William J. Bennett is the Washington Fellow of the Claremont Institute.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Bill Bennett studied philosophy at Williams College (B.A.) and the University of Texas (Ph.D.) and earned a law degree from Harvard. He is also the chairman of Americans for Victory Over Terrorism, a project dedicated to sustaining and strengthening public opinion as the war on terrorism moves forward.
Dr. Bennett is the host of a nationally broadcast radio show, Bill Bennett's Morning in America.
Dr. Bennett served as President Reagan's chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities (1981-1985) and Secretary of Education (1985-1988), and President Bush's "drug czar" (1989-1990). Since leaving government, Dr. Bennett has written for America's leading newspapers and magazines and appeared on the nation's most influential television shows. He has also written and edited 16 books, two of which—The Book of Virtues and The Children's Book of Virtues—rank among the most successful of the past decade. The Book of Virtues, has been made into an animated series that airs on PBS in the United States and Great Britain and has been seen in over 65 countries. Dr. Bennett is the author, most recently, of America: The Last Best Hope, Volumes I & II.
Dr. Bennett was named by focus groups and leading analysts the "Best Communicator of 2002," the most well-received public commentator on the issues of "pride, patriotism, faith, and moral conviction." In April 2005, the Sunday New York Times named Dr. Bennett the "leading spokesman of the Traditional Values wing of the Republican Party."
William Bennett, his wife Elayne, and their two sons live in Maryland.
