George Will - Speaker

George F. Will is an American journalist, pundit, and political commentator known for his conservative views. Born on 4 May 1941 in Champaign, Illinois, Will was educated at Trinity College, Oxford University, and Princeton University, earning degrees in religion, philosophy, politics, and economics, and political science respectively. Before his writing career, he taught political philosophy at Michigan State University and the University of Toronto.

Will began his journalistic career in 1970 when he worked on the staff of Republican U.S. Senator Gordon Allott. He then became the Washington editor for the conservative biweekly National Review and later joined The Washington Post in 1974, where his columns were syndicated nationwide. In 1975, he started publishing a biweekly column in Newsweek, leaving the magazine in 2011. His columns for The Washington Post earned him a Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1977. He has been a regular panelist on ABC's This Week program since 1981.

Will has authored or co-authored several books, including collections of his Newsweek and newspaper columns, works of political philosophy, and books on baseball. Some of his notable publications include "The Pursuit of Happiness and Other Sobering Thoughts" (1978), "The Pursuit of Virtue and Other Tory Notions" (1982), "Suddenly: The American Idea Abroad and at Home 1986-1990" (1990), and "Restoration: Congress, Term Limits and the Recovery of Deliberative Democracy" (1992).

Despite being considered a conservative, Will has been praised by liberals for his critical stance towards conservative politicians like Richard Nixon, George Bush, and John McCain. He has also criticized Republican policies, such as the Iraq war and the Bush administration's foreign and domestic policy-making. Will has received numerous awards and honors, including the Cronkite Award, the Bradley Prize, the Champion of Liberty Award, and honorary degrees from various universities and colleges.