Rise to Success: Career Highlights of William F. Buckley Jr.

How William F. Buckley Jr. built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

William F. Buckley Jr. was a prominent American conservative intellectual, author, and political commentator. He is best known for founding the conservative magazine *National Review* in 1955, which became a leading voice in American conservatism. Buckley was a gifted debater and public speaker, frequently appearing on television and in public forums to advocate for conservative principles. His influence helped shape the modern conservative movement in the United States, promoting free markets, limited government, and a strong national defense. He also wrote numerous novels and non-fiction books throughout his career.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Controversies & Scandals Legacy & Impact

1943: Attended National Autonomous University of Mexico

William F. Buckley Jr. attended the National Autonomous University of Mexico until 1943, the year he graduated from the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School.

1945: Post-War Conservative Intellectual Tradition

In 1945, with the end of the war, postwar conservatism brought together libertarianism, traditionalism, and anticommunism. William F. Buckley Jr. was recognized for the fusion of these ideas.

1947: Spanish instructor at Yale

In 1947, William F. Buckley Jr. began working as a Spanish instructor at Yale.

1950: Graduation from Yale University

In 1950, Buckley graduated with honors from Yale University, having studied political science, history, and economics.

1950: Graduated from Yale

In 1950, William F. Buckley Jr. graduated with honors from Yale University after engaging in debate and conservative political commentary during his time there.

1951: Authored 'God and Man at Yale'

In 1951, Buckley authored 'God and Man at Yale', a book critiquing Yale University.

God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of 'Academic Freedom'

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1951: Ended instruction at Yale

In 1951, William F. Buckley Jr. ended his time working as a Spanish instructor at Yale.

1951: Criticism following 'God and Man at Yale'

In 1951, following the release of his book 'God and Man at Yale', Buckley faced criticism from figures like McGeorge Bundy and Henry Sloane Coffin regarding his Catholic perspective.

God and Man at Yale: The Superstitions of 'Academic Freedom'

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1952: Buckley introduced to Welch

In 1952, Henry Regnery introduced William F. Buckley Jr. to Robert Welch. Both men were publishers of political journals with a knack for communication, which began their relationship.

1952: Editor at The American Mercury

In 1952, after leaving the CIA, William F. Buckley Jr. worked as an editor at The American Mercury before departing due to emerging antisemitic sentiments within the magazine.

1953: Panelist on Answers for Americans

In 1953, William F. Buckley Jr. started as an occasional panelist on the conservative public affairs program Answers for Americans, broadcast on ABC.

1954: Co-authored 'McCarthy and His Enemies'

In 1954, William F. Buckley Jr. co-authored the book 'McCarthy and His Enemies' with his brother-in-law L. Brent Bozell Jr., defending Senator Joseph McCarthy.

McCarthy and his enemies: The record and its meaning

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1954: Continued Appearance on Answers for Americans

In 1954, William F. Buckley Jr. continued as an occasional panelist on the conservative public affairs program Answers for Americans, broadcast on ABC.

1955: Founded National Review

In 1955, William F. Buckley Jr. established National Review, a magazine that became a significant voice in American conservatism by promoting fusionism.

1956: Welch Launches One Man's Opinion

In 1956, Robert Welch launched his publication One Man's Opinion, which was later renamed American Opinion in 1958, marking a year after the founding of The National Review.

September 1958: Buckley Runs Review of Doctor Zhivago

In September 1958, Buckley ran a review of Boris Pasternak's Doctor Zhivago by John Chamberlain, impressed by the novel's depiction of life in a communist society and considering the CIA's smuggling of the novel into the Soviet Union an ideological victory.

Doctor Zhivago (Vintage International)

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December 9, 1958: Welch founds the John Birch Society

On December 9, 1958, Robert Welch founded the John Birch Society with a group of business leaders in Indianapolis, marking a significant step in his far-right political advocacy.

1960: Buckley Forms Young Americans for Freedom

In 1960, Buckley helped form Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), guided by principles he called "The Sharon Statement".

1962: Buckley's "On the Right" Syndicated

In 1962, Buckley's column "On the Right" began to be syndicated by Universal Press Syndicate, eventually reaching more than 320 newspapers across the country.

1962: Denounced Robert W. Welch Jr.

In 1962, William F. Buckley Jr. denounced Robert W. Welch Jr. and the John Birch Society as "far removed from common sense" in National Review, urging the Republican Party to purge itself of Welch's influence.

1963: Buckley Mobilizes Support for Goldwater

In 1963, Buckley began mobilizing support for the candidacy of Senator Barry Goldwater, using the National Review as a forum.

1964: Buckley States the 'Buckley Rule'

During the 1964 Republican primary election featuring Barry Goldwater and Nelson Rockefeller, Buckley first stated the 'Buckley rule,' which asserts that National Review 'will support the rightwardmost viable candidate' for a given office.

1964: Buckley Mobilizes Support for Goldwater Continued

In 1964, Buckley continued to mobilize support for the candidacy of Senator Barry Goldwater, using the National Review as a forum.

1964: Mobilizing Young Enthusiasts

In 1964, William F. Buckley Jr. mobilized young enthusiasts to nominate Barry Goldwater. Buckley's work established conservatism as a respectable system of ideas in post-World War II America, which later influenced the election of Reagan and the Bushes.

1964: Buckley Accommodates Civil Rights Movement

In 1964, William F. Buckley Jr.'s writing began to grow more accommodating toward the civil rights movement. He ridiculed practices designed to keep African Americans off the voter registration rolls, condemned commercial establishments that declined service to African Americans, and showed little patience for Southern politicians who incited racial violence.

1965: Buckley Runs for Mayor of New York City

In 1965, Buckley ran for mayor of New York City as the candidate for the new Conservative Party. He tried to take votes away from the relatively liberal Republican candidate and fellow Yale alumnus John Lindsay. He did not expect to win.

1965: Support for Marijuana Legalization

In 1965, during his candidacy for mayor of New York City, William F. Buckley Jr. supported the legalization of marijuana and some other drug legalization.

1966: Firing Line Debut

In 1966, Buckley's weekly PBS show Firing Line debuted and continued until 1999, exposing many Americans to his erudite manner of speech and vocabulary.

1966: Hosted Firing Line

In 1966, William F. Buckley Jr. began hosting Firing Line, a public affairs television show known for Buckley's distinctive accent and wide vocabulary.

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1966: Firing Line: Civil Rights and Foreign Policy

In 1966, on an episode of Firing Line with William F. Buckley Jr. titled "Civil Rights and Foreign Policy," guest Floyd Bixler McKissick discussed black power, which Buckley subsequently endorsed. McKissick defined black power as a means for black people to determine their rate and direction of progress, including securing political and economic power, improving self-image, developing militant leadership, seeking enforcement of federal laws, and building a black consumer block.

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January 1968: Firing Line Debate with George Wallace

In January 1968, William F. Buckley Jr. debated against segregationist presidential candidate George Wallace's platform on an episode of Firing Line.

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August 1969: Nixon Proposes Family Assistance Plan

In August 1969, President Nixon proposed and later attempted to enact the Family Assistance Plan (FAP), welfare legislation that would establish a national income floor of $1,600 per year for a family of four.

July 1971: Buckley Assembles Conservatives to Discuss Nixon's Policies

In July 1971, Buckley assembled a group of conservatives to discuss some of Richard Nixon's domestic and foreign policies that the group opposed.

July 28, 1971: Manhattan Twelve Announce Suspension of Support for Nixon

On July 28, 1971, The Manhattan Twelve published a letter announcing that they would no longer support President Nixon due to their opposition to his domestic and foreign policies.

1972: Buckley on Marijuana Penalties

In 1972, William F. Buckley Jr. stated that while he supported removing criminal penalties for using marijuana, he also supported cracking down on trafficking marijuana.

1973: Buckley Appointed Delegate to the United Nations

In 1973, despite previous opposition, the Nixon Administration appointed Buckley as a delegate to the United Nations.

1975: Inspiration for Spy Novel

In 1975, Buckley was inspired by Frederick Forsyth's The Day of the Jackal to write a spy novel, aiming to avoid the moral ambiguity of authors like Graham Greene and John le Carré.

The Day of the Jackal

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1976: Buckley Supports Reagan's Presidential Campaign

In 1976, Buckley supported Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign against sitting President Gerald Ford and expressed disappointment at Reagan's narrow loss to Ford.

1976: Publication of 'Saving the Queen'

In 1976, Buckley wrote the spy novel Saving the Queen, featuring CIA agent Blackford Oakes, drawing from his own CIA experiences.

Saving the Queen

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1981: Buckley Declines Official Position from Reagan

In 1981, Buckley informed President-elect Reagan that he would decline any official position offered to him. Reagan jokingly offered Buckley the ambassadorship to (then Soviet-occupied) Afghanistan.

1988: Buckley Campaigns Against Lowell Weicker

In 1988, Buckley organized a committee to campaign against U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker, a liberal Republican, and endorsed Weicker's Democratic opponent, Connecticut Attorney General Joseph Lieberman.

1990: Retired as editor-in-chief of National Review

In 1990, William F. Buckley Jr. retired from the day-to-day operations as editor-in-chief of National Review, after serving in the role since 1955.

1990: Retired from National Review

In 1990, after turning 65, William F. Buckley retired from day-to-day operations at National Review, but he continued to write his syndicated newspaper column and opinion pieces.

1990: Retirement and Memoir

In 1990, at age 65, Buckley retired from the day-to-day management of the National Review and published his memoir Miles Gone By the following month. He continued to contribute columns and opinion pieces.

Miles Gone By: A Literary Autobiography

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1997: Publication of 'Nearer, My God'

In 1997, Buckley published 'Nearer, My God', where he criticized the Supreme Court's stance on religion in public schools and discussed liturgical reforms after the Second Vatican Council.

Nearer, My God

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1999: Firing Line Ends

In 1999, Buckley's weekly PBS show Firing Line ended, concluding its run after debuting in 1966. The show exposed many Americans to his erudite manner of speech and vocabulary.

June 2004: Relinquished control of National Review

In June 2004, William F. Buckley Jr. relinquished his controlling shares of National Review to a pre-selected board of trustees.

2004: Pro-Marijuana Legalization Piece

In 2004, William F. Buckley Jr. wrote a pro-marijuana-legalization piece for National Review, calling for conservatives to change their views on legalization.

2008: Nash's assessment of Buckley's influence

In 2008, historian George H. Nash described William F. Buckley Jr. as arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States over the past half-century, highlighting his role as a leading voice of American conservatism.