Richard Weaver













1910-1963

This is what Kirk says about Weaver whom he knew well.

According to Ambrose of Milan, it has not pleased God that man should be saved through logic. Richard Weaver would have assented to this, knowing as he did the nature of the average sensual man and the limits of pure rationality. Yet with a high logical power, Weaver undertook an intellectual defense of culture and did what he might to rescue order, justice, and freedom from the perverters of language



Among philosophers, Plato was Weaver's mentor; and among statesmen Lincoln. (Although a declared Southerner, in politics Weaver was a conservative Republican.)



Some of his closer Chicago friends - their number was not legion - might not see him during the course of an entire year. He never travelled; he endured stoically the ferocious Chicago winters, often wearing two overcoats, one over the other. Once a year he attended a church, and then a high Episcopalian service; the solemnity and mystery of the ritual, strongly though he was attracted by them, overwhelmed his soul: such a feast would last for months. The frugality woven into his character extended even to his very private religion.

pg 39-40
The Essential Russell Kirk

Addendum on 10/24/07

I emailed Mrs. Kirk to inquire about the details of Mr. Weaver's death at such a young age. She referred me to one of ISI's (Intercollegiate Studies Institute) managing directors. Mr. Vella's email indicated that while no official autopsy had been performed, Weaver's sister (whose husband was Weaver's literary executor) believes he died of a cerebral hemmorhage.