Jack Mabley

Jack Mabley (October 26, 1915 – January 6, 2006) was an American newspaper reporter and columnist.

John Arnold Mabley was born on October 26, 1915 in Binghamton, New York to Clarence Ware Mabley (born Clarence Ware Mable) and Mabelle née Howe, a concert pianist.

After studying journalism at the University of Illinois at Chicago and graduating in 1938, (Needs verification. U of I at Chicago was a two-year school, then.) Mabley worked for the City News Bureau, the Associated Press and then as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News before serving four years as a U.S. Navy lieutenant during the war. He returned to the Daily News in 1948 as a columnist. He joined the Chicago American in 1961, and remained there as a columnist and associate editor until, now a tabloid known as Chicago Today, it folded in 1974.

Mabley then took up a long-standing post as the well-respected columnist of the Chicago Tribune, writing some 8,000 columns on a wide range of issues. In his later years he became columnist of the suburban Chicago Daily Herald from which he finally retired in 2004 at around 88 years of age.

In addition to his journalistic career, Jack operated a corporate communications business from his adopted home town of Chicago, hosting a nightly radio show. He also served as president of the Chicago suburb of Glenview for a number of years.

The Jack Mabley Developmental Center in Dixon, IL, a state run residential home for the mentally disabled, is named after him in honour of his generous support and fundraising activities. Mabley had created the Forgotten Children's Fund, which raised money for the centre. His autobiography entitled "Halas, Hef, the Beatles and Me" was published in 1967.

Mabley died in Chicago on January 6, 2006. He had married Frances Habeck on August 29, 1940 and had four children.