William F. Buckley, Jr.

William Frank Buckley Jr. (born November 24, 1925), an American author and journalist, founded National Review, a prominent conservative political magazine, in 1955, and the award-winning television show Firing Line in 1966. He often is credited as the godfather of modern American conservatism.

Education, military service, and the CIA

In 1943, Buckley attended the University of Mexico. The following year, he joined the U.S. Army and was commissioned a second lieutenant. When World War II ended in 1945, he enrolled in Yale University where he became a member of the secret Skull and Bones society (whose membership has included such prominent figures as William Howard Taft, Gifford Pinchot, Averell Harriman, Henry Luce, Potter Stewart, George H. W. Bush, John Kerry, and George W. Bush), was a member of Davenport College, and served as the chairman of the Yale Daily News.

Related Topics:
U.S. Army - World War II - Yale University - Skull and Bones - William Howard Taft - Gifford Pinchot - Averell Harriman - Henry Luce - Potter Stewart - George H. W. Bush - John Kerry - George W. Bush - Davenport College - Yale Daily News

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Buckley graduated from Yale in 1950. That same year, he married Patricia Taylor of Vancouver, British Columbia, and they had one child, a son, writer Christopher Buckley, an only child with 49 first cousins.

Related Topics:
1950 - Vancouver - British Columbia - Christopher Buckley

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In 1951, Buckley was recruited into the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) where he served for less than one year. Little has been published regarding Buckley's work with the CIA, but in a 2001 letter to author W. Thomas Smith, Jr., Buckley wrote, "I did training in Washington as a secret agent and was sent to Mexico City. There I served under the direct supervision of Howard Hunt, about whom of course a great deal is known."

Related Topics:
Central Intelligence Agency - W. Thomas Smith, Jr. - Howard Hunt

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While with the Agency in Mexico, Buckley edited The Road to Yenan, a book addressing the Communist quest for global domination, by Peruvian author Eudocio Ravines.

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