William F. Buckley, Jr.

The materials in FOIA 2010-1804-F are a selective, not necessarily all inclusive, body of documents responsive to the topic of the FOIA. Researchers should consult the archivist about related materials. FOIA 2010-1804-F contains materials related to William F. Buckley, Jr. and his relationship with George H.W. Bush. Buckley was viewed by some as the "most important public intellectual in the United States" and a "preeminent voice of American conservatism." He founded the political magazine National Review in 1955, hosted the television show "˜Firing Line' from 1966 until 1999, and was a nationally syndicated 2010-1804-F 2 newspaper columnist. Buckley, known for his use of polysyllabic words and witty style as well as a command of language, wrote over fifty books on diverse topics such as writing, speaking, history, politics, theology, sailing, and espionage. Interestingly, Buckley's first and second languages were Spanish and French. Growing up, he had Latin American nursemaids and French governesses and didn't receive formal training in English until he was seven years old. As a result, Buckley spoke English with an idiosyncratic accent which was parodied by several actors. Buckley died at his home in Stamford, Connecticut on February 27, 2008. The material in this collection consists of routine government forms, letters, memos, an audio cassette tape, magazine clippings, programs, menus schedules, speeches, notes, and lists. The George Bush Presidential Alphabetical Files contain letters related to a request for President Bush to participate in a ceremony dedicating a park in honor of William F. Buckley. The George Bush Presidential WHORM Subject Files contain government forms such as White House Correspondence Tracking Worksheets which log information related to incoming and outgoing correspondence such as date received, correspondent's name, subject addressed, and actions taken. Other forms include Optical Disk Network Forms (records whether or not correspondence has been scanned into the White House database), and Requests for Clearance - Comments (details date of the event, subject, requestor name, and background regarding the request for presidential messages). The George Bush Presidential Staff and Office Files also contain routine government forms which include residence event task sheets listing event types and other pertinent data, printing requests for programs and menus, and gate lists of people visiting the White House for special events. There are drafts and final versions of programs, menu cards, speeches and remarks. RSVP cards and invitations, schedules, copies of photographs, memos, letters, press releases, lists and magazine articles round out the collection. These documents were mainly related to the 1991 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremonies during which William Buckley received an award. The George Bush Vice Presidential Name File contains letters between Vice President Bush, William Buckley and others on topics such as National Review columns and books authored by Buckley, nominations for the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a request for Bush to appear on "˜Firing Line.' There are also more personal exchanges between Bush and Buckley about lunch, friendship, photographs, Christopher Buckley's wedding, and mutual friends. The George Bush Vice Presidential WHORM Subject Files contain routine government forms such as White House Correspondence Tracking Worksheets and Schedule File Tracking Sheets. These forms track and summarize actions taken on correspondence sent to and from the White House, and details about vice presidential events. There are letters present between Vice President Bush, Buckley, and others discussing invitations to events sponsored by National Review and those honoring Buckley. The George Bush Vice Presidential Staff and Office Files contain routine government scheduling forms, letters, notes and lists. The government forms logged pertinent data regarding speaking requests for the vice president. There are letters from Buckley to Bush asking him to speak to a group of businessmen and a related letter to an aide listing the attendees for the luncheon speech. Also present are handwritten notes authored by Mr. and Mrs. Bush to an staffers regarding the speaking request from Buckley and an invitation extended to Mrs. Buckley. Lastly, lists of invitees to the luncheon speech are included in the collection. Read less