William F. Buckley Jr.: The Most Influential Journalist in American History

This essay is adapted from a lecture delivered at the Declaration of Independence Center, University of Mississippi, on March 27, 2025. It has also appeared on the author’s Substack.

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of William F. Buckley Jr., it may seem extravagant or implausible to stake out the claim that Buckley is the most influential journalist in American history. To a generation of young conservatives coming of age today, he seems a remote or perhaps obsolete or even irrelevant figure, but I propose that in spite of different circumstances and new styles dominant today, he deserves this accolade.

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Steven F. Hayward

Steven F. Hayward is the Edward Gaylord Distinguished Visiting Professor at Pepperdine University School of Public Policy.

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William F. Buckley Jr.

This essay is adapted from a lecture delivered at the Declaration of Independence Center, University of Mississippi, on March 27, 2025. It has also appeared on the author’s Substack.

On the occasion of the 100th birthday of William F. Buckley Jr., it may seem extravagant or implausible to stake out the claim that Buckley is the most influential journalist in American history. To a generation of young conservatives coming of age today, he seems a remote or perhaps obsolete or even irrelevant figure, but I propose that in spite of different circumstances and new styles dominant today, he deserves this accolade.