Michael Royko

Journalist. He was a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist known for his sarcastic wit and colorful stories of life in Chicago, Illinois. The son of a Chicago cab driver, he made a name for himself working first for the Chicago "Daily News", then the Chicago "Sun-Times", then finally the Chicago "Tribune". He quit the "Sun-Times" a day after Australian press baron Rupert Murdoch bought the newspaper in 1984, giving his reason for quitting that he believed Murdoch would rather have sensational journalism than quality journalism. He expressed little use for politicians, but wrote about them frequently. His book, "The Boss," is a novel-length depiction of Richard J. Daley's tenure as Mayor of Chicago during the 1960s and 1970s and the inner workings of a giant political machine. A devoted fan of baseball, after Chicago Cubs announcer Harry Carey had a heart attack in the late 1980s, Mike Rokyo took a turn in the team's booth as guest announcer. He won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary in 1972, and in 1995 received the Damon Runyon Award, given annually to the journalist who best exemplifies the style that made Runyon one of the best columnists of his day.