Richard Viguerie

Richard A. Viguerie is known as the “Funding Father of the conservative movement,” and helped build the modern conservative movement, mailing more than 3 billion letters and helping raise over $7 billion since 1965 for pro-freedom groups and causes.  As the acknowledged pioneer of political direct mail, Richard led the way in bypassing the mainstream media monopoly to directly reach millions of Americans, empowering them to shift the political landscape of the country. 

In fact, it was the millions of $20 and $50 donors found by his direct mail programs that ultimately paved the way for the Reagan landslide election victories of 1980 -- an event which took the media and political establishments completely by surprise -- and again in 1984.  Viguerie’s hand was clearly evident once more in 1994 with the stunning conservative sweep of Congress.

These and other historic achievements prompted the late John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s George magazine to rank Mr. Viguerie as one of the 100 most influential figures of the 20th Century -- actually ahead of several U.S. Presidents.   The Washington Times declared him “one of the 13 Conservatives of the [20th] Century.”

In the wake of these victories, the “other side” started paying very close attention to this master of marketing.  Invitations for interviews with every major television network and other national news outlets came more and more frequently.  Over the years Mr. Viguerie accepted literally hundreds of opportunities to share his conservative views with the widest possible audience, regardless of program or host bias.  His clear, consistent defense of America’s founding principles and values has since made him many grudging admirers on the Left, along with a host of enthusiastic fans on the Right.

Richard Viguerie is chairman of The Viguerie Marketing Institute™, a division of his Virginia-based marketing agency American Target Advertising.