John Terrence "Terry" Dolan (1950 – December 28, 1986) was an American New Right political activist who was a co-founder and chairman of the

National Conservative Political Action Committee The National Conservative Political Action Committee (NCPAC; pronounced "nick-pack"), based in Alexandria, Virginia, was a New Right political action committee in the United States that was a major contributor to the ascendancy of conservative Repu ...

(NCPAC).Elizabeth Kastor (1987), The Cautious Closet of the Gay Conservative; In the Life and Death of Terry Dolan, Mirror Images From the Age of AIDS, ''The Washington Post'', May 11, 1987. Dolan was also, during the mid to late 1970s, in the leadership of Christian Voice, "the nation's oldest conservative Christian lobby". While Dolan was a proponent of

family values Family values, sometimes referred to as familial values, are traditional or cultural values that pertain to the family's structure, function, roles, beliefs, attitudes, and ideals. In the social sciences and U.S. political discourse, the conventi ...

and the organizations he led were persistently critical of

gay rights Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality. Notably, , 3 ...

, he was revealed to have been a

closeted ''Closeted'' and ''in the closet'' are metaphors for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender and other (LGBTQ+) people who have not disclosed their sexual orientation or gender identity and aspects thereof, including sexual identity and human ...

homosexual Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to peop ...

, who frequented gay bars in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

At a Washington fundraising event in 1985, the renowned AIDS activist

Larry Kramer Laurence David Kramer (June 25, 1935May 27, 2020) was an American playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, and gay rights activist. He began his career rewriting scripts while working for Columbia Pictures, which led him to Lo ...

reportedly tossed a glass of water in his face. Dolan died from complications of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

at the age of 36. He is one of many with panels dedicated to them (in his case three panels) in the AIDS Quilt.

Political activities

College Republicans

A native of

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, Dolan became active in politics during his teens as a Republican volunteer. At age 21, he worked as a paid organizer in

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

's 1972 presidential re-election campaign. The following year, he was a candidate for chairman of the College Republican National Committee but lost to

Karl Rove Karl Christian Rove (born December 25, 1950) is an American Republican political consultant, policy advisor, and lobbyist. He was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff during the George W. Bush administration until his resignation on August 3 ...

Christian Voice to Moral Majority

After Christian Voice co-founder Dr. Robert Grant ousted Dolan, Howard Phillips, and

Richard Viguerie Richard Art Viguerie (; born September 23, 1933) is an American conservative figure, pioneer of political direct mail and writer on politics. He is the current chairman of ConservativeHQ.com. Life and career Viguerie was born in Golden Acres, T ...

from the Christian Voice organization, the trio went on to help persuade

Jerry Falwell Jerry Laymon Falwell Sr. (August 11, 1933 – May 15, 2007) was an American Baptist pastor, televangelism, televangelist, and conservatism in the United States, conservative activist. He was the founding pastor of the Thomas Road Baptist Church, ...

to build a new Christian Right organization, the Moral Majority.

National Conservative Political Action Committee

Dolan was later a co-founder and chairman of the

(NCPAC). He co-authored ''Reagan: A President Succeeds'' with

Gregory Fossedal Gregory Fossedal (born 1959) is an American writer and political/economic theorist. He served as chairman of the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution (AdTI). Fossedal, Gordon Haff, Benjamin Hart, and Keeney Jones founded the ''Dartmouth Review'' in 19 ...

. His brother,

Anthony R. Dolan Anthony R. Dolan (born in Norwalk, Connecticut, July 7, 1948) is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and was a speechwriter for President Ronald Reagan from March 1981 until the end of Reagan's second term in 1989.Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

's chief presidential speechwriter. Dolan was a member of the Council for National Policy Board of Governors, a member of the advisory board for

CAUSA International The Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, widely known as the Unification Church, is a new religious movement, whose members are called Unificationists, or "Moonies". It was officially founded on 1 May 1954 under the name Holy Spi ...

(an educational, anti-communist organization founded by Unification Church leader

Sun Myung Moon Sun Myung Moon (; born Yong Myung Moon; 6 January 1920 – 3 September 2012) was a Korean religious leader, also known for his business ventures and support for conservative political causes. A messiah claimant, he was the founder of the Unif ...

),Sun Myung Moon's Followers Recruit Christians to Assist in Battle Against Communism
''

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

'' June 15, 1985. and Director of Conservatives Against Liberal Legislation (CALL).John T. (Terry) Dolan
, The Council for National Policy: Selected Member Biographies

References

External links

*, '' National Review'', January 30, 1987. {{DEFAULTSORT:Dolan, Terry College Republicans LGBT people from Connecticut New Right (United States) Activists from Washington, D.C. AIDS-related deaths in Washington, D.C. 1950 births 1986 deaths Connecticut Republicans 20th-century LGBT people Activists from Connecticut