How William F. Buckley Invented Modern Conservatism
Journalist Sam Tanenhaus discusses his authorized biography of conservative intellectual William F. Buckley Jr., exploring how Buckley transformed American conservatism from 1950-1980 and examining his legacy's relevance to today.
Cornell Keynotes · Peter Loewen, Sam Tanenhaus
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Show Notes
Watch the video recording of this Keynote here on YouTube.
In the space of a single generation (1950 to 1980), the journalist and author William F. Buckley led a small band of little-known conservatives to the peaks of political power and cultural influence.
Ten years before his death, Buckley chose journalist and historian Sam Tanenhaus to tell the full story of his life, granting him extensive uncensored interviews and exclusive access to his most private papers. The result, “Buckley: The Life and the Revolution,” published in June 2025, has received a great deal of attention and prompted wide and intense debate.
In a live on-stage conversation at Cornell's College of Arts and Sciences, Peter Loewen, the Harold Tanner Dean of Arts and Sciences, and Tanenhaus discuss Buckley and the true meaning of his life and legacy in the Age of Donald Trump.
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