| William Bennett  AKA William John Bennett
Born: 31-Jul-1943
Birthplace: Brooklyn, NY
Gender: Male
Religion: Roman Catholic
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Government, Author
Party Affiliation: Republican Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Former Drug Czar and gambling man Bennett was President Ronald Reagan's chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. He was appointed Drug Czar under George H.W. Bush, the first to hold this position. Bennett supports harshly penalizing small-possession drug offenders. During his 15 June 1989 appearance on Larry King Live, one caller outrageously suggested that he "behead the damn drug dealers." Bennett was hardly alarmed, and replied:
"I mean what the caller suggests is morally plausible. Legally, it's difficult. But somebody selling drugs to a kid? Morally, I don't have any problem with that at all."
He is partially responsible for making morality and personal responsibility a part of the national political debate. Many people find Bennett haughty and condescending, and the American media took great and evident pleasure in sanctimoniously condemning him after it was revealed that he enjoyed gambling: reports differ, but he lost $8 million within a period of either a year or ten years. Despite Bennett's huge gambling losses, his family has had no financial trouble. Bennett earns $50,000 per lecture engagement, and receives grants from the Saife and John M. Olin Foundations. He has been forced to give up gambling, though.
Incredibly, Bennett was once set up on a blind date with Janis Joplin.
Wife: Mary Elayne Glover (m. 29-May-1982, two sons)
Son: John
Son: Joseph
Brother: Robert S. Bennett
University: BA Philosophy, Williams College (1965)
University: PhD Philosophy, University of Texas (1970)
Law School: JD, Harvard Law School (1971)
Professor: Boston University
Professor: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Professor: North Carolina State University
Director of National Drug Control Policy (1989-91)
US Secretary of Education (1985-88)
National Endowment for the Humanities President (1981)
American Council of Trustees and Alumni National Council
Arlington Group
Catholic Campaign for America Board Member
Center for Security Policy
Committee for a Free World
Council for National Policy
Empower America Director
Hudson Institute Fellow
Jewish Policy Center Board of Fellows
Kappa Alpha Society
Libby Legal Defense Trust Advisory Committee
Parents Television Council Celebrity Advisory Board
Project for the New American Century
Claremont Institute Washington Fellow
FreedomWorks Senior Fellow
Eagle Scout
Crisis
Draft Deferment: Vietnam
Wedding: Rush Limbaugh and Marta Fitzgerald (1994)
Risk Factors: Gambling, Obesity
Rotten Library Page:
William Bennett
Author of books:
The De-Valuing of America: The Fight for Our Culture and Our Children (1992)
The Book of Virtues (1993)
Moral Compass: Stories for a Life's Journey (1995)
Our Sacred Honor (1997, compilation of writings by founding fathers)
Why We Fight:Moral Clarity and the War on Terrorism (2003)
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