M. Stanton Evans (d. 2015) was one of the unsung heroes and key figures of the modern conservative   movement, offering a model to be remembered and emulated in both thought and deed. A person of   extraordinary breadth, he combined the roles of journalist, first-rank thinker, and political action, often at the center of crucial events for the conservative movement from the mid-1950s to his last decade in the 2010s. He was the principal author of the Sharon Statement, the founding document of Young   Americans for Freedom. Evans was also a mentor to an entire generation of conservative writers and   journalists, including Ann Coulter, John Fund, Martin Morse Wooster, Tim Carney, Richard  Miniter , William  McGurn , and this author.   Evans was libertarian in economics and policy, traditionalist in moral and social matters, respectful of   religion, and resolutely anti-Communist. Over the years he wrote  a number of  elegant articles and one   book ( The Theme is Freedom ) that reconciled many of the strains that often appear between these   differing schools of conservative thought. He also wrote a controversial defense of Joseph McCarthy   ( Blacklisted by History ), which is one of many examples of his fearlessness in contesting the   conventional wisdom.   Beyond his professional profile, Stan was also known for his ironic dry wit, which only came out in   person, as well as his personal modesty and kindliness, and fondness for fast-food, sports, and classic   rock and roll music trivia. He was “the conservative for the common man.”