I am proud to say that Phyllis and I were good friends of many years who shared the same passion for the protection of human life and truth.  Her years of service as a member of Legatus' Board of Governors were punctuated by her usual passionate outspoken demeanor.

Phyllis Schlafly was a persistent, nimble advocate of conservative principles and traditional values for a half century. Mother, writer, lawyer and president-founder of the Eagle Forum, her contributions to the conservative movement cannot be understated. Phyllis lent us her unyielding but gracious voice to answer and outsmart the radical left.

A world where William F. Buckley, Robert Taft, Russell Kirk, Barry Goldwater, Robert Bork, Antonin Scalia, Jean Kirkpatrick and, not least, Phyllis Schlafly never bothered to make the effort would certainly look quite different, but as a conservative, I find it hard to imagine it would look better.

I have little doubt that the political and cultural landscape of America today would have long ago been devoid of true conservatism if not for her leadership. She never surrendered her principles and she never gave in to intimidation.

For half a century, Phyllis just kept moving forward and building the conservative movement. Few others could hope to match her tenacity, wit and devotion to the conservative movement. She will be dearly missed by many, and we at The Heritage Foundation join them in mourning the passing of this great lady.

Known as the sweetheart of the silent majority, Phyllis Schlafly lit a fire in the souls of many through her staunch defense of American values; credited with teaching millions of people how to participate in self-governance, she has been described as a visionary, a unifier, and a voice of conscience for more than six decades.