FINLEY PETER DUNNE (1898)

Journalist and humorist who created the homely philosopher Mr. Dooley.

Born of Irish-immigrant parents, Dunne was educated in the public schools and in 1884 began working for various Chicago newspapers specializing eventually in political reporting and editorial writing.

In 1892 he began contributing Iris dialect sketches to the Chicago Evening Post and five years later to the Chicago Journal. In these Dunne introduced Martin Dooley, an engaging character in the tradition of Benjamin Franklin´s Poor Richard and James Russell Lowell´s Hosea Biglow.

National syndication of Dunne´s sketches followed Mr. Dooley´s comical observations on Dewey´s victory at Manila in 1898 and soon Dunne´s witty penetration of shams and hypocrisies made Mr. Dooley a force for clear thinking and tolerance in public affairs.

A typical Dooley comment was that made in an account of a visit by President McKinley to Chicago: "Th´ proceedin´s was opened with a prayer that Providence might remain undher th´ protection iv th´ administhration".

Many remarks such as "the supreme court follows the election returns" became part of American lore.

Dunne wrote more than 700 dialect essays, about a third of which were republished in eight volumes, beginning with Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War (1898) and ending with Mr. Dooley on Making a Will and Other Necessary Evils (1919).