confidante to (and sister of) its founder, the late William F.
Buckley Jr., Priscilla Buckley, passed away in late March.
She was 90 years of age.
As managing editor of her younger brother's magazine, she ran
a very disciplined operation but also made it a fun operation to
work in. A famous story pointing up this fact tells of how Nika
Hazelton, NR's food writer, came in to have lunch with Priscilla,
and had arrived at the offices of Bill Buckley's magazine when
gales of laughter rang out from three different corners of the
editorial department. Nika asked, "Priscilla, what is this unseemly
hilarity? When do your people ever get any work done?" But
they got a lot of work done, in that they produced the very
periodical which brought conservatism up from an almost-
backwater brand of political thought to a mighty political
force to be reckoned with, reshaping the United State's
political landscape and government both. Your faithful
Peasant has the utmost respect and regard for this remarkable
lady.
In addition to being a shrewd and savvy managing editor for NR,
Priscilla Buckley was a world traveler, adventurer, and a political
stateswoman in her own right. She had a blend of assertiveness,
confidence, intelligence, and femininity that liberals and the mush-
minded believed could only be displayed by fiery feminists a' la
Gloria Steinem, but had eclipsed such women in that she had
a robust and delightful sense of humor where the lefty feminists
often are quite dour. Buckley also taught and developed many
journalists, columnists, and editors currently employed by many
major newspapers, magazines, and electronic media.
This lady will be greatly missed.
And now, Priscilla Buckley has gone to join her brother in a
place of perfect repose. Conservatives are in mourning but
feel tremendous gratitude for the contributions of this great
lady to the cause and its flagship vehicle.
MEM
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