William F. Buckley, Jr. was a conservative author and commentator. He founded National Review magazine and hosted Firing Line. He was said to be “arguably the most important public intellectual in the United States for the last half of the 20th Century.” Fellow Distinguished Member Senator Bob Dole said that Buckley ‘lit the fire’ for the new American conservative movement that propelled Ronald Reagan’s presidential candidacy. He authored more than 50 books on history, politics, religion and even novels inspired by his time in the CIA after his military service. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George H. W. Bush in 1991.
