Buchanan, Patrick J. (1938–)

PATRICK J. BUCHANAN was born in Washington, D.C. Intelligent and strong academically, Buchanan attended Georgetown University and graduated in 1961 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and philosophy. Then he received a graduate M.S. degree from the Columbia School of Journalism in 1962. After completing his schooling, Buchanan accepted a post as an editorial writer for the St. Louis Globe-Dispatch, where he worked until 1966.

After leaving St. Louis, Missouri, Buchanan became a speechwriter for Richard Nixon. He worked for Nixon from 1966 to 1974 and escaped from Nixon's administration and the Watergate scandal relatively unharmed. Much later, it was revealed in a declassified 1972 White House memo that Buchanan had endorsed activities that aimed to harass Democratic campaigners, even though he had told the ...