1 - 2 - 3 - 4   Richard Viguerie Helms Political Consultant and Fundraiser A pioneer in the use of computerized direct mail, Richard Viguerie raised millions for Senator Jesse Helms, The Congressional Club, and other conservative causes. Labeled the "funding father" of the modern conservative movement, Viguerie founded Conservative Digest magazine in 1975 and served as its publisher for 10 years.  Viguerie’s books include Conservatives Betrayed: How the Republican Party Hijacked the Conservative Cause and America's Right Turn: How Conservatives Used New and Alternative Media to Take Power.     Henry West Jesse Helms's Childhood Classmate "I always thought of him as almost stand offish," said Henry West of his Monroe classmate Jesse Helms. "Maybe it was because he was busy. But he didn’t get in with the boys and mix it up.  He was always doing something with his family or about his family or about his work on the papers."     Ray Wilkinson (1925-2004) Former WRAL Agricultural Newscaster Ray Wilkinson was a local broadcasting legend, humorist and Farm Broadcasting Hall of Famer. Described as a "walking encyclopedia of farm facts," Wilkinson was recognized throughout the state as the farmers' voice, friend and champion. His hard work earned him numerous national awards, including a 1965 Oscar in Agriculture. From the 1960s until his 1972 U.S. Senate election, Jesse Helms joined Wilkinson as a regular editorial commentator on WRAL's news.     Carter Wrenn Political Consultant Wrenn served as director of Senator Jesse Helms’s political action committee, The Congressional Club (later The National Conservative Club), from 1975 to 1996. He directed political campaigns in North Carolina for Ronald Reagan in the 1976 Republican presidential primary, John East for U.S. Senate in 1980, Lauch Faircloth for U.S. Senate in 1992, Tom Fetzer for mayor of Raleigh in 1993, and Richard Vinroot for governor in the 2000. Wrenn is a principal of RTH Consulting and publishes the political website and blog Talking About Politics with Democratic strategist Gary Pearce.       1 - 2 - 3 - 4   TOP