Finley Peter Dunne

Finley Peter Dunne (born Peter Dunne; July 10, 1867 – April 24, 1936) was an American humorist, journalist and writer from Chicago. In 1898 Dunne published Mr. Dooley in Peace and in War, his first collection of the nationally syndicated Mr. Dooley sketches. Written as though speaking with the thick verbiage and accent of an Irish immigrant from County Roscommon, Dunne's fictional "Mr. Dooley" expounded upon political and social issues of the day from behind the bar of his South Side Chicago Irish pub. Dunne's sly humor and political acumen won the support of President Theodore Roosevelt, a frequent target of Mr. Dooley's barbs. Dunne's sketches became so popular and such a litmus test of public opinion that they were read each week at White House cabinet meetings.

Born to Irish immigrant parents and raised in Chicago, Dunne went to work for newspapers as a teenager. In the late 19th century, he and Eugene Field garnered attention for the humorous columns they separately published in the Chicago Daily News. Dunne also continued as a reporter, often covering politics, moving to a series of Chicago papers.