History of William F. Buckley Jr. in Timeline
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.
1920: Buckley's father expelled from Mexico
In 1920, William F. Buckley's father, an oil developer influential in Mexican politics, was expelled from Mexico when Álvaro Obregón became president.
November 24, 1925: William F. Buckley Jr. born
On November 24, 1925, William Frank Buckley Jr., later known as William Francis Buckley, was born in New York City. He became a prominent American conservative writer, public intellectual, political commentator, and novelist.
1933: Birth of Maureen Buckley-O'Reilly
In 1933, Maureen Buckley-O'Reilly, one of William F. Buckley Jr.'s sisters, was born. She later married Gerald A. O'Reilly, CEO of Richardson-Vicks Drugs.
1943: Graduation from Millbrook School
In 1943, William F. Buckley Jr. graduated from the Millbrook School in Millbrook, New York. That same year, Buckley was a member of the American Boys' Club for the Defense of Errol Flynn during Flynn's trial.
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.
1944: Vidal Implies Buckley's Siblings Vandalized Church
In September 1969, in his essay "A Distasteful Encounter with William F. Buckley", Gore Vidal implied that, in 1944, Buckley's unnamed siblings and possibly Buckley had vandalized a Protestant church in their Sharon, Connecticut, hometown, further escalating the feud.
1945: Enrolled at Yale University
In 1945, after the war, Buckley enrolled at Yale University, became a member of the secret Skull and Bones society, and engaged in debate.
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.
1950: Marriage to Patricia Taylor
In 1950, William F. Buckley Jr. married Patricia "Pat" Taylor, the daughter of Canadian industrialist Austin C. Taylor.
1951: Authored 'God and Man at Yale'
In 1951, Buckley authored 'God and Man at Yale', a book critiquing Yale University.
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.
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.
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.
August 24, 1957: Editorial "Why the South Must Prevail" Published
On August 24, 1957, William F. Buckley Jr.'s editorial "Why the South Must Prevail" was published in National Review. In the editorial, Buckley spoke out in favor of temporary segregation in the South, claiming that the black population lacked the education, economic, and cultural development to make racial equality possible. He argued that white Southerners were "entitled" to disenfranchise black voters because they were the "advanced race."
1957: Chambers's review of 'Atlas Shrugged'
After 1957, William F. Buckley Jr. attempted to distance Ayn Rand from the conservative movement by publishing Whittaker Chambers's unfavorable review of Rand's 'Atlas Shrugged'.
1957: Welch Expresses Doubts About Eisenhower
In 1957, Robert Welch began to express doubts about President Eisenhower's loyalties, leading to disagreements with Buckley on the reasons for the United States' perceived failure in the early years of the Cold War.
1957: "Letter From Spain"
In 1957, William F. Buckley Jr. wrote a "Letter From Spain", calling Francisco Franco "an authentic national hero" who had the qualities needed to wrest Spain from "the hands of the visionaries, ideologues, Marxists and nihilists" who had been democratically elected.
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.
November 1958: Welch Sends "The Politician" to Buckley
In November 1958, Robert Welch sent Buckley and other associates copies of his unpublished manuscript "The Politician", accusing President Eisenhower of involvement in a communist conspiracy. Buckley, upon returning the manuscript, found the allegations to be "curiously—almost pathetically optimistic."
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.
1958: Buckley on the NAACP
In 1958, William F. Buckley Jr. linked his usage of the word advancement to its usage in the name NAACP, saying that the "call for the 'advancement' of colored people presupposes they are behind. Which they were, in 1958, by any standards of measurement."
1958: Death of William Frank Buckley Sr.
In 1958, William Frank Buckley Sr., father of William F. Buckley Jr., passed away. He was a lawyer and oil developer.
1959: Referenced in 'The Manchurian Candidate'
In 1959, William F. Buckley Jr. was referenced in Richard Condon's novel 'The Manchurian Candidate' as "that fascinating younger fellow who had written about men and God at Yale."
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".
1961: Buckley Reflects on John Birch Society
In 1961, Buckley reflected on his correspondences with Welch and members of the John Birch Society, stating that he had more discussions about the John Birch Society in the past year than about the existence of God or the financial difficulties of National Review.
1961: Comment on African Self-Government
In 1961, when asked when Africans would be ready for self-government, William F. Buckley Jr. replied, "When they stop eating each other".
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: Buckley begins correspondence with Edgar Smith
In 1962, Edgar Smith, sentenced to death for murder, began corresponding with Buckley from death row, leading Buckley to doubt Smith's guilt.
1962: Buckley on African Nationalism
In 1962, William F. Buckley Jr. called African nationalism "self-discrediting" and said "the time is bound to come when" Westerners "realize what is the nature of the beast".
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.
January 15, 1963: Buckley publishes "South African Fortnight"
On January 15, 1963, William F. Buckley Jr. published a feature essay in National Review titled "South African Fortnight." Buckley concluded with words concerning apartheid: "I know it is a sincere people's effort to fashion the land of peace they want so badly." In his report, Buckley tried to define apartheid and came up with four axioms on which the policy stands, the fourth being "The notion that the Bantu could participate in power on equal terms with the whites is the worst kind of ideological and social romance".
September 15, 1963: Birmingham Church Bombing
On September 15, 1963, white supremacists bombed a Birmingham church, resulting in the deaths of four African American girls. This event was a turning point for William F. Buckley Jr., who reportedly wept privately upon learning of the incident.
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: Buckley on Ayn Rand's Philosophy
In 1964, Buckley wrote about the "desiccated philosophy's conclusive incompatibility with the conservative's emphasis on transcendence, intellectual and moral" of Ayn Rand. He emphasized the incongruity of tone and dogmatism.
1964: Death of Maureen Buckley-O'Reilly
In 1964, Maureen Buckley-O'Reilly, sister of William F. Buckley Jr. and wife of Richardson-Vicks Drugs CEO Gerald A. O'Reilly, passed away.
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.
November 1965: Buckley Publishes Article on Edgar Smith
In November 1965, Buckley published an article in Esquire about the case of Edgar Smith, who was sentenced to death for murder, drawing national media attention to the case.
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: Debate with James Baldwin
In 1965, William F. Buckley Jr. debated African American writer James Baldwin at the Cambridge Union. Buckley disagreed with the concept of structural racism and placed blame for lack of economic growth on the black community. Baldwin carried the floor vote by 544 to 164.
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.
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.
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.
1968: Buckley Debates Gore Vidal
In 1968, Buckley appeared in a series of televised debates with Gore Vidal during the Republican National Convention in Miami and the Democratic National Convention in Chicago.
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.
August 1969: Buckley's Essay Published in Esquire
In the August 1969 issue, Esquire magazine published Buckley's essay "On Experiencing Gore Vidal", continuing the feud between the two.
1969: Further Litigation with Esquire
After Esquire republished the original Vidal essay as part of a collection in 2003, further litigation was initiated, leading to an agreement where Esquire paid $65,000 to Buckley and his attorneys, destroyed remaining copies of the book, and published an open letter regretting the republication of the libels in the 2003 collection. This relates back to the original publication from 1969.
1970: Living in Switzerland
Beginning in 1970, Buckley and his wife lived and worked in Rougemont, Switzerland, for six to seven weeks per year.
1970: Jim Buckley Wins Senate Seat
In 1970, Buckley celebrated the successful campaign of his older brother, Jim Buckley, running on the Conservative Party ticket, to capture the United States Senate seat from New York State.
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.
1971: Smith Retrial and Release
In 1971, Edgar Smith had a retrial, took a plea deal, and was released from prison that year; Buckley interviewed him on Firing Line soon thereafter.
1971: Debate with Betty Friedan on Abortion
In 1971, William F. Buckley Jr. debated Betty Friedan on the topic of abortion.
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: Support for Pinochet's Coup
In 1973, William F. Buckley Jr. supported the military dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet, who led the coup that overthrew Chilean president Salvador Allende's democratically elected Marxist government. Buckley called Allende "a president who was defiling the Chilean constitution and waving proudly the banner of his friend and idol, Fidel Castro."
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.
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.
1976: Jim Buckley Loses Senate Seat
In 1976, Jim Buckley lost his Senate seat to Democrat Daniel Patrick Moynihan after serving one term.
1976: Smith Attempts Another Murder
In 1976, five years after being released from prison, Edgar Smith attempted to murder another woman in San Diego, California. He was sentenced to life in prison and admitted he murdered Zielinski. Buckley expressed regret at having believed and supported Smith.
1977: Stockholm Declaration of 1977
In January 1978, Buckley resigned from the board of directors of Amnesty International USA in protest over the organization's stance against capital punishment as expressed in its Stockholm Declaration of 1977.
January 1978: Buckley Resigns from Amnesty International USA
In January 1978, Buckley resigned from the board of directors of Amnesty International USA in protest over the organization's stance against capital punishment as expressed in its Stockholm Declaration of 1977.
February 1979: SEC Accuses Buckley of Shareholder Fraud
In February 1979, the US Securities and Exchange Commission accused Buckley and 10 other defendants of defrauding shareholders in Starr Broadcasting Group, a company in which Buckley owned a 20% stake. As part of the settlement, Buckley agreed to return $1.4 million in stock and cash to shareholders in the company.
1980: National Book Award for 'Stained Glass'
In 1980, Buckley's Stained Glass, the second novel in the Blackford Oakes series, won a National Book Award in the "Mystery (paperback)" category.
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.
1981: Second Agreement with SEC
In 1981, another agreement was reached with the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission) regarding Starr Broadcasting Group, following the initial settlement in 1979.
1982: Adoption of Computers
In 1982, Buckley began writing on computers, starting with a Zenith Z-89, and developed a strong preference for the WordStar software.
March 18, 1986: Op-Ed on AIDS Epidemic
On March 18, 1986, William F. Buckley Jr. addressed the AIDS epidemic in a New York Times op-ed. He argued that people infected with HIV should marry only if they agreed to sterilization and that universal testing should be mandatory. He also controversially suggested that everyone detected with AIDS should be tattooed.
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.
1991: Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 1991, Buckley received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
1991: Buckley Criticizes Buchanan
In 1991, William F. Buckley Jr. wrote a 40,000-word article criticizing Pat Buchanan, accusing him of anti-Semitism but concluding that Buchanan was not an anti-Semite, though he had said some anti-Semitic things.
1991: Burnham's Influence on Buckley
In 1991, it was found that James Burnham significantly impacted both National Review's editorial policy and William F. Buckley Jr.'s thinking, overcoming opposition from other editorial board members.
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.
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.
2003: Esquire Republishes Vidal Essay
In 2003, Esquire republished the original Vidal essay as part of a collection titled Esquire's Big Book of Great Writing, reopening the feud between Buckley and Vidal.
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: Buckley on neoconservatives
In 2004, Buckley commented on neoconservatives, describing them as bright, informed, and idealistic but overestimating U.S. power and influence.
2004: Buckley Clarifies Earlier Comments on Race
In 2004, William F. Buckley Jr. clarified his earlier comments on race, saying, "[T]he point I made about white cultural supremacy was sociological." Buckley told Time, "I once believed we could evolve our way up from Jim Crow. I was wrong. Federal intervention was necessary."
2004: Buckley on AIDS Protocol
In 2004, William F. Buckley Jr. told The New York Times Magazine that if his proposed AIDS protocol had been accepted in 1986, many who caught the infection unguardedly would be alive.
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.
February 2006: Buckley Declares Iraq War Failure
In a February 2006 column published at National Review Online and distributed by Universal Press Syndicate, William F. Buckley Jr. wrote, "One cannot doubt that the American objective in Iraq has failed" and "it's important that we acknowledge in the inner councils of state that [the war] has failed, so that we should look for opportunities to cope with that failure."
April 15, 2007: Death of Pat Buckley
On April 15, 2007, Pat Buckley, William F. Buckley Jr.'s wife, died at age 80 from an infection after a long illness. Following her death, Buckley was reportedly "dejected and rudderless".
December 3, 2007: Advocating for a tobacco ban
In his December 3, 2007, column, shortly after his wife's death, which he partially attributed to her smoking, Buckley seemed to advocate for banning tobacco use in America.
December 2007: Buckley's emphysema
In a December 2007 column, Buckley commented on his emphysema, attributing it to his lifelong smoking habit despite endorsing a legal ban on tobacco.
2007: Buckley Writes Warmly About Mailer After Death
After Norman Mailer's death in 2007, Buckley wrote warmly about their personal acquaintance, despite their previous philosophical antipathy.
February 27, 2008: Death of William F. Buckley Jr.
On February 27, 2008, William F. Buckley Jr., the renowned American conservative writer, public intellectual, and political commentator, passed away, marking the end of a significant era in American conservative thought.
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.
2009: Publication of Losing Mum and Pup: A Memoir
In 2009, Christopher Buckley's memoir "Losing Mum and Pup" described his father's final moments.
2012: Stuart Stevens on Buckley's 'ugliness and bigotry'
In 2012, political consultant Stuart Stevens criticized Buckley, arguing that beneath his eloquence lay the same ugliness and bigotry associated with Trumpism.
2015: Best of Enemies Documentary
In 2015, the debates between Buckley and Vidal are chronicled in the documentary Best of Enemies, highlighting their contentious relationship.
2020: Mighty Ira Film Release
In 2020, the film Mighty Ira, featuring William F. Buckley Jr.'s friendship with Ira Glasser, was released.
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