I just received notice that M. Stanton Evans passed away at the age of 80. Evans was one of the originals of the modern conservative movement. He was one of the founders, along with William F. Buckley, of the Young Americans for Freedom in 1959 and was the founder of the American Conservative Union. He was well known for his wit and his very keene political insights. In many ways he was a bridge between the libertarian and the traditionalist branches of our movement.  Below is a video of a tribute to Evans held by the Heartland Institute which highlights some of his major accomplishments. The state of North Carolina plays an prominent role in that Evans, along with Tom Ellis and Jesse Helms, helped to bring about Ronald Reagan’s historic victory in the 1976 North Carolina Presidential Primary. As an aside Stan Evans spoke to the John Locke Foundation in the early 2000s, probably in 2003 or 2004.