Basil Talbott Jr., the legendary Chicago Sun-Times political editor, chief political columnist and Washington correspondent, known for his punchy authoritative coverage and analysis, died Wednesday. He was 89.
Talbott’s wife, Susan, said Talbott collapsed Monday in front of their daughter’s house in Los Angeles and was pronounced dead at a Pasadena hospital on Wednesday. They were living in Santa Monica, Calif., with the couple criss-crossing the country in their 29 years of marriage.
From covering Chicago’s City Hall to the White House, Talbott was known for his dogged pursuit of the story, chronicling in depth the political fortunes of Jane Byrne, the city’s first female mayor, Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor and the run-ups to the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaigns.
“He was a no nonsense very ethical reporter,” Susan Talbott said. “He was really interested in getting the true story. He was known for his ability to get people to talk and always sought the truth.”
Raised on Chicago’s North Side, Talbott joined the Sun-Times in 1961, after a stint at the City News Bureau following his graduation from the University of Chicago, where he studied philosophy.
Talbott’s father, Basil Talbott Sr., was a Front Page Era Chicago journalist, whose son inherited his passion for the city. Talbott’s interest in the arts was sparked when he married Susan, an art museum director. After his 40 years at the Sun-Times and other Capitol Hill publications, Talbott followed his wife as she assumed various art museum directorships.
During their time in Iowa, Talbott was the George Gallup visiting professor at the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, using the famous Iowa presidential caucus as a teaching tool to new generations of reporters.
Besides Susan, survivors include their daughter, Maggie MacKay and two grandchildren. A memorial service in Chicago is planned in the coming months.