William F. Buckey, Jr. (1925-2008)

William F. Buckey, Jr. died last Thursday at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, aged 82.

Often refered to as the founder of Modern Conservatism, Mr. Buckley did more than most to bring Conservative thought into the mainstream in America, taking the ideas of Milton Friedman and Friedrich A. Hayek, among others, and leading the fight against Progessives who he believed would lead the country away from its philosophical and social roots.

After serving in the U.S. Army during World War Two, Buckley studied at Yale University where he was an active debater, member of the Conservative Party and Yale Political Union and an editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News.

After graduating in 1950, he was recruited into the CIA, although he spent less than a year there, managing to publish his first book, 'God and Man at Yale,' in which he began his public attack on liberalism within academia.

In 1955, he founded National Review magazine, which became, under his leadership, the standard-bearer for the Conserative Right.

In 1965, he ran a campaign for Mayor of New York, in which he famously responded that he would, "Ask for a recount," when asked by a reporter what he would do if elected.

His campaign however, brought the New York Conservative Party to the forefront, opening the way for his brother, James L Buckley to win a State Senatorship for the party against the Rockerfellian Republicans who had dominated the politics of the Right in the city until that time.

With the election of Ronald Reagan and the collapse of Soviet Communism in the '80s and '90s, part of his vision was complete. There is still a way to go before Conservatives can rest easy though - William F Buckley, Jr. has ensured that there are plenty on the right to carry on his mission.