William Safire

William Safire (1929–2009) was an American journalist, columnist, and speechwriter. He served as a speechwriter for U.S. Vice President Spiro T. Agnew and later for President Richard Nixon, including work on major addresses during the Nixon administration. Safire joined *The New York Times* in 1973, where he became a prominent voice in political commentary and a longtime columnist. He also wrote widely on the English language, producing influential columns on usage, etymology, and rhetoric that helped popularize debates about words in public life. Over his career he authored numerous books and remained a recognizable figure in American political and linguistic journalism.