John Joseph McLaughlin (/mÉ™kˈlÉ'Ë klɪn/; March 29, 1927 â€" August
16, 2016) was an American television personality and political
commentator. He created, produced, and hosted the political commentary
series The McLaughlin Group. He also hosted and produced John
McLaughlin's One on One which ran from 1984 to 2013.John Joseph
McLaughlin was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Eva
Philomena (née Turcotte) and Augustus Hugh McLaughlin. He grew up in
a Catholic family who were second-generation Irish Americans and
attended La Salle Academy, Providence. At age 18, he entered Weston
College in Weston, Massachusetts, which later became the theological
seminary of Boston College, to prepare for the priesthood.He entered
the Jesuit order of the Catholic Church in 1947, was ordained as a
priest in 1959, and went on to earn two master's degrees (philosophy
and English literature) from Boston College. After his ordination,
McLaughlin spent some years as a high school teacher at Fairfield
College Preparatory School, a Jesuit prep school in Connecticut. He
took time off from teaching to earn a Ph.D. (philosophy) from Columbia
University. He wrote his thesis on the Roman Catholic poet Gerard
Manley Hopkins. He then became a writer and later assistant editor for
the Jesuit current affairs publication, America, in New York City.
Disagreements with the editor of the magazine led to his departure in
1970 after which he moved back to Providence.McLaughlin was originally
a supporter of the Democratic Party and opposed the Vietnam War, but
then became a war supporter and changed his party affiliation to
Republican. In 1970 he sought permission from the Jesuit order to run
for a seat in the United States Senate, representing Rhode Island.
They had given permission to fellow Jesuit Father Robert Drinan who
ran successfully for the United States House of Representatives in
Massachusetts. When they refused, McLaughlin ran anyway but lost to
the incumbent four-term Senator John O. Pastore. Through a friendship
with Pat Buchanan, McLaughlin then became a speechwriter for U.S.
President Richard Nixon. In 1974, after the resignation of President
Nixon, he spent two months under President Gerald Ford's
administration. In 1975, he left the priesthood.
16, 2016) was an American television personality and political
commentator. He created, produced, and hosted the political commentary
series The McLaughlin Group. He also hosted and produced John
McLaughlin's One on One which ran from 1984 to 2013.John Joseph
McLaughlin was born in Providence, Rhode Island, the son of Eva
Philomena (née Turcotte) and Augustus Hugh McLaughlin. He grew up in
a Catholic family who were second-generation Irish Americans and
attended La Salle Academy, Providence. At age 18, he entered Weston
College in Weston, Massachusetts, which later became the theological
seminary of Boston College, to prepare for the priesthood.He entered
the Jesuit order of the Catholic Church in 1947, was ordained as a
priest in 1959, and went on to earn two master's degrees (philosophy
and English literature) from Boston College. After his ordination,
McLaughlin spent some years as a high school teacher at Fairfield
College Preparatory School, a Jesuit prep school in Connecticut. He
took time off from teaching to earn a Ph.D. (philosophy) from Columbia
University. He wrote his thesis on the Roman Catholic poet Gerard
Manley Hopkins. He then became a writer and later assistant editor for
the Jesuit current affairs publication, America, in New York City.
Disagreements with the editor of the magazine led to his departure in
1970 after which he moved back to Providence.McLaughlin was originally
a supporter of the Democratic Party and opposed the Vietnam War, but
then became a war supporter and changed his party affiliation to
Republican. In 1970 he sought permission from the Jesuit order to run
for a seat in the United States Senate, representing Rhode Island.
They had given permission to fellow Jesuit Father Robert Drinan who
ran successfully for the United States House of Representatives in
Massachusetts. When they refused, McLaughlin ran anyway but lost to
the incumbent four-term Senator John O. Pastore. Through a friendship
with Pat Buchanan, McLaughlin then became a speechwriter for U.S.
President Richard Nixon. In 1974, after the resignation of President
Nixon, he spent two months under President Gerald Ford's
administration. In 1975, he left the priesthood.
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