Walter Trohan
Encyclopedia
Walter J. Trohan was a former Chicago Tribune
reporter and bureau chief in Washington, D.C.
, and was regarded as the last of the metropolitan newspaper Washington bureau chiefs whose bylines made them famous.
Trohan began his career as a reporter in 1929 at Chicago's City News Bureau. As a young reporter he was first on the scene of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre
when Al Capone
's gang gunned down several members of the rival Bugs Moran
gang.
He began covering Washington in the second year of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency (1934) and stayed on the job through Richard Nixon
's first term. In spite of the Tribune's hostility to Roosevelt's policies, Trohan and the president got along well.
Trohan was known for ferreting out the fact that President Truman planned to fire General Douglas MacArthur
, the commander of UN
forces in Korea. When Truman found out that Trohan knew about his plan, he publicly announced his decision and robbed Trohan of the scoop.
In 1975 Trohan wrote his memoirs and titled the book Political Animals. In the book, he recalled how when he arrived in Washington in 1934 as an assistant correspondent in the Tribune
Trohan is the source for much unique information about Franklin Roosevelt's health that turned up in various publications and FBI documents. He was the source for much of a controversial article published by Dr. Karl C. Wold in Look Magazine in 1947. He also collaborated with James A. Farley in ghost writing his memoirs. Trohan's papers are housed at the Herbert Hoover Library, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Trohan was president of the White House Correspondents' Association
in 1937-1938 and the Gridiron Club
in 1967. He died in late 2003 at the age of 100.
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
reporter and bureau chief in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, and was regarded as the last of the metropolitan newspaper Washington bureau chiefs whose bylines made them famous.
Trohan began his career as a reporter in 1929 at Chicago's City News Bureau. As a young reporter he was first on the scene of the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre
St. Valentine's Day massacre
The Saint Valentine's Day massacre is the name given to the 1929 murder of 7 mob associates as part of a prohibition era conflict between two powerful criminal gangs in Chicago: the South Side Italian gang led by Al Capone and the North Side Irish gang led by Bugs Moran. Former members of the...
when Al Capone
Al Capone
Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone was an American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. The Chicago Outfit, which subsequently became known as the "Capones", was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early...
's gang gunned down several members of the rival Bugs Moran
Bugs Moran
George Clarence Moran , better known by the alias "Bugs" Moran, was a Chicago Prohibition-era gangster born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Moran, of Irish and Polish descent, moved to the north side of Chicago when he was 19, where he became affiliated with several gangs...
gang.
He began covering Washington in the second year of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's presidency (1934) and stayed on the job through Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
's first term. In spite of the Tribune's hostility to Roosevelt's policies, Trohan and the president got along well.
Trohan was known for ferreting out the fact that President Truman planned to fire General Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur
General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...
, the commander of UN
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
forces in Korea. When Truman found out that Trohan knew about his plan, he publicly announced his decision and robbed Trohan of the scoop.
In 1975 Trohan wrote his memoirs and titled the book Political Animals. In the book, he recalled how when he arrived in Washington in 1934 as an assistant correspondent in the Tribune
Trohan is the source for much unique information about Franklin Roosevelt's health that turned up in various publications and FBI documents. He was the source for much of a controversial article published by Dr. Karl C. Wold in Look Magazine in 1947. He also collaborated with James A. Farley in ghost writing his memoirs. Trohan's papers are housed at the Herbert Hoover Library, near Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Trohan was president of the White House Correspondents' Association
White House Correspondents' Association
The White House Correspondents' Association is an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the President of the United States. The WHCA was founded in 1914 by journalists in response to an unfounded rumor that a Congressional committee would select which journalists could attend...
in 1937-1938 and the Gridiron Club
Gridiron Club
The Gridiron Club and Foundation, founded in 1885, is the oldest and one of the most prestigious journalistic organizations in Washington, D.C. Its 65 active members represent major newspapers, news services, news magazines and broadcast networks. Membership is by invitation only and has...
in 1967. He died in late 2003 at the age of 100.