Barry Goldwater

**Barry Morris Goldwater** (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was a conservative politician from the United States. He represented Arizona in the U.S. Senate.

Goldwater was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He became a U.S. Senator from Arizona for the Republican Party in 1953 and ran for president of the United States in 1964 against President Lyndon B. Johnson, but Johnson easily won since voters considered Goldwater too conservative.

Goldwater was a Freemason and the official author of the bestseller _The Conscience of a Conservative_ (1960), but it was ghostwritten by his speechwriter L. Brent Bozell Jr. He was also a commentator on the CNN (Cable News Network) in its early years.

After he retired from the Sentate, Goldwater died from a stroke in Paradise Valley, Arizona, aged 89. He was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.

## Life and career

Goldwater was called "Mr. Conservative" during his political career. He became a U.S. Senator from Arizona in 1953 and replaced Ernest McFarland. In 1960, the bestseller_The Conscience of a Conservative_ listed him as author, but it was ghostwritten by his speechwriter L. Brent Bozell Jr. Goldwater made his most famous quote in July 1964 at the Republican Party's convention in San Francisco: "Extremism in the defense of liberty is no vice, and moderation in the pursuit of justice is no virtue." He meant that people should always do what was necessary to make the world freer and more just even if that was difficult or made them unpopular.

The speech helped him become the Republican Party's candidate for president, and he ran against the Democratic Party's candidate, President Lyndon B. Johnson. Goldwater lost to Johnson by a large margin since voters considered Goldwater too conservative.

Goldwater remained in the Senate after Johnson easily won the election. His run for president helped today's conservative movement, which agrees with many of Goldwater's ideas. Hovever, he supported the separation of church and state, legal abortion, and gay rights despite social conservatives opposing them.

Goldwater stayed in the Senate until 1987. He helped Sandra Day O'Connor get on the Supreme Court. He passed a military reform law. Goldwater retired to Arizona after he left the Senate. He died in Paradise Valley, Arizona, in 1998.

## Personal life

Goldwater enjoyed photography, airplanes, and radio. He collected Kachina Dolls, which are made by the Hopi, Native Americans of Arizona. He donated his collection to a museum. He had four children.

## Infobox (officeholder)

- **name**: Barry Goldwater
- **image**: Barry Goldwater photo1962.jpg
- **office**: Chair of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, Senate Armed Services Committee
- **term start**: January 3, 1985
- **term end**: January 3, 1987
- **predecessor**: John Tower
- **successor**: Sam Nunn
- **office1**: Chair of the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Intelligence Committee
- **term start1**: January 3, 1981
- **term end1**: January 3, 1985
- **predecessor1**: Birch Bayh
- **successor1**: David Durenberger
- **jr/sr2**: United States Senator
- **state2**: Arizona
- **term start2**: January 3, 1969
- **term end2**: January 3, 1987
- **predecessor2**: Carl Hayden
- **successor2**: John McCain
- **term start3**: January 3, 1953
- **term end3**: January 3, 1965
- **predecessor3**: Ernest McFarland
- **successor3**: Paul Fannin
- **birth name**: Barry Morris Goldwater
- **birth place**: Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, Territory of Arizona, U.S.
- **death place**: Paradise Valley, Arizona, U.S.
- **party**: Republican Party (United States), Republican
- **spouse**:

- **children**: 4, including Barry Goldwater Jr., Barry
- **education**: University of Arizona
- **signature**: Barry Goldwater signature.svg
- **branch**: (1941–1947)
 (1947–1967)
- **serviceyears**: 1941–1945 (USAAF)
1945–1952 (ANG)
1952–1967 (USAFR)
- **rank**:  Lieutenant colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel (USAAF)
 Colonel (United States), Colonel (ANG)
 Major general (United States), Major General (USAFR)
- **unit**: United States Army Air Forces, U.S. Army Air Forces
Arizona Air National Guard
Air Force Reserve Command, U.S. Air Force Reserve
- **battles**: World War II
Korean War