The American Spectator was founded in 1924 by George Nathan and Truman Newberry over a cheap domestic ale in McSorley’s Old Ale House. In 1967, the Saturday Evening Club took it over, rechristening it The Alternative: An American Spectator, but by November 1977 the word “alternative” had acquired such an esoteric fragrance that in order to discourage unsolicited manuscripts from florists, beauticians, and other creative types, the club reverted to the magazine’s original name. Published remarkably without regard to gender, lifestyle, race, color, creed, physical handicap, or national origin.
The American Spectator Foundation educates the public on new ideas, concepts, and policies that favor traditional American values, such as economic freedom, individual liberty, self-sufficiency, and limited government. To this end, the Foundation also trains and cultivates young writers for careers in journalism and serves as an outlet for a host of both young and established conservative writers and thinkers.