Edwin A. Lahey

Edwin A. Lahey (1902–1969) was an American journalist, known for his coverage of Al Capone and John Dillinger, the labor beat, and personal knowledge of Philip Murray, Lee Pressman, James Carey, John L. Lewis, Robert A. Taft, and Thomas E. Dewey. US Representative William H. Ayres called him "a crusader for all of us in these United States of America," while Knight Newspapers's John S. Knight, called him "the best newspaper reporter in my profession."

Background Edwin Aloysius Lahey was born on January 11, 1902, in Chicago. His parents were Alice Burns and machinist James F. Lahey. He dropped out of school at an early age, possibly by fourth grade. In 1959, Lahey recalled for oral history:In my association with the C.I.O., which was very, very close and intimate, more so than—I'm not immodest when I say so, but I was closer to the operation of the C.I.O. than most of the people in the C.I.O., not to mention the newspapermen, because my best friends after I moved to Washington, were Philip Murray, the president of the C.I.O., and Lee Pressman, the general counsel of the C.I.O.

Personal life and death Lahey married Grace Seidcheck and had two children and several grandchildren.

In 1996, the New York Times noted Lahey's reluctance to use news leaks: "The background interview is a vicious device because it lets officials escape responsibility."

In 2008, M. A. Lyons published a collection of writings by parent Louis M. Lyons, which included a chapter entitled, "Edwin A. Lahey: Chicago Daily News."

Lahey remains known for his sardonic summaries and statements: "Write for people who move their lips when they read."

"Richard Loeb, who graduated with honors from college at the age of fifteen and who was a master of the English language, today ended his sentence with a preposition."

Works

Articles: "Anything Can Happen in Chicago," The Nation (January 1, 1936) "What's Ahead for American Labor," The New Republic (July 26, 1943) "Is Pegler Right?" The New Republic (September 20, 1943) "The AFL and Lewis," The New Republic (February 7, 1944) "Bedaux and His Friends," The New Republic (March 6, 1944) "Fascism's Day in Court," The New Republic (June 5, 1944) "A Reporter at Bretton Woods," The New Republic (July 17, 1944) "Mayor Lausche of Cleveland," The New Republic (July 31, 1944) "The CIO Comes of Age," The New Republic (December 4, 1944) "Detroit's Got 'Em Again," The New Republic (October 1, 1945) "Reuther Takes Over," The New Republic (April 8, 1946) "Kefauver: Underworld Nemesis," The New Republic (February 19, 1951) "The Gangs Go Legitimate," The New Republic (May 14, 1951) "Fattening on Futures," The New Republic (May 21, 1951) "The AFL Will Absorb the CIO," Collier’s Magazine (September 1, 1951) "Right-to-Work Forces Outspent 3-1 by Labor," The Washington Post and Times-Herald (October 28, 1958) "–At the Cost of Only One U.S. Fighter," The Challenge of Ideas: An Essay Reader (1958) "Richard Nixon: An Obituary of a Career," Boston Globe (November 8, 1962)

Television, film: Meet the Press: September 17, 1949 August 27, 1950 September 1, 1957 June 28, 1958 August 31, 1958 February 4, 1962 The Press and the People on WGBH-TV (1958–1959) The Today Show (October 4, 1962)

Books, pamphlets: Memo to Congress : if you really want to cut the budget... with David J. Kraslow (1957)