William J. Bennett has unquestionably become one of America's most important, influential and respected voices, one of our nation's leading cultural and political thinkers.
William J. Bennett has unquestionably become one of America's most important, influential and respected voices, one of our nation's leading cultural and political thinkers.
During the 1980s, Dr. Bennett emerged as one of the nation's leading political figures. He served as President Reagan's chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and Secretary of Education, and as President Bush's "drug czar". During his decade of public service, he earned the reputation as a man of strong, reasoned convictions who spoke candidly and eloquently on some of the most important issues of our time.
Dr. Bennett has accomplished a rare feat: since leaving government, he has achieved an even greater impact on our national political debate. He has written for America's leading newspapers and magazines. He also has written and edited 10 booksincluding his two most recent ones, Our Sacred Honor and The Death of Outrage. Two of his books rank among the most successful of the decade: The Book of Virtues and The Children's Book of Virtues. The Book of Virtues has been made into an animated series that aired on PBS. His newest book, The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals, spent several weeks on The New York Times bestseller list and continues to receive rave reviews.
Although he is a well known Republican, Dr. Bennett has consistently reached across party lines in order to pursue important common purpose. He has worked closely with Democratic Sen. Joseph Lieberman on the issues of popular culture and worldwide religious persecution; he is co-chair. Dr. Bennett and former Democratic Sen. Sam Nunn are co-chairs of the National Commission on Civic Renewal. And most recently, Dr. Bennett and former Democratic Gov. Mario Cuomo were named co-chairs of the partnership for a Drug-Free America.
William J. Bennett is having an extraordinary influence on America's political and social landscape; indeed, he has been named by a number of prominent magazines as one of the most influential people in America. He is currently a John M. Olin distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation and co-director of Empower America. His wife, Elayne, and his two sons, John and Joseph, live in Chevy Chase, Maryland.