Through the years, MRC’s Board of Directors has been a blessing — a guiding constellation of visionaries whose wisdom and commitment have carried us through every challenge. Without the extraordinary men and women who have served on this Board, the MRC would not stand as the steadfast voice for truth it is today. Their counsel has been our compass, steering us toward greater impact and purpose.
It is with profound sorrow that we share news of a great loss not only to the MRC but to our nation. On Wednesday, after a courageous and faithful fight against a determined cancer, our esteemed Board member Karen Buchwald Wright passed away at age seventy-one.
As my father wrote in a note to the staff:
“Her generosity was extraordinary. But the kindness she showed everyone, and the affection she held for everyone in our MRC family — I know: she told me — was boundless. If there were a half-staff day of mourning tradition at the MRC, today would be that day.”
Karen was an incredible mother to her sons, Alex, Hunter, Andrew, and Sam, and a loving grandmother to several grandchildren. She is survived by her husband Tom, her mother Maureen, and many friends who cherished her deeply. She was preceded in death in 2021 by her son Hunter, who fought his own brave battle against cancer.
Born on the Fourth of July in Mount Vernon, Ohio, the namesake of George Washington’s historic home, it is as if Providence itself marked her for a life of patriotic devotion. Her love for liberty and faith in America’s promise burned bright throughout her seventy-one remarkable years.
Her father, Jim Buchwald, founded Ariel Corporation in 1966, designing a revolutionary gas compressor from his basement. In 2001, Karen became President and Chief Executive Officer, transforming that family startup into a global leader in energy technology, a living testament to her ingenuity, discipline, and belief in American exceptionalism.
As Chairman and founder of The Ariel Foundation, she poured her generosity into parks, education, the arts, historic preservation, youth programs, and the revitalization of her beloved Mount Vernon.
A 2018 recipient of National Review’s William F. Buckley Jr. Prize for Leadership in Supporting Liberty, Karen was celebrated as one of the most consequential conservative philanthropists of our time. Her compassion and civic devotion were praised far and wide, from national organizations to her hometown newspapers, the Mount Vernon News and Knox Pages. Her gifts to education, cancer research, and local preservation projects, including the Karen Buchwald Wright Reading Room at George Washington’s Mount Vernon, will enrich generations to come.
For more than twenty years, Karen stood shoulder to shoulder with the MRC, first as a loyal donor, then as a trustee, and since 2020 as a dedicated member of our Board of Directors. She was a joy to work alongside, wise, gracious, and always focused on the mission. Her counsel, insight, and enthusiasm helped strengthen our research, expand our reach, and solidify our standing as America’s premier watchdog of the media.
On a personal note, it was Karen who convinced me that I could take up the mantle from my father, just as she had done from hers. She reminded me that leadership is not inherited, it is earned — and that the best way to honor those who came before us is to keep building boldly for the future. That wisdom has stayed with me every day.
Every MRC study, exposé, and success story bears her mark. Because of Karen’s leadership and generosity, the impact of your support has grown exponentially, fueling new victories for truth and accountability.
Karen will forever be part of the MRC, her legacy woven into everything we do and everything we will accomplish.
Our loss is heaven’s gain. May her kind and generous spirit shine eternal.
Farewell, Karen. Your legacy lives forever in our hearts.
