William F. Buckley and John Kenneth Galbraith Dinner and Debate

William F. Buckley and John Kenneth Galbraith Dinner and Debate

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith and columnist William P. Buckley Jr. indulged in a verbal battle on the pros and cons of whether the price of natural gas should be mandated by the federal government. Ariel Durant was one of two audience members to question the debaters.

Pepperdine University - Beverly Hills, CA - 1978

William F. Buckley and John Kenneth Galbraith Dinner and Debate

Buckley/Galbraith Dinner--L to R: Unknown, Mrs. Ariel Durant, Dr. M. Norvel Young, Mr. Will Durant

3/30/78

Evening

CA

USA

Pepperdine University

Economist John Kenneth Galbraith and columnist William P. Buckley Jr. indulged in a verbal battle on the pros and cons of whether the price of natural gas should be mandated by the federal government. Buckley took the negative; Galbraith the affirmative. As expected, both were verbally facile and unexpectedly polite and amusing about each other's views. The evening at the Beverly Wilshire's ballroom turned out to be a sellout (750 guests), and the Pepperdine Associates which sponsored the Thursday bout scored a giant victory with its second annual dinner. The debate was broadcast on April 14, 1978 on Buckley's "Firing Line." John Wayne, who was dinner chairman, was absent. (He was in a Boston hospital undergoing tests.) Leonard K. Firestone, founding chairman of the Associates, spearheaded the committee whose members present and accounted for included Margaret Martin Brock, Dr. and Mrs. Armand Hammer (just returned from Washington, D.C., that afternoon), Richard C. Seaver, John V. Vaughn, Howard B. Keck Jr., Frederick Llewllyn and the Fred L. Hartleys. On the Pepperdine receiving line were president William Banowsky and chancellor Dr. M. Norvel Young. Richard Mellon Scaife of Pittsburgh introduced the protagonists, who proceeded in orderly fashion to take their positions. But the greatest applause came later when, accepting questions from the floor, Buckley and Galbraith faced up to historian-author Ariel Durant and Richard C. Seaver, president of Hydro Corp. "What does your position (opposition to government intervention) say to the poor, hungry, homeless and despairing?" Mrs. Durant asked Buckley.