Philip Van Cleave

Philip Van Cleave

by

1952

  • 1971 – 1973 volunteer firefighter in Bexar County, TX
  • 1973 – 1980 reserve deputy sheriff in San Antonio
  • 1975 Masters degree Computer Science
  • 1978 Bachelors degree
  • 1980 move to Virginia
  • president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL)
  • June 2004, he received the Gun Rights Defender of the Month Award from the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
  • 2018 – was fooled publicly by Who Is America? is an American political satire television series
Philip Van Cleave

About Philip Van Cleave

Philip Van Cleave is the longtime president of the Virginia Citizens Defense League (VCDL), one of the most active state-level gun rights groups in the country. Born in 1952 in Kankakee, Illinois, he volunteered as a reserve deputy sheriff in San Antonio, Texas, starting at age 21 before moving to Virginia. He joined VCDL in 1995, a year after the all-volunteer group was founded, and became its president and lead spokesman, representing Virginia gun owners in national media including 60 Minutes, Nightline and The Washington Post.

Under his leadership, VCDL is best known for its annual Lobby Day at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond. In January 2020, after a new General Assembly majority proposed a package of gun control bills, Van Cleave organized the January 20 Lobby Day rally, for which VCDL arranged about 30 buses and expected at least 30,000 attendees. He publicly described the event as a peaceful rally of speakers and worked with Richmond, Capitol and State Police on security.

Key Facts

  • 1952: Born in Kankakee, Illinois
  • 1995: Joined the Virginia Citizens Defense League
  • June 2004: Gun Rights Defender of the Month, Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms
  • January 20, 2020: Organized VCDL’s Lobby Day rally in Richmond

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Sources

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