Bennett, William J. (1943–)

WILLIAM JOHN BENNETT was born in Brooklyn, New York. Strong academically, Bennett graduated from Williams College with a bachelor of arts degree and went on to study at the University of Texas, where he obtained a Ph.D. in political philosophy. Later, he studied at Harvard Law School and obtained a law degree as well.

In 1976, Bennett was the executive director of the National Humanities Center, an academic research center located in North Carolina. He was the director until 1981. At that time, President Ronald Reagan selected Bennett to become the director of the National Endowment for the Humanities. His tenure there lasted until 1985, when Reagan selected him to become the secretary of education.

As secretary of education, Bennett was unable to avoid controversy over many of his initiatives and beliefs. He put forward the conservative stance on the issues of affirmative action, school vouchers, curriculum reform, and religion in public education. His distaste for multicultural coursework in public schools was one of his most controversial positions. Instead, he preferred an education style that was steeped in the classics and Western culture. Schools that were not performing well were often unable to escape harsh criticism and funding cuts from Bennett as well. As a result of the controversies and a desire to go in another direction with his career, Bennett resigned from his position during the final days of Reagan's administration.

Bennett, however, was unable to avoid controversy. He was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to become the nation's first “drug czar,” as director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Having established himself as one of the nation's most well-known moral crusaders, Bennett's selection wasn't a surprise to many on Capitol Hill, and he was confirmed in a 97-to2 vote by the Senate. From the post, Bennett conducted the nation's War on Drugs, but soon after decided to leave the position in 1990.

Drawing upon his many experiences in Washington, D.C., and his long career with the Republican Party, Bennett became a conservative writer and public speaker after leaving government office. Through his work, he has continued his moral crusade, attacking what he perceives as the lack of virtue in American society, particularly among the nation's youth. He has continued his efforts to improve the nation's public and private schools, basing his plans on what he calls the most important “Three C's: Choice, Content, and Character.” He meets with key political leaders and education experts and writes articles featured in the nation's leading newspapers and magazines. He has written and edited more than 10 books, including The Book of Virtues, The Children's Book of Virtues, and The Death of Outrage: Bill Clinton and the Assault on American Ideals, which was briefly number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

Even in his journalist and writing role, Bennett has been unable to escape criticism in his private career, similar to his public one. His vehement support of the War on Drugs and proposals in favor of lengthy incarcerations for first-time drug offenders who possess only minimal amounts of illegal drugs has led many critics to attack Bennett's own past as a rock fan during the 1960s and 1970s. Interestingly, during his years of graduate study at the University of Texas, Bennett was set up on a blind date by one of his friends with rock star Janis Joplin. When the story of this brief relationship hit the tabloids, People magazine labeled it “one of the least likely blind dates of all time.”

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