V20, N15 Thursday Nov. 13, 2014 Origins of modern Hoosier conservatism Tyrrell, Huston revisit IU’s role in forging an enduring movement By BRIAN A. HOWEY BLOOMINGTON – R. Emmett Tyrrell found himself alone backstage at the Indiana Uni- versity Auditorium on April 25, 1968. Before him stood U.S. Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, campaigning before a full house in the midst of the frenzied Indiana Democratic R. Emmett Tyrrell (left) and Tom Charles Huston (right) join Paul Helmke’s presidential primary. Indiana University Civics Leader Class at the Memorial Union Solarium on Behind him was an Oct. 29, recounting how a political movement began. (HPI Photo by Brian open door leading to A. Howey) RFK’s waiting car, and no one else. liberal status quo at IU, and launch a national movement. Eight years prior, Tyrrell bought into Sen. Barry But on this day, as RFK finished his speech, he Goldwater’s sensational tome, “The Conscience of a Conservative,” that would ultimately challenge the faculty Continued on page 4 Right wing conspirators By MARK SOUDER FORT WAYNE – Indiana has always been known for producing conservative leaders, at least back to Abra- ham Lincoln. Sen. “Sunny Jim” Watson was a top leader in the House and the Senate in the early 20th Century, and “For one night, Indianapolis Sen. Bill Jenner was a leading anti-Communist crusader in the could not be divided. It was one 1950s. But the rise of Barry city. It was our city. And so Goldwater in 1960 stimulated a new movement in America. tonight, I ask you to join me in Goldwater was perceived at the time as attracting “old ladies rekindling that spirit once more in tennis shoes.” His crushing as I announce my candidacy for presidential defeat in 1964 was supposed to have turned him mayor of Indianapolis.” into “Bury Goldwater Conser- - Democrat Joe Hogsett vatism,” but instead from the Page 2 ashes rose Ronald Reagan, followed an organization called Young Ameri- by a generation of young conservative cans for Freedom, so I joined it and leaders. decided to form a chapter at Leo High School. The school was not too thrilled Origins to suddenly be confronted with a Goldwater’s rise can be attrib- contentious political club in this era of uted to publication of a book, “Con- consensus. I had a fight on my young science of a Conservative,” which was hands but did not give up easily. mostly written by William F. Buckley’s National YAF chairman Tom brother-in-law Brent Bozell. Goldwater Charles Huston gave me advice. In- is a non-partisan newslet- was an appealing western conser- vative senator who could carry the ter based in Indianapolis and message in the political arena. In Nashville, Ind. It was founded 1960 young conservatives rallied in 1994 in Fort Wayne. around him for vice president. After It is published by his loss, around 90 gathered at WWWHowey Media, LLC Buckley’s home in Sharon, Conn. The so-called Sharon Statement 405 Massachusetts Ave., became the ideological ground- Suite 300 Indianapolis, IN ing of a new organization called 46204 Young Americans for Freedom. M. Stanton Evans, the boy editor of Brian A. Howey, Publisher the Indianapolis News, penned the statement. Evans became, along Mark Schoeff Jr., Washington with Russell Kirk and Frank Meyer, Jack E. Howey, Editor Barry Goldwater, Ronald Reagan and William among the most-read of the authors F. Buckley were the key players in modern Mary Lou Howey, Editor in the rising movement. conservatism. Maureen Hayden, Statehouse Young Americans Matthew Butler, Daily Wire diana State Chairman William Jenner for Freedom Jr. spent hours on the phone helping Subscriptions When Barry Goldwater burst prepare rebuttal arguments to accusa- into national consciousness to chal- tions ranging from being communist, HPI, HPI Daily Wire $599 lenge the longtime consensus estab- HPI Weekly, $350 Nazi, racist and John Birchers (which lishment, it ignited a new movement. to enemies were the same, apparent- Ray Volpe, Account Manager I turned 14 the summer Goldwater ly). I saw an article in Sport magazine 317.602.3620 was nominated. Ronald Reagan’s in 1965 that tied Jack Kemp to YAF, so email: [email protected] speech for Goldwater resulted in me I wrote him. He sent me a letter back sending $5 of my hard-earned money on Buffalo Bills stationery accepting from sorting pop bottles at our fam- Contact HPI appointment to the Leo honorary YAF ily’s general store to his campaign. I advisory board though he said that he www.howeypolitics.com switched my glasses to dark black so wouldn’t be able to attend meetings. [email protected] they could be Goldwater glasses. I put Allen County GOP Chairman Howey’s cell: 317.506.0883 a Goldwater sticker on the black brief- Orvas Beers was a customer at our case I took to school every day (didn’t furniture store. My dad arranged Washington: 202.256.5822 every 14-year-old carry a briefcase to Business Office: 317.602.3620 through him for me to meet Con- school?). It also resulted in a non- gressman E. Ross Adair, another YAF Goldwater fan cutting up my briefcase, supporter. This led, in 1968, to my © 2014, Howey Politics Indiana. preparing me for a life of political becoming head of Youth for Adair to All rights reserved. Photocopy- activity. I did seven book reports on help him fight off the challenge from Goldwater books, plus one on Henry fellow Congressman Ed Roush after ing, Internet forwarding, fax- Aaron because I still liked baseball. ing or reproducing in any form, redistricting, which was my first real When Goldwater was clobbered, I did political campaign. This is an example whole or part, is a violation of not give up. of how movements are built. federal law without permission My dad subscribed to a from the publisher. conservative newspaper called Hu- man Events. In it, I saw an ad for Tyrrell and The Alternative In 1965, M. Stanton Evans Page 3 had written an influential book lishment” as Tyrrell’s house in Ellettsville among conservatives called “The was called. It was a memorable place Liberal Establishment.” In India- with an FDR room (the toilet) and let- napolis he formed a group called ters from many presidents congratulat- the Beer & Pizza Marching Society ing The Alternative for its success lining (BPMS). Among their token “yutes,” its stairway. I was especially impressed as they lovingly called us, were col- with the one from Calvin Coolidge on lege students who were not hippie White House stationery since he had leftists in the 1960s: Dan Manion, long been dead. The Baron explained Dan Quayle, Bob Tyrrell, John Von that somehow they had managed to Kannon, Dave Tudor and others purloin some official stationery. This including me. This Indianapolis core possibly came with Tom Huston’s help included people like Sen. Leslie but more than likely Baron took it upon Duvall; Councilman Bill Schneider; himself. He explained that he used to Marion County leader Rex Early; get a few other items under his jacket Don Lipsett, creator of the Adam each visit, thus explaining a variety of Smith tie; the Andre brothers Fred oddities from White House cups mixed and Herm; and many others. with mason jars for drinks. Bob Tyrrell, a former IU Indiana University was an impor- swimmer when IU was the capital tant link in the building of the national of the swimming world, had cre- conservative movement. For example, ated a publication called The Alter- there was Stephen Davis, another native, which changed its name to conservative leader and one of the few the American Spectator after moving direct descendants of Eli Lilly. He co- its headquarters from Ellettsville to founded The Alternative with Tyrrell and Washington, D.C. It was nurtured by later joined the staff of fellow Indiana Buckley as sort of a junior National University alumnus Congressman Phil Review. It is hard to capture what Crane. Two Crane staffers, Paul Weyrich Buckley meant to young conservatives and Ed Fuelner, left Crane to form the at the time. All the protests rising in foundations Free Congress and Heri- the ‘60s among fellow students, plus tage, which were the dominant conser- the liberal establishment dominated vative organizations leading to the rise by easterners who viewed everything of conservatism. west of the Appalachian mountains as Davis also engineered the move- country bumpkin territory, meant that having an erudite ment of money to Indiana YAF from Lilly, which was then spokesman like William F. Buckley Jr. was essential to our transferred to conservatives at IU to build the Impact self-esteem. Sort of, in a way, like Sen. Richard Lugar be- Party. The Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) were came for Hoosiers for many years: “See, we’re not dumb.” a radical leftist organization which had successfully taken In the 1960s and into the early ’70s, the basic line over the student government at IU. The Impact Party won, went like this: The Young Republicans were the conserva- led by new IU student president Paul Helmke. He split the tive division of the Republicans, the College Republicans Student Senate leader of Impact which resulted in the were the conservative division of the YRs, YAF were the left again taking over IU. The Senate leader was the YAF idea leaders and activists in the CRs, and the Intercol- chairman, a guy named Jim Bopp who eventually became legiate Studies Institute (ISI) were the YAFers who read the longtime Vigo County Republican chairman and the books. This is a basic variation of communist cell theory, vitally important legal counsel of National Right-to-Life.