Happy Birthday Morton Blackwell!

Matt Lewis | November 12, 2009 1:56 PM

On November 16, Morton Blackwell will celebrate his 70th birthday. Tonight, there will be a dual celebration: Morton's 70th birthday -- and his Leadership Institute

's 30th birthday.

If you're not familiar with Morton, you should be; few modern conservative leaders have done more to advance the cause of liberty.

Morton has had a long and distinguished career. Before founding The Leadership Institute (Li) in 1979, he was Barry Goldwater’s youngest elected delegate to the 1964 Republican National Convention in San Francisco. In 1980, he organized and oversaw the national youth effort for Ronald Reagan. He then served as Special Assistant to the President from 1981-1984. In 1984, he became the full-time President of Li.

Having worked at Li for four years, I can personally tell you that the organization is one of the most important in the nation -- and that Morton is one of the most dedicated and honorable men I have ever known. I feel truly blessed to have known him and to have worked for him. Clearly, I would not be doing what I am doing were it not for the lessons I learned from Morton.

Aside from being dedicated to training the next generation of conservative leaders, Morton and his wife Helen are proud grandparents. And Morton also has an interesting hobby: He is an avid beekeeper.

Morton has said of his late friend Paul Weyrich that, "If there were a Mount Rushmore for conservative leaders, Paul's face would have to be on it."