Richard J. Finnegan (1884-1955) was a prominent 20th century Chicago newspaper editor.
As a youngster, Finnegan worked as an office boy for the ''Chicago Chronicle.'' Covering the 1903
Iroquois Theatre fire
The Iroquois Theatre fire was a catastrophic building fire in Chicago, Illinois, that broke out on December 30, 1903, during a performance attended by 1,700 people. The fire caused 602 deaths and 250 non-fatal injuries. It ranks as the worst ...
was his first big story and was rewarded with a permanent reporter job. He later moved to the ''
Chicago Inter Ocean
The ''Chicago Inter Ocean'', also known as the ''Chicago Inter-Ocean'', is the name used for most of its history by a newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, from 1865 until 1914. Its editors included Charles A. Dana and Byron Andrews.
Histo ...
'', where he reported for two years, and studied law at night. He then moved to the evening ''
Chicago Daily Journal
The ''Chicago Daily Journal'' (''Chicago Evening Journal'' from 1861–1896) was a Chicago newspaper that published from 1844 to 1929.(11 June 1928)The Press: Chicago Journal ''Time''
Journalism
Originally a Whig paper, by the late 1850s it firm ...
'', eventually rising to the role of managing editor of that paper in 1916.
[(24 July 1919)]
Newspaper Makers at Work
''Editor & Publisher''
When owner Samuel Emory Thomason sold the ''Journal'' name and circulation to the ''
Chicago Daily News
The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.
History
The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty ...
'' in 1929 (but retaining the ''Journal'' building and equipment), he joined Thomason in founding Chicago's first tabloid newspaper, ''
Chicago Daily Times''. And in 1948, he helped merge that paper with the ''Chicago Sun'' to form the ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
''. He remained with the ''Sun-Times'' until he died in 1955.
[(24 October 1962)]
Obituary (Lucille Adams Finnegan)
''Bridgeport Post''
References
External links
Richard J. Finnegan Collection, 1929-1953(Chicago Film Archives)
Richard J. Finnegan papers, 1893-1943(Chicago Collections)
This is Your Life(May 9, 1956) (about Finnegan)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Finnegan, Richard J.
1884 births
1955 deaths
American newspaper editors
American male journalists
Chicago Sun-Times people