William F. Buckley: Triumph Without Tragedy

The death of William F. Buckley Jr. is a sad event, but not at all a tragedy, given the scope and impact of his accomplishments during a long life. In no way can his passing be described as “the end of an era”, because his legacy is very much alive in American political conservatism.
As an undergraduate at Yale University just after the Second World War, Bill Buckley emerged as a prominent biting critic of academia. He attacked the secularism as well as political liberalism that were coming to characterize American academic life, in considerable contrast to the pre-war environment, especially at Eastern Ivy League institutions.
Buckley developed these twin themes in two influential polemical books published in the early 1950s, ‘McCarthy and His Enemies’, a spirited defense of Sen. Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin coauthored with L. Brent Bozell, and ‘God And Man at Yale’, a critique of his alma mater. He was concerned not just with secular practices, but also with subtle creeping collectivism and his perception of strong anti-Catholic prejudice among academics who simultaneously preached tolerance. His instinct for the jugular, and talent for very biting prose and rhetoric, spiced with a cutting wit, quickly led to a reputation as a formidable debater.
The young activist devoted phenomenal energy to the promotion of conservatism as a serious, and beyond that intellectually substantial, crusade. ‘National Review’, the opinion magazine he founded, has become firmly established as an influential journal of the political right. Paul Gigot, editorial page editor of ‘The Wall Street Journal,’ accurately describes the magazine as a comprehensive forum for a wide range of opinions, including those of libertarians, religious and social conservatives, defense hard-liners and others.
In a more subtle way, Bill Buckley brought American conservatism in line with domestic and global realities. Previously, the movement had been personified by Republican Sen. Robert Taft, commentator Fulton Lewis Jr. and others strongly committed to isolationism and opposed to the New Deal. Buckley, by contrast, was an internationalist. His ally Ronald Reagan underscored support for Social Security even while attacking government overall.
Buckley had high regard for a sophisticated approach in delivering important ideas to the public domain. In a piece written immediately after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, he emphasized that leader’s impressive communication skills. Earlier, the president had reciprocated the sentiment when awarded an honorary degree by Yale. JFK described how he now had the best of both worlds, “a Harvard education and a Yale degree,” and went on to cite various prominent Yale graduates.
That list included people who were causing him political difficulty, including notably Roger Blough, head of U.S. Steel. The White House – and very aggressive Attorney General Robert Kennedy – had forcefully denounced the firm and forced a back down from a planned price hike. Last of all, with a smile, JFK mentioned William F. Buckley Jr.
Buckley in later years turned to fiction, including a series of Cold War novels featuring super-agent Blackford Oakes, a thinly veiled right-wing imitation of James Bond. From time to time, the author would allude to the character’s status as alter ego and fantasy life version of himself. Later life also brought a milder demeanor, and a better sense of humor. That contributed to the long-term success of his television program ‘Firing Line’.
Gigot, CBS journalist Jeff Greenfield and others who worked for Buckley in their youth testify forcefully to his decency and mentor role. Perhaps he was above all a good teacher, despite his own youthful criticism of academia.
Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College and author of ‘After the Cold War’ (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). He can be reached at acyr@carthage.edu