William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. He was 82.
Mr. Buckley suffered from diabetes and emphysema, his son Christopher said, although the exact cause of death was not immediately known.
[He] founded and shepherded the influential conservative magazine “National Review.” He also found time to write more than 50 books ... His collected papers, which were donated to Yale University, weigh seven tons.
Mr. Buckley’s greatest achievement was making conservatism — not just electoral Republicanism but conservatism as a system of ideas — respectable in liberal post-World War II America. He mobilized the young enthusiasts who helped nominate Barry Goldwater in 1964 and saw his dreams fulfilled when Reagan and the Bushes captured the Oval Office.
-- New York Times
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