A Distinctly Distinguished Gentleman is Honored

Will wonders never cease! William F. Buckley Jr. is going to be

honored by commemorating his 100th birthday with his picture

on a Forever Stamp! The U.S. Postal Service will release the stamp

later this year. 

The stamp will present a charcoal illustration of WFB, modeled after

a photo taken of Buckley aboard his beloved sailboat. His facial 

expression shows a look of steely determination, which is how he

faced both the seas and the American political landscape --- and in

his remarkable life he conquered all.

Ten years ago, in 2015, National Review thought about how to honor 

its founder's centennial. Members of the NR staff came up with the 

idea to honor him on a postage stamp. As Buckley was a famous

American, why not? Now, stamp proposals require years to plan, 

complete, and get approval; The completed plans have to be submitted

a minimum of three years before the proposed release date and need 

to meet special standards before being okayed by the Citizens' Stamp

Advisory Committee which has eleven members, all appointed by the 

Postmaster General. They then choose the subjects to appear on the

roughly 35 the USPS annually releases to grace the stamps.

The Criteria for the nominees for honoring on U.S. stamps are that

they be deceased and have had "significant impact on American 

history, culture, and environment." As Buckley "defined the conser-

vative movement of the mid-20th century and was one of its most 

recognizable spokesmen." So now William F. Buckley Jr. will join 

U.S.presidents, first ladies, Supreme Court justices, athletes, 

astronauts, entertainers, inventors, and journalists. 

Buckley is remembered as the father of modern conservatism as well 

as a man of a charming and easy manner and a zest for adventure; 

founding his magazine of intellectual conservatism, observation of the 

political scene and accompanying commentary was certainly an adven-

turous undertaking in the 1950s when Rooseveltian/Trumanesque 

robust government was the political order of the day while conser-

vatism was the politics of cranks and Republicans, now the vessel 

for conservatism, was back then in the supine position of getting along 

to go along with the preferred politics of that time. Buckley took the 

brickbats along with the bouquets as he established his magazine 

for the conservative literary readership, not as abundant as it is now.

But its abundance at least in part owes its growth and staying power

to Buckley, and is now rightfully honored in being selected to grace 

a U.S. Forever Stamp. Posthumous congratulations to William F.

Buckley Jr.! He now takes his place alongside other famous 

Americans who made tremendous contributions to American life.

MEM