Robert Casey (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Robert Joseph Casey was born March 14, 1890, in Beresford, South Dakota
, and attended St. Mary's College in St. Mary's, Kansas from 1907 to 1911. Casey enlisted in the Army in 1918 and served at Verdun and Meuse-Argonne as an artilleryman. He earned three citations for bravery in combat before his discharge as a captain in 1919. In 1927, Casey wrote (anonymously) The Cannoneers Have Hairy Ears; A Diary of the Front Lines about his wartime experiences, and this book was acclaimed for its gritty and realistic depictions of an American soldier in World War I.
In 1920 Casey joined the Chicago Daily News
, where he worked as a columnist and foreign correspondent for twenty-seven years. In Chicago, Casey wrote features, chronicled the gang wars of the era, and compiled "slice of life" stories which were published in the paper under column titles "Vest Pocket Anthology," "Such Interesting People," and "More Interesting People." During the 1920s and 1930s, Casey also traveled through Indochina
, Cuba
, Pitcairn Islands
and Easter Island
, and many other sites, and wrote about his adventures in newspaper columns and books. In 1940, Casey covered the blitz in London and its aftermath; he was also in Hawaii and the Pacific right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
in December, 1941.
After his coverage of World War II
in France, Africa, and the Pacific, Casey came back to Chicago to write. He had been married to Marie Driscoll, who died in 1945; in 1946 Casey married Hazel MacDonald, a reporter and fellow Chicago-based foreign correspondent he first met in 1933. After Casey's retirement from the Daily News in 1947, he continued to write books and freelance newspaper articles. In 1955 he was named Press Veteran of the Year by the Chicago Press Veterans Association. After being under treatment for several years for a heart condition and high blood pressure, Casey died of a stroke on Dec. 5, 1962 at St. Francis Hospital, Evanston, at the age of 72.
Beresford, South Dakota
Beresford is a city in Lincoln and Union counties in the U.S. state of South Dakota. The population was 2,005 as of the 2010 census. The southern two-thirds is part of the Sioux City, IA–NE–SD Metropolitan Statistical Area, while the northern one-third is part of the Sioux Falls...
, and attended St. Mary's College in St. Mary's, Kansas from 1907 to 1911. Casey enlisted in the Army in 1918 and served at Verdun and Meuse-Argonne as an artilleryman. He earned three citations for bravery in combat before his discharge as a captain in 1919. In 1927, Casey wrote (anonymously) The Cannoneers Have Hairy Ears; A Diary of the Front Lines about his wartime experiences, and this book was acclaimed for its gritty and realistic depictions of an American soldier in World War I.
In 1920 Casey joined the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
, where he worked as a columnist and foreign correspondent for twenty-seven years. In Chicago, Casey wrote features, chronicled the gang wars of the era, and compiled "slice of life" stories which were published in the paper under column titles "Vest Pocket Anthology," "Such Interesting People," and "More Interesting People." During the 1920s and 1930s, Casey also traveled through Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Pitcairn Islands
Pitcairn Islands
The Pitcairn Islands , officially named the Pitcairn, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands, form a group of four volcanic islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. The islands are a British Overseas Territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Pacific...
and Easter Island
Easter Island
Easter Island is a Polynesian island in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian triangle. A special territory of Chile that was annexed in 1888, Easter Island is famous for its 887 extant monumental statues, called moai, created by the early Rapanui people...
, and many other sites, and wrote about his adventures in newspaper columns and books. In 1940, Casey covered the blitz in London and its aftermath; he was also in Hawaii and the Pacific right after the bombing of Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
in December, 1941.
After his coverage of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in France, Africa, and the Pacific, Casey came back to Chicago to write. He had been married to Marie Driscoll, who died in 1945; in 1946 Casey married Hazel MacDonald, a reporter and fellow Chicago-based foreign correspondent he first met in 1933. After Casey's retirement from the Daily News in 1947, he continued to write books and freelance newspaper articles. In 1955 he was named Press Veteran of the Year by the Chicago Press Veterans Association. After being under treatment for several years for a heart condition and high blood pressure, Casey died of a stroke on Dec. 5, 1962 at St. Francis Hospital, Evanston, at the age of 72.
External links
- Robert J. Casey Papers at Newberry LibraryNewberry LibraryThe Newberry Library is a privately endowed, independent research library for the humanities and social sciences in Chicago, Illinois. Although it is private, non-circulating library, the Newberry Library is free and open to the public...