David Horowitz

David Joel Horowitz was an American author and political activist known for transforming from a Marxist intellectual to a conservative pundit. He co-founded the David Horowitz Freedom Centre in 1998 and was editor of its website, FrontPage Magazine. His memoir, Radical Son (1996), recounts his political journey. He died in 2025, aged 86.

Born in 1937 in the Forest Hills section of Queens, New York, David Horowitz was the son of Jewish high school teachers who were members of the American Communist Party. The family moved to Long Island City in 1940. He received a BA in English from Columbia University in 1959 and an MA in English literature from the University of California, Berkeley.

In the 1960s, Horowitz identified as a Marxist and worked for the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation in London. He organised the Vietnam Solidarity Campaign and formed links with figures on the radical left. David returned to the United States in 1968 and became co-editor of Ramparts, a New Left magazine based in California. He worked closely with Huey P. Newton and supported Black Panther Party initiatives, including a school project in Oakland.

The 1974 murder of Betty Van Patter, whom Horowitz had recommended as a Panther bookkeeper, marked a turning point. He believed the Panthers were responsible and gradually distanced himself from the left. In 1985, he publicly supported Ronald Reagan's re-election, and in 1987, he co-hosted the 'Second Thoughts Conference', signalling his full embrace of conservatism.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Horowitz focused on academic freedom and what he saw as left-wing dominance in higher education. He published The Professors (2006), which criticised faculties he believed engaged in political indoctrination. He promoted an "Academic Bill of Rights" in 2005 and launched Discover the Networks to map ideological influence on the left.

Horowitz became known for his criticism of Islamism, opposition to reparations for slavery, and vocal support for US military interventions. His public campaigns, including 'Islamo-Fascism Awareness Week', attracted both support and widespread protest. He continued to speak and publish until his death.

Horowitz was married four times and had four children. His daughter Sarah died in 200,8, and he wrote A Cracking of the Heart (2009) about her life. His son Ben is a technology investor and co-founder of the firm Andreessen Horowitz.