John Joseph McLaughlin (; March 29, 1927 – August 16, 2016) was an American television personality and political commentator. He created, produced, and hosted the political commentary series ''
The McLaughlin Group
''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly public affairs television program in the United States, during which a group of four pundits, prompted by the host, discusses current political issues in a round table format. John ...
.'' He also hosted and produced ''
John McLaughlin's One on One ''John McLaughlin's One on One'' is a weekly TV interview show that aired on American public broadcaster PBS. It was hosted by John McLaughlin, also the host of ''The McLaughlin Group
''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly ...
'', which ran from 1984 to 2013.
Education and early career
John Joseph McLaughlin was born in
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...
, the son of Augustus Hugh McLaughlin and his wife Eva Philomena,
née
A birth name is the name of a person given upon birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name, or the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a birth certificate or birth re ...
Turcotte.
["Biography: John McLaughlin"]
''Turner Classic Movies
Turner Classic Movies (TCM) is an American movie channel, movie-oriented pay television, pay-TV television network, network owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in 1994, Turner Classic Movies is headquartered at Turner's Techwood broadcasti ...
'' He grew up in a Catholic family who were second-generation Irish Americans and attended
La Salle Academy (Rhode Island)
La Salle Academy is a private Roman Catholic college preparatory school run by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools in Providence, Rhode Island. It was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1871. the Academy currently enrolls 1,4 ...
, Providence.
[ At age 18, he entered ]Weston College
Weston College of Further and Higher Education is a general college of further and higher education in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, England. It provides education and vocational training from age 14 to adult. The college provided education to ...
in Weston, Massachusetts
Weston is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, about 15 miles west of Boston. At the time of the 2020 United States Census, the population of Weston was 11,851.
Weston was incorporated in 1713, and protectio ...
, which later became the theological seminary of Boston College
Boston College (BC) is a private Jesuit research university in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. Founded in 1863, the university has more than 9,300 full-time undergraduates and nearly 5,000 graduate students. Although Boston College is classifie ...
, to become a Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
priest.[Murray, Michael D. (editor)]
"Biography: John McLaughlin"
Encyclopedia of Television News
He entered the Jesuit order
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders = ...
in 1947, aged 20, and was ordained as a priest in 1959, and went on to earn two master's degree
A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice. s (philosophy and English literature) from Boston College. After his ordination, McLaughlin spent some years as a high school teacher at Fairfield College Preparatory School
Fairfield College Preparatory School (Fairfield Prep) is a Jesuit preparatory school located on the campus of Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. It is an all-male school of about 700 students, founded by the Society of Jesus in 1942 ...
, a Jesuit prep school in Connecticut. He took time off from teaching to earn a Ph.D.
A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is ...
(philosophy) from Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
. He wrote his thesis on the Catholic poet Gerard Manley Hopkins
Gerard Manley Hopkins (28 July 1844 – 8 June 1889) was an English poet and Jesuit priest, whose posthumous fame placed him among leading Victorian poets. His prosody – notably his concept of sprung rhythm – established him as an innovato ...
. He then became a writer and later assistant editor for the Jesuit current affairs publication, ''America
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'', in New York City. Disagreements with the editor of the magazine led to his departure in 1970 after which he moved back to Providence.
Political career
McLaughlin was originally a supporter of the Democratic Party and opposed the Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, but then became a war supporter and changed his party affiliation to Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
. In 1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
, he sought permission from the Jesuit order to run for a seat in the United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and pow ...
, representing Rhode Island
Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
. They had given permission to fellow Jesuit Father Robert Drinan
Robert Frederick Drinan (November 15, 1920 – January 28, 2007) was a Jesuit priest, lawyer, human rights activist, and Democratic U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Drinan left office to obey Pope John Paul II's prohibition on politica ...
who ran successfully for the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
in . When they refused, McLaughlin ran anyway but lost to the incumbent four-term Senator John O. Pastore. Through a friendship with Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph Buchanan (; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative political commentator, columnist, politician, and broadcaster. Buchanan was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, an ...
, McLaughlin then became a speechwriter for U.S. President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
. In 1974, after the resignation of President Nixon, he spent two months under President Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
's administration. In 1975, he left the priesthood.[
]
Media career
After leaving the White House, McLaughlin worked with his wife Ann in public relations and in 1980 became a weekend radio host on WRC-AM in Washington, D.C. Eventually he was fired from that job.
He then went on to write for ''National Review
''National Review'' is an American conservative editorial magazine, focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs. The magazine was founded by the author William F. Buckley Jr. in 1955. Its editor-in-chief i ...
'' and to host ''The McLaughlin Group
''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly public affairs television program in the United States, during which a group of four pundits, prompted by the host, discusses current political issues in a round table format. John ...
'', which premiered in 1982. The television show brought together four political commentators, usually two conservatives and two liberals, with McLaughlin seated in the middle.[ McLaughlin was known for his loud and forceful style of presentation, usually stating his opinion in an ]apodictic
"Apodictic", also spelled "apodeictic" ( grc, ἀποδεικτικός, "capable of demonstration"), is an adjectival expression from Aristotelean logic that refers to propositions that are demonstrably, necessarily or self-evidently true. manner and often cutting off other panelists by declaring their opinion "Wrong!" or putting a question to the panel, listening to other opinions, before finally giving his opinion as "the correct answer". Discussions in the McLaughlin Group tended to run until the very last few seconds of airtime, when McLaughlin would rather abruptly end each episode by saying "Bye-bye!". McLaughlin's style and mannerisms were parodied by comedians and other commentators, most notably Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...
of ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
''. McLaughlin enjoyed ''SNLs recurring ''McLaughlin Group'' sketches, even making a 1991 cameo appearance as the Grim Reaper
Death is frequently imagined as a personified force. In some mythologies, a character known as the Grim Reaper (usually depicted as a berobed skeleton wielding a scythe) causes the victim's death by coming to collect that person's soul. Other b ...
in one of them.
McLaughlin also hosted the interview show ''John McLaughlin's One on One ''John McLaughlin's One on One'' is a weekly TV interview show that aired on American public broadcaster PBS. It was hosted by John McLaughlin, also the host of ''The McLaughlin Group
''The McLaughlin Group'' was a syndicated half-hour weekly ...
'', first telecast in 1984, and ended in 2013. Also from 1989 through 1994, he produced and hosted ''McLaughlin'', a one-hour nightly talk show on CNBC
CNBC (formerly Consumer News and Business Channel) is an American basic cable business news channel. It provides business news programming on weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Eastern Time, while broadcasting talk sho ...
. For a short while in 1999, he hosted an MSNBC
MSNBC (originally the Microsoft National Broadcasting Company) is an American news-based pay television cable channel. It is owned by NBCUniversala subsidiary of Comcast. Headquartered in New York City, it provides news coverage and political ...
show, ''McLaughlin Special Report''. The show was announced on January 22, and its cancellation was announced on February 25. A revival of ''The McLaughlin Group'' debuted in 2018, and retains McLaughlin's name in the show's title despite his death.
Personal life and death
On August 23, 1975, McLaughlin married Ann Dore (née Lauenstein), his former campaign manager. She served as Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is a member of the Cabinet of the United States, and as the head of the United States Department of Labor, controls the department, and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all ot ...
under President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
from 1987 until 1989. During this period, McLaughlin was sued for sexual harassment and discrimination by a former employee. He settled the suit in December 1989.
McLaughlin and Dore divorced in 1992. McLaughlin married his second wife Cristina Clara Vidal on June 22, 1997. The marriage ended in divorce in 2010.
During the December 26, 2014, year-end awards episode, McLaughlin ended the show saying: "Person of the year: Pope Francis, especially now that he's told that animals can go to heaven. And Oliver is up there waiting for me." Oliver Productions, Inc., is named after McLaughlin's pet dog — a Basset Hound
The Basset Hound is a short-legged breed of dog in the hound family. The Basset is a scent hound that was originally bred for the purpose of hunting hare. Their sense of smell and ability to ''ground-scent'' is second only to the Bloodhound.Har ...
— and is seen in an animation as part of the brand logo shown at the close of each show. Oliver shared their Watergate apartment during McLaughlin's tenure as speechwriter for President Nixon.
After missing his first broadcast in 34 years, McLaughlin died on August 16, 2016, at his home in Washington, D.C. of prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that sur ...
at the age of 89. McLaughlin's last message to fans was August 13, when he explained he had missed recent tapings due to his poor health.
In popular culture
The McLaughlin Group was parodied a number of times on ''Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock. Michaels currently serves a ...
'' in the early 1990s, where McLaughlin was played by Dana Carvey
Dana Thomas Carvey (born June 2, 1955) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, impressionist, screenwriter, and producer. He is best known for his seven seasons as a cast member on ''Saturday Night Live'' from 1986 to 1993, which earned him fiv ...
.[ McLaughlin also appeared in several films, including '']Dave Dave may refer to:
Film, television, and theater
* ''Dave'' (film), a 1993 film starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver
* ''Dave'' (musical), a 2018 stage musical adaptation of the film
* Dave (TV channel), a digital television channel in the ...
'', '' Mission: Impossible'', ''Independence Day
An independence day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or more rarely after the end of a military occupation. Man ...
'', and ''War, Inc.
''War, Inc.'' is a 2008 American political action comedy film directed by Joshua Seftel and starring John Cusack and Hilary Duff. Cusack also co-wrote and produced the film.
Plot
The film opens in a bar in Nunavut when hitman Brand Hauser shoot ...
'', generally portraying himself discussing a political character in the movie. In the 2009 movie ''Watchmen
''Watchmen'' is an American comic book Limited series (comics), maxiseries by the British creative team of writer Alan Moore, artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins (comics), John Higgins. It was published monthly by DC Comics in 1986 a ...
'', he is portrayed by Gary Houston in an early scene interviewing Pat Buchanan
Patrick Joseph Buchanan (; born November 2, 1938) is an American paleoconservative political commentator, columnist, politician, and broadcaster. Buchanan was an assistant and special consultant to U.S. Presidents Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, an ...
(played by James M. Connor) and Eleanor Clift
Eleanor Irene Clift ('' née'' Roeloffs; born July 7, 1940) is an American political journalist, television pundit, and author. She is a contributor to MSNBC and blogger for ''The Daily Beast''. She is best known as a regular panelist on ''The ...
(played by Mary Ann Burger) about the possibility of nuclear war with the Soviet Union. McLaughlin also hosted a special celebration for the 200th episode of the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
sitcom ''Cheers
''Cheers'' is an American sitcom television series that ran on NBC from September 30, 1982, to May 20, 1993, with a total of 275 half-hour episodes across 11 seasons. The show was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions in association w ...
''.
References
Further reading
*
External links
*
''The McLaughlin Group''
website: John McLaughlin biography.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLaughlin, John
1927 births
2016 deaths
21st-century Roman Catholics
20th-century American Jesuits
21st-century American Jesuits
20th-century American journalists
21st-century American journalists
American male journalists
American television news anchors
American people of Irish descent
American political commentators
American Roman Catholic priests
American speechwriters
American television talk show hosts
Boston College alumni
CNBC people
Columbia University alumni
Deaths from cancer in Washington, D.C.
Deaths from prostate cancer
Former Jesuits
Journalists from Rhode Island
Journalists from Washington, D.C.
Laicized Roman Catholic priests
La Salle Academy alumni
National Review people
Nixon administration personnel
Rhode Island Democrats
Rhode Island Republicans
Writers from Providence, Rhode Island
Washington, D.C., Republicans
PBS people