This paper explores the political philosophy of the conservative thinker Peter Viereck, and the implications of his thought for understanding contemporary American conservatism. Viereck, a historian and Pulitzer prize‐winning poet was a leading figure in the post‐World War II resurgence of American conservatism, yet he fell into disrepute among many conserva‐tives who claimed he was more liberal than conservative. He is still a pariah among many conservatives. Viereck praised the New Deal, applauded Brown v. Board of Education and criticized conservatives such as William F. Buckley, Barry Goldwater and Russell Kirk. On the surface Viereck would appear to be a closet liberal, but a closer examination of his thought reveals him to be exactly what he claimed—a classical conservative. His “liberal” issue positions are defensible on classical conservative grounds. His conservatism still speaks to the American situation. He deserves more study by scholars of c