Direct-mail pioneer Richard Viguerie received the college’s highest honor, the Freedom Leadership award, from College President Larry Arnn on Feb. 5. 

The award, which Arnn bestowed during the Center for Constructive Alternatives on Classical Greece and Rome, recognized the 89-year-old Viguerie for his work as a strategist who helped raise money for conservative causes by making appeals through the mail.

In his speech, Arnn referenced William F. Buckley Jr., who previously won the Freedom Leadership award, and Abraham Lincoln.

“We have a history with both of those men, and Richard Viguerie takes from both of those men in the making of this career,” Arnn said. “And so, on behalf of this great college, I am honored to give the Freedom Leadership award to Richard Viguerie.” 

According to Viguerie’s firm, American Target Advertising, he has mailed an estimated 4.6 billion letters in his life. His mailing efforts are known for reshaping American politics, including contributing to the presidential election of Ronald Reagan. 

Arnn said Viguerie’s work, inspired largely by his sincere beliefs, has helped shape public sentiment. 

“He’s an extremely faithful man,” Arnn said. “He believes in the power of his cause and he believes in the good of the American people. And I think that those two faiths are going to be responsible for rescuing our country, which must be done, by the way.”

Viguerie, who began working on Hillsdale’s national marketing with Arnn 2o years ago, said he was humbled to receive the award.

“To receive the Freedom Leadership Award and have my name appear alongside Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Vaclav Havel, Bill Buckley Jr., Jeane Kirkpatrick, Charlton Heston, and Justice Clarence Thomas is something of dreams,” Viguerie said in his acceptance speech. 

Viguerie said most major institutions in America today, including Big Tech, Hollywood, the nonprofit community, and unions, are hostile to traditional values and freedom. 

“In the 1960s through the 1990s, there was a cultural war raging, but most conservatives were not aware of it, and we lost the cultural war,” Viguerie said. “Today, it’s important to recognize we’re in a spiritual civil war that the Left has launched against Western Civilization, America, our Constitution, traditional Judeo-Christian moral values and much else we value and hold dear.”

Viguerie told audience members they should respond by praying, getting engaged, and stepping up to lead.

“Don’t wait for instructions from Dr. Arnn, Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Ron DeSantis, Tucker Carlson, or your favorite congressman,” Viguerie said. “Pick yourself to lead.”

Viguerie said conservatives should use alternative media, blog, become political candidates,  start or help nonprofits, and volunteer their professional expertise to win the “spiritual civil war” against progressives.

“Because the leadership of all major forms of communication/news are censoring conservative news and information, each of us needs to rise to the occasion and become modern-day Paul Reveres,” Viguerie said. 

Viguerie spends over 60 hours a week working on fighting the “spiritual civil war raging in America,” according to Kathleen Patten, CEO and President of American Target Advertising. Patten said his direct mail donor list has raised billions for conservative causes, political campaigns, and nonprofits.

“His nickname ‘the funding father of the conservative movement’ is well-earned,” Patten said.

Vice President for External Affairs Doug Jeffrey said Viguerie’s patriotism has both helped college and the country as a whole.

“We owe Richard a lot for helping the college make millions of new friends,” Jeffrey said. “But we owe him much more for his example of enduring faithfulness and of relentless love of country and tireless service to it.” 

Viguerie has helped spread the college’s values to a wider audience, according to Vice President of Marketing Bill Gray.

 “At Hillsdale, we teach, and we learn about the highest and best things. And we do this in a spirit of partnership—which is why I am so grateful to Richard for teaching me and others about marketing and fundraising while helping expand the reach and influence of the college,” Gray said. “I’ve known him for  11 years now, and I take him seriously when he says that the best is yet to come, for him and for our country.”