Will, George F. (1941–)

GEORGE F. WILL, journalist, political analyst, and amateur baseball historian, was born in Champaign, Illinois. During his youth, Will developed his lifelong love of baseball and also became interested in American politics. First, he studied at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut, before attending Magdalene College, part of Oxford University, and then Princeton University, obtaining a master's and a doctorate degree. Upon completion of his extensive schooling, Will became a professor at Michigan State University, where he taught political philosophy. Soon after, he took a similar position at the University of Toronto. After some time, Will decided to delve into the political scene and worked as a staff member on the U.S. Senate.

Finally, his career path led him into the realm of political commentary and journalism, where he has become [Page 945]one of the most widely recognized and widely read writers and commentators in the United States. With publications appearing in more than 450 newspapers, a biweekly column for Newsweek magazine, and television appearances as a commentator on ABC News and ABC's This Week, Will has arguably become one of the most influential conservative political analysts on the pundit circuit.

In his analysis, Will is well-known for his conservative yet mainstream approach to American politics and culture. Due to his popularity, numerous collections of Will's columns have been combined and published, such as The Morning After: American Successes and Excesses, 1981–1986; The Pursuit of Virtue and Other Tory Notions; and The Pursuit of Happiness and Other Sobering Thoughts.

Excessive government spending and multiterm members of Congress are regular targets of criticism by Will, who advocates more moderate spending proposals and term limits, allowing for a government in which democracy is closer to the people and more reflective of their needs. With term limits, Will believes that more members of Congress will be interested less in their careers and more in fighting for the good of the U.S. citizenry.

Even though Will mostly advocates on behalf of these conservative positions, he does not seek to weaken the central government or the Republican Party. Instead, he advocates that conservatives move away from their emphasis on self-interest and individualism and start pursuing interests that have the good of all citizens in mind. Utilizing this approach, Will has composed powerful columns and writings against poor decisions in government spending, government inefficiency, and the gridlock that results from squabbles between political parties.

Will does not concentrate all of his writings or commentaries simply on the subject of politics and government, but also writes extensively about the environment, advertising, and ethics. Baseball is by far his passion. Will's works on baseball include Bunts: Curt Flood, Camden Yards, Pete Rose, and Other Reflections on Baseball and Men at Work: The Craft of Baseball, which topped the U.S. bestseller list for over two months in 1990.

Will's efforts have not gone without recognition. In 1976, he won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary as a result of his newspaper columns, and has won many other awards for his Newsweek columns. These awards include being a finalist in the 1979 National Magazine Awards, recipient of the 1978 National Headliners Award, winner of the 1980 Silurian Award for editorials, and recipient of the 1985 Best Writer Award given by the Washington Journalism Review. More recently, in 1997, the National Journal named Will one of the top 25 most influential journalists in Washington, D.C.

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