William F. Buckley, an American author and conservative commentator, was born in Manhattan, New York, on Nov. 24, 1925, the sixth of 10 children of Aloise Steiner Buckley and William Frank Buckley.
His father made a fortune in the oil fields of Mexico, and educated his children at exclusive Catholic schools in England and France. Buckley served in the Army from 1944 to 1946 and after being discharged in 1946.
Buckley attended Yale University, where he studied political science, economics and history, and established himself as a fearsome debater. After graduating in 1950, he worked briefly for the CIA.
In 1955, Buckley started National Review and at age 50, he became a novelist. He wrote more than 50 books and some 11 of the novels are spy tales starring Blackford Oakes, who fights for "the survival of the culture of liberty."
Buckley received numerous and diverse awards, including Best Columnist of the Year, 1967; Television Emmy for Outstanding Achievement, 1969; The American Book Award for Best Mystery (paperback) for Stained Glass, 1980; the Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Award, 1989; the Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1991; the Adam Smith Award, Hillsdale College, 1996; and the Heritage Foundation's Clare Boothe Luce Award, 1999.
Buckley died at age 82 on February 27, 2008.
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