Richard A. Viguerie

Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of American Target Advertising Inc, transformed American politics in the 1960s and ’70s by pioneering the use of direct mail fundraising in the political and ideological spheres. He used computerized direct mail to build the conservative movement, which then elected Ronald Reagan as the first conservative president of the modern era. He has been called the “Funding Father” of the conservative movement. His advertising firm has mailed more than 2 billion letters over the past 40 years, and will mail over 100 million pieces of direct mail in the 2004 election year.