Finley Peter Dunne

Finley Peter Dunne was an American humorist and writer from Chicago. In 1898 Dunne published Mr. Dooley in Peace and War, a collection of his nationally syndicated Mr. Dooley sketches. Speaking with the thick verbiage and accent of an Irish immigrant from County Roscommon, the fictional Mr. Dooley expounded upon political and social issues of the day from his South Side Chicago Irish pub. Dunnes sly humor and political acumen won the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, a frequent target of Mr. Dooleys barbs. Dunnes sketches became so popular and such a litmus test of public opinion that they were read each week at White House cabinet meetings.

Dunne was born in Chicago on July 10, 1867, was educated in the Chicago public schools , and, at age 17, in 1884, began his newspaper career as a reportereditor for the Chicago Telegram. He was then with the Chicago News from 188488, the Chicago Times in 1888, the Chicago Tribune in 1889, the Chicago Herald in 1889, and the Chicago Journal in 1897. Originally named Peter Dunne, to honor his mother, who had died when he was in high school, he took her family name as his middle name some time before 1886, going by PF Dunne, reversed the two names in 1888, for Finley P. Dunne, and later used simply the initials, FP Dunne. His sister, Amelia Dunne Hookway, was a prominent educator and high school principal in Chicago the former Hookway School was named in her honor.

Source: Wikipedia