Conservatism today is fractious and divided. That truth occasioned me to think of the original title Russell chose for The Conservative Mind, which was “The Conservative Rout.” Russell was not optimistic about the prospects for conservatism at that time. But thanks to the book’s publisher, Henry Regnery, there was no rout. Rather, there emerged out of its pages a contrast to and rebuke of liberalism by the best conservative minds over time. Perhaps more importantly, as Regnery said, it proved that conservatism was both respectable intellectually and “an integral part of the American tradition.”

Today, the Kirk Center is fortunate to have a number of Senior Fellows engaging afresh the American conservative tradition. One of those Senior Fellows, Gerald Russello, who also serves as editor of The University Bookman, recently wrote an essay that I encourage you to read, “Can We Patch Up the Right?” Gerald’s piece sparked a fruitful dialogue and prompted responses in an engaging forum.