@jollyroger.com
Come lighthouse builders, soldiers of the word,
Come gather 'round me on this soft spring eve,
Prime yer wit's pistols, polish wisdom's sword,
For we're setting sail for all we believe.
Where principle transcends all politics,
Where lawyers are replaced by higher law,
Where children amongst the Great Books frolic,
Defenders of honor are held in awe.
For isn't forever worth fighting for?
Where rhyme and reason resound once again,
What sailor's soul could ever ask for more,
Than to serve the Lord with poetry's pen?
And I think I feel that ancient wind rising,
It's a choice I made, girl, so long ago,
The tide's turning, and we're both realizing,
That far, far away, this captain must go.
With all these castles built on shifting sands,
There's not much left for a poet 'round here,
All that can keep me now, from far off lands,
Is fearing that this fog will never clear. This fog--
I just can't help dreaming beyond,
Dreaming a dream so bold it must be real,
Until that day which has never yet dawned,
Is crossed by my spirit's thundering keel.
'Cause I know there's just got to be a place
With wondrous mountains and a shining sea,
With Caroline's grace and beautiful face,
Where moral beauty's anchor sets ye free.
And I know that in-between here and there,
I'll sail on by some more who don't believe,
Forgive the blind leading the blind nowhere,
For in the end it's themselves they deceive.
Tonight I'm setting sail for victory,
Too many people talking of decline,
Tomorrow is the children's history,
So in me wake I'll leave them something fine.
Come sailors and sinners, it's not too late,
Serve something Greater, mate, and it shall save ye,
Set sail to make eternity yer fate,
Come serve aboard the Carolina Navy.
Very Buckleyesque, no? (But I still can't envision him speaking Spanish in that unique patrician accent.)
= = = = = =
Thank you, WFB ... you lit the fire! Go with God.
I heard they just about came to blows during the Chicago 68 convention. I missed it. I was always hoping to see a re-run.
Thank you very much!
Glad somebody finally said it.
Thank you. :)
You must be a mind reader. Thank you very much. Bookmarked
I spent many years watching Bill Buckley's FiringLine and enjoying the political debating skills of a master communicator. Buckley will forever be remembered as one of the founders of the modern conservative movement in America today. Nothing will change with Buckley`s stepping down as head-honcho of NR. He will still write his weekly column and he will remain a voice for conservatism.
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