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==The Conservative Society of America==

==The Conservative Society of America==

In April 1961, the Courtneys formed the Conservative Society of America. He called a "Congress of Conservatives" to consider forming a new anti-communist political party. The conference met in the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, with 125 in attendance. Seventeen of the attendes approved a "Declaration of Conservative Principles." At a press conference on the first day of the convention, Courtney called for a military invasion of [[Cuba]], a few days before the aborted [[Bay of Pigs]] fiasco. Courtney said that one-third of the contacts for the new party were members of the John Birch Society.<ref>''The New York Times,'' April 14 and 15, 1961.</ref> Robert Welch told a reporter for ''[[Time]]'' [[magazine]] that he did not attend the gathering because he viewed Courtney as " a publicity seeker." <ref>''Time'', April 21, 1961.</ref> In addition to Buckley, attendees including future [[Georgia]] Governor [[Lester Maddox]], the predecessor to the Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]], with whom Maddox was often at odds.

In April 1961, the Courtneys formed the Conservative Society of America and called a "Congress of Conservatives" to consider forming a new anti-communist political party. The conference met in the Morrison Hotel in Chicago, with 125 in attendance. Seventeen of the attendes approved a "Declaration of Conservative Principles." At a press conference on the first day of the convention, Courtney called for a military invasion of [[Cuba]], a few days before the aborted [[Bay of Pigs]] fiasco. Courtney said that one-third of the contacts for the new party were members of the John Birch Society.<ref>''The New York Times,'' April 14 and 15, 1961.</ref> Robert Welch told a reporter for ''[[Time]]'' [[magazine]] that he did not attend the gathering because he viewed Courtney as " a publicity seeker." <ref>''Time'', April 21, 1961.</ref> In addition to Buckley, attendees including future [[Georgia]] Governor [[Lester Maddox]], the predecessor to the Democrat [[Jimmy Carter]], with whom Maddox was often at odds.

The announced purpose of the congress was to support conservatives already in Congress and to recruit new candidates who would oppose liberal and/or socialist-voting congressmen regardless of partisan affiliation. By 1962, Courtney hired James Ward Poag (died December 4, 2004) of [[Nashville]], Tennessee, a former John Birch Society coordinator, as national field organizer for his group. In June 1962, Courtney announced that the CSA had 1,500 members from forty-seven states. Among CSA endorsers on the group's letterhead were  Medford Evans, J. Bracken Lee, Edward Merrill Root (1895-1973), and Major General Charles Andrew  Willoughby (1892-1972)<ref>''[[The New York Times]],''​ April 15, 1961.</ref>

The announced purpose of the congress was to support conservatives already in Congress and to recruit new candidates who would oppose liberal and/or socialist-voting congressmen regardless of partisan affiliation. By 1962, Courtney hired James Ward Poag (died December 4, 2004) of [[Nashville]], Tennessee, a former John Birch Society coordinator, as national field organizer for his group. In June 1962, Courtney announced that the CSA had 1,500 members from forty-seven states. Among CSA endorsers on the group's letterhead were  Medford Evans, J. Bracken Lee, Edward Merrill Root (1895-1973), and Major General Charles Andrew  Willoughby (1892-1972)<ref>''[[The New York Times]],''​ April 15, 1961.</ref>