Basil Talbott Jr., the former Chicago Sun-Times political editor who chronicled some of the most pivotal moments in American politics for over four decades, has passed away at 89. According to his wife Susan, Basil suffered a fatal collapse on Monday outside their home in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead at a hospital the following day.
A veteran journalist with a reputation for unflinching reporting, Talbott covered some of the most significant stories of the late 20th century, including the mayoralty of Jane Byrne and Harold Washington's historic election as Chicago's first Black mayor. His coverage also spanned Jesse Jackson's presidential campaigns, providing in-depth analysis of these pivotal events.
Talbott's dedication to journalism was shaped by his family heritage, with his father Basil Talbott Sr. being a pioneering journalist from the Front Page Era. After graduating from the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy, Talbott joined the Sun-Times in 1961 and spent nearly four decades working at the newspaper before transitioning to Capitol Hill publications.
A passionate advocate for the arts, Talbott's life was also marked by a deep love of art, which he discovered through his marriage to Susan, an art museum director. As his wife pursued various artistic roles, Talbott followed her and eventually took on teaching positions at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Talbott is survived by his wife, their daughter Maggie MacKay, two grandchildren, and a brother Dennis. A memorial service in Chicago is planned for the coming months to honor the life and legacy of this legendary journalist.
A veteran journalist with a reputation for unflinching reporting, Talbott covered some of the most significant stories of the late 20th century, including the mayoralty of Jane Byrne and Harold Washington's historic election as Chicago's first Black mayor. His coverage also spanned Jesse Jackson's presidential campaigns, providing in-depth analysis of these pivotal events.
Talbott's dedication to journalism was shaped by his family heritage, with his father Basil Talbott Sr. being a pioneering journalist from the Front Page Era. After graduating from the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy, Talbott joined the Sun-Times in 1961 and spent nearly four decades working at the newspaper before transitioning to Capitol Hill publications.
A passionate advocate for the arts, Talbott's life was also marked by a deep love of art, which he discovered through his marriage to Susan, an art museum director. As his wife pursued various artistic roles, Talbott followed her and eventually took on teaching positions at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication.
Talbott is survived by his wife, their daughter Maggie MacKay, two grandchildren, and a brother Dennis. A memorial service in Chicago is planned for the coming months to honor the life and legacy of this legendary journalist.
I'm really gonna miss seeing him's work on American politics over the years... He had this way of making you feel like you're right there in the room with him, you know? His dedication to journalism is super inspiring - from covering historic events like Jane Byrne and Harold Washington's mayoralty to teaching the next gen of journalists at Iowa School of Journalism. The fact that his passion for art was just as strong as his love for reporting is amazing. Susan's gonna miss having her partner in all aspects, but it sounds like Basil's legacy lives on through Maggie, Dennis, and their grandkids 
Basil Talbott Jr was like a god 2 me his reporting was always so accurate n unbiased I still remember watching him cover Jane Byrne's mayoralty election as a kid 
he was literally my idol lol now he's gone & it feels like the end of an era 
RIP Basil u will b deeply missed in the journalism world 
he was such a legend in journalism!! i mean, he covered so much history in his carrer, from Jane Byrne's mayoralty 2 Harold Washington's historic election 
. sad 2 hear he passed away at 89 tho, that's like, ancient in journalism yrs 
. RIP Basil, ur legacy lives on thru his fam & all the ppl u touched w/ ur reporting 
... just imagine all the amazing stories he must've covered during his career as a journalist 
I just heard about this Basil Talbott Jr guy and I'm like what's journalism even mean anymore? Like how did he do it all without getting bored or something? 
And I wonder if they have those new fancy news apps where you can just scroll through for hours and find out stuff... didn't they used to just, like, read actual papers or watch news on TV? 
and it's awesome that he got to combine his passion for art with teaching at the university of iowa 
