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Draft
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Also Known As
William F. Buckley Jr.
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Overall Confidence
85%
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About
William F. Buckley Jr. (1925–2008) was an American conservative author and commentator, recognized as a leading intellectual and godfather of the modern American conservative movement. He founded National Review magazine, which played a crucial role in shaping postwar American conservatism, and hosted the long-running television debate program Firing Line. Buckley remained an influential figure until his death.
Key Relationships
Ben Shapiro
influenced
Shapiro has cited Buckley as a major influence on his fusionist conservatism, debating style, and anti-communist views, drawing from Buckley's writings and National Review in his early career; this shapes Shapiro's positioning as a Buckley heir.
Since 2000
Richard Mellon Scaife
major_donor
Scaife donated to National Review and related Buckley initiatives, bolstering the magazine's role as a conservative intellectual hub and supporting Buckley's fusionist ideology.
Since 1960
Daniel Polisar
influenced
Buckley's model of conservative intellectual institution-building through National Review directly influenced the vision behind Shalem Center. Polisar's Commentary contributions place him in the same neoconservative intellectual lineage that Buckley helped establish.
William Bennett
friend
Bennett appeared multiple times on Buckley's PBS show Firing Line, and both were central figures in the intellectual conservative movement of the 1980s-2000s. Buckley championed Bennett's appointment as Secretary of Education through his National Review editorials.
Since 1985