A conservative icon who founded the magazine National Review, and was known by many as the father of the conservative movement, also was a one-time Connecticut resident with a family estate in Sharon.
William F. Buckley Jr., who died in Stamford in 2008, at 82, also was an author, editor, columnist, harpsichordist, sailor talk-show host and Yale University graduate.
Buckley entered the public spotlight in 1951 at age 27 – and never left – with the publication of “God and Man at Yale,” excoriating his alma mater for losing sight of its moral mission. Buckley was host of the weekly PBS show “Firing Line,” which ran from 1966 to 1999. He many in those years, from Richard Nixon and the young John Kerry to Beat poet Allen Ginsberg.
Now, the U.S. Postal Service will honor Buckley, whom they dubbed “a larger-than-life figure who helped define modern American conservatism as a writer, political commentator and novelist, with a new stamp to be dedicated at Yale University.”
The Courant has reported that Buckley was credited with fusing traditional conservatism and libertarianism into a popular philosophy that led to the GOP presidential nomination of Arizona Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater in 1964 and the election of another conservative, Ronald Reagan, in 1980.
Publisher Jack Fowler worked for years with William F. Buckley Jr., author, erudite Ivy Leaguer. conservative herald and TV talk show host of “Firing Line.”
The Courant, in a news obituary, also wrote: Mr. Buckley gave many gifts. His Blackford Oakes novels are wonderfully entertaining; his ruminations about sailing, food and his Catholic faith invariably well informed. His wit was of Swiftian stature. When asked what he’d do if he won his 1965 race for mayor of New York, Mr. Buckley immediately responded, “I’d demand a recount.” (Interestingly, Mr. Buckley proposed fees on cars coming into Manhattan and bike lanes into the city, as has current Mayor Michael Bloomberg.)
The postal service said the first-day-of-issue event for the Buckley commemorative Forever stamp will be held on Sept. 9. The event is free and open to the public.
Among those scheduled to attend are Isaac Cronkhite, chief processing and distribution officer and executive vice president, U.S. Postal Service; Christopher Buckley, son of William F. Buckley Jr.; Pericles Lewis, dean of Yale College; George Will, author, journalist, and scholar; Lauren Noble, founder and executive director, Buckley Institute; and Peter Robinson, author and television host.
The event on Tuesday, Sept. 9, at 4:30 p.m. at Beinecke Plaza, Yale University, 121 Wall St., New Haven, Conn.
Dedication ceremony attendees are encouraged to RSVP at usps.com/williamfbuckleystamp.
The postal service noted, “Buckley shaped the conservative movement into a formidable political force. Known for his eloquence, wit and ability to unite different conservative voices, his influence ranged from mid-20th-century politics to the White House.”
Buckley’s books included, “God and Man at Yale” (1951) and “McCarthy and His Enemies” (1954), as well as novels.
“Buckley expanded his reach beyond print by bringing his sharp intellect and humor to television with Firing Line in 1966. The show featured spirited conversations with guests from across the political spectrum, tackling divisive issues in a way that engaged conservative and liberal viewers alike. In 1969, Firing Line earned an Emmy Award, further cementing Buckley as the public face of conservatism,” according to the postal service.
Buckley retired from National Review in 1990 and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991, the postal service noted. Firing Line was relaunched on PBS in 2018.
