Erudite Voice of the Conservative Movement

Ronald Reagan, photographed with William F. Buckley Jr. in 1978, called the columnist "the most influential journalist and intellectual of our era," and his National Review magazine, "to the West Wing of the White House what People magazine is to your dentist's office." (By Lou Krasky -- Associated Press)

Over the years, Buckley had "trans-ideological friendships" with such liberals as economist John Kenneth Galbraith and columnist Murray Kempton. On occasion, he strayed from the conservative line. He supported the legalization of marijuana, after having sampled it aboard his yacht, which he sailed into international waters -- beyond the jurisdiction of U.S. law -- specifically for that purpose. He feuded bitterly with the writer Gore Vidal, and in a live appearance on ABC television at the 1968 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, Vidal called Buckley a "crypto-Nazi."

Buckley answered: "Now listen, you queer, stop calling me a crypto-Nazi or I'll sock you in the goddamn face."

In 1975, Buckley resolved to do three things before his 50th birthday that November: write a novel, sail his boat across the Atlantic and perform a Bach harpsichord concerto with a symphony orchestra.

He did not play Bach, but he did write novels, including the best-selling spy tale, "Saving the Queen."

He also made a transatlantic voyage aboard his 60-foot schooner, Cyrano, sailing with a crew of five from Florida to Spain.

In 1978, Buckley ran afoul of the Securities and Exchange Commission when, with three associates, he was accused of failing to disclose information about the sale of an ailing company in which he held an interest to another company of which he was a director. Insisting he never "intentionally misled anyone," Buckley signed a consent decree signifying neither guilt nor innocence and agreed to indemnify stockholders $1.4 million for any losses.

At the 25th anniversary dinner of National Review in 1980, columnist Will called Buckley the "pope of the conservative movement."

With the election of Reagan as president that year, the Buckleys were occasional guests at the White House. But by then, Buckley's writings had mellowed.

"I had much more fun criticizing than praising," Buckley told The Washington Post in 1985.

In 1991, President George H.W. Bush awarded Buckley the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He wrote a column for National Review until his death and published a history of the magazine last year. Buckley's memoir of Barry M. Goldwater, the longtime conservative senator from Arizona and 1964 candidate for president, is scheduled for publication in April, and two collections of columns will appear later in the year.

His wife of 56 years, Patricia Buckley, died in April 2007.

Survivors include his son, Christopher Buckley of the District; three sisters, Priscilla L. Buckley of Sharon, Conn., Patricia Buckley Bozell of the District, and Carol Buckley of Columbia, S.C.; two brothers, James L. Buckley of Sharon, and F. Reid Buckley of Camden, S.C.; and two grandchildren.

Staff writer Matt Schudel contributed to this report.