Westbrook Pegler

Journalist

Birthday August 2, 1894

Birth Sign Leo

Birthplace Minneapolis, MN

DEATH DATE Jun 24, 1969 (74)

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About

Twentieth-century writer and newspaper columnist who was opposed to both the New Deal and labor unions and criticized the Supreme Court and the tax system. His outspoken and aggressive writing style was frequently parodied by The New Yorker and Mad Magazine.

Before Fame

He was a World War I-era war correspondent before working as a newspaper sports columnist. In 1925, he accepted a position with The Chicago Tribune.

Trivia

He won a 1941 Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on criminal racketeering in the labor unions of Hollywood.

Family Life

He was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota to newspaper editor Arthur James Pegler. His first marriage was to crime reporter Julia Harpman. Later, he wed his secretary, Maude Wettje.

Associated With

He took to referring to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as "The Big Mouth."