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==Rallying for a new political party==​

==Rallying for a new political party==​

In October 1959, Kent and Phoebe Courtney sponsored a two-day meeting in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], which included a banquet to honor [[Robert Welch]] of [[Massachusetts]], the founder of the [[anti-communism|anticommunist]] [[John Birch Society]]. [[William F. Buckley, Jr.]], columnist and publisher of ''[[National Review]]'' [[magazine]] attended the meeting and for a time was a confidant of Welch.<ref name=ourcampaigns/> Three years later, Buckley was one of the founders of the Conservative Party of New York under whose label he ran in 1965 for mayor of [[New York City]] but lost out to the liberal Republican U.S. Representative (and later Democrat) John Vliet Lindsay (1921-2000). By the middle 1960s, Buckley had become a critic of the JBS and those espousing "conspiracies" which he said marginalize conservatives in the electorate as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1995/12/the-conservative-1960s/376506/|title=The Conservative 1960s: From the perspective of the 1990s, it's the big political story of the era|publisher=''Atlantic Monthly'' magazine|author=Matthew Dallek|date=December 1995|accessdate=August  15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/06/william-f-buckley-john-birch-society-history-conflict-robert-welch/|title=William F. Buckley and John Birch Society: History of Conflict with Robert Welch|publisher=''[[National Review]]''|author= Alvin Felzenberg|date=June 20, 2017|accessdate=August 17, 2019}}</ref>

In October 1959, Kent and Phoebe Courtney sponsored a two-day meeting in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], which included a banquet to honor [[Robert Welch]] of [[Massachusetts]], the founder of the [[anti-communism|anticommunist]] [[John Birch Society]]. [[William F. Buckley, Jr.]], columnist and publisher of ''[[National Review]]'' [[magazine]] attended the meeting and for a time was a confidant of Welch.<ref name=ourcampaigns/> Three years later, Buckley was one of the founders of the Conservative Party of New York under whose label he ran in 1965 for mayor of [[New York City]] but lost out to the liberal Republican U.S. Representative (and later Democrat) John Vliet Lindsay (1921-2000). By the middle 1960s, Buckley had become a critic of the JBS and those espousing "conspiracies" which he said marginalize conservatives in the electorate as a whole.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1995/12/the-conservative-1960s/376506/|title=The Conservative 1960s: From the perspective of the 1990s, it's the big political story of the era|publisher=''Atlantic Monthly'' magazine|author=Matthew Dallek|date=December 1995|accessdate=August  15, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/2017/06/william-f-buckley-john-birch-society-history-conflict-robert-welch/|title=William F. Buckley and John Birch Society: History of Conflict with Robert Welch|publisher=''[[National Review]]''|author=Alvin Felzenberg|date=June 20, 2017|accessdate=August 17, 2019}}</ref>

The 1959 gathering proposed the creation of a new party on grounds that establishment [[Republican Party|Republicans]] were unwilling to oppose Democratic policies with sufficient vigor to make a difference and hence would not offer [[conservative]] voters sufficient choices in [[general election]]s. The rally for a new party was further promoted by columnists Thomas J. Anderson (1910-2002) of Pigeon Forge,  [[Tennessee]],  Medford Bryan Evans (1907-1989), a professor at [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], Louisiana; Republican Governor  J. Bracken Lee (1999-1996) of [[Utah]], and [[Dan Smoot]], a native of [[Missouri]] and an investigative conservative journalist and former [[FBI]] agent.​

The 1959 gathering proposed the creation of a new party on grounds that establishment [[Republican Party|Republicans]] were unwilling to oppose Democratic policies with sufficient vigor to make a difference and hence would not offer [[conservative]] voters sufficient choices in [[general election]]s. The rally for a new party was further promoted by columnists Thomas J. Anderson (1910-2002) of Pigeon Forge,  [[Tennessee]],  Medford Bryan Evans (1907-1989), a professor at [[Northwestern State University]] in [[Natchitoches, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], Louisiana; Republican Governor  J. Bracken Lee (1999-1996) of [[Utah]], and [[Dan Smoot]], a native of [[Missouri]] and an investigative conservative journalist and former [[FBI]] agent.​

In the 1964 pre-convention campaign, Goldwater's last intra-party rival, Governor William Warren "Bill" Scranton (1917-2013) of [[Pennsylvania]], who failed to obtain a coveted endorsement from former President Eisenhower, questioned Goldwater's connections with Kent Courtney. Scranton said that he could not understand why Courtney, identified nationally as a "radical," was supporting any Republican candidate for president.​ Despite their reservations, the Courtneys  voted for Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election over the victorious Lyndon Johnson.​ Scranton accused the Courtney faction of questioning his commitment to anti-communism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/08/archives/scranto-assails-smear-campaign-says-goldwater-supporters-question.html|title=Scranton Assails 'Smear" Campaign; Says Goldwater Supporters Question His Patriotism|publisher=''The New York Times''|date=July 8, 1964|accessdate=August 17, 2019}}</ref>s

In the 1964 pre-convention campaign, Goldwater's last intra-party rival, Governor William Warren "Bill" Scranton (1917-2013) of [[Pennsylvania]], who failed to obtain a coveted endorsement from former President Eisenhower, questioned Goldwater's connections with Kent Courtney. Scranton said that he could not understand why Courtney, identified nationally as a "radical," was supporting any Republican candidate for president.​ Despite their reservations, the Courtneys  voted for Goldwater in the 1964 presidential election over the victorious Lyndon Johnson.​ Scranton accused the Courtney faction of questioning his commitment to anti-communism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/07/08/archives/scranto-assails-smear-campaign-says-goldwater-supporters-question.html|title=Scranton Assails 'Smear" Campaign; Says Goldwater Supporters Question His Patriotism|publisher=''The New York Times''|date=July 8, 1964|accessdate=August 17, 2019}}</ref>s

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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. 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.

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>