Martin Tolchin(September 20, 1928 – February 17, 2022) was an American journalist and author. He was a longtime political correspondent forThe New York Times,and later co-foundedThe HillandPolitico.[1]
Martin Tolchin | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1928 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | February 17, 2022(aged 93) Alexandria, Virginia,U.S. |
| Education | University of Utah New York Law School(JD) |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1954–2007 |
| Spouse | |
| Partner | Barbara Rosenfeld |
| Children | 2 |
Early life and education
editTolchin was born inBrooklyn.He attended theUniversity of UtahandNew York Law School,and was in the U.S. Army during theKorean War.[2]He stated in his memoir that he was prevented from practising law whilst in the army because he refused to reveal the identities of classmates who, like him, studiedMarxismwhile at high school.[3]His political activities, though they had taken place before he joined the Army, meant he was given ageneral dischargeinstead of anhonorableone.[3]This setback ended his hopes of a legal career.[3]
Career
editAfter taking a job hunting course at theVeterans Administrationand writing over 100 letters to prospective employers, Tolchin was hired byThe New York Timesas acopy boy.[3]From there he progressed to writing features for thewomen's page,and then the metropolitan desk. He had a reputation for following New York mayorJohn Lindsaymore closely than any other reporting from the paper, and broke stories on the city's troubled hospital system.[3]Tolchin worked at theTimesfor 40 years,[4]a stint split between New York (where he was City Hall bureau chief[5]and a political andinvestigative reporter) and Washington (where he was a Congressional correspondent).[6][7]At Washington, Tolchin reported on theIran–Contra affair,[8][9]the Anita Hill hearings[10]and Washington's response to the New York City financial crisis.[11]
In 1994, Tolchin foundedThe Hillalongside businessman and Democratic political insiderJerry Finkelstein,where he served as publisher and editor-in-chief until his retirement in 2004.[12][13]The Hillpositioned itself as a rival to the establishedCapitol HillnewspaperRoll Call,with Tolchin's promise of it being "wittier and more audacious."[3]The Hillstyled itself as an "equal opportunity basher", willing to target both Democrats and Republicans with its coverage.[3]The launch ofThe Hillcoincided with theRepublican Revolutionthat broughtNewt Gingrichto power asSpeaker of the US House of Representatives,and in 1997 broke the story of a failed leadership bid against him.[3]Finkelstein's son Jimmy, who inherited ownership ofThe Hill,said Tolchin "knew Washington from top to bottom."[3]Tolchin helped launchPoliticoin 2007 and was a member of its founding editorial team.[2]
Tolchin wrote several books, frequently co-authoring them with his wife Susan. These include his 1972 bookTo The Victor: Political Patronage from the Clubhouse to the White Housewhich would be cited in multipleU.S. Supreme Courtdecisions[14]includingElrod v. BurnsandBranti v. Finkel.[15]
Personal life
editTolchin married journalistSusan Goldsmith,a political scientist, in 1965, and they remained married until her death in 2016.[2][16]They had two children, Charles (d. 2003) and Karen.[17]
Tolchin died from cancer at his home inAlexandria, Virginia,on February 17, 2022, at the age of 93.[2]At the time of his death, he was in a relationship with Barbara Rosenfeld.[2]
Awards
edit- Everett M. Dirksen Prize for Distinguished Reporting of Congress[18]
Bibliography
edit- Martin Tolchin; Susan J. Tolchin (1971)To The Victor: Political Patronage from the Clubhouse to the White House[19]
- Martin Tolchin; Susan J. Tolchin (1976).Clout: Womanpower and Politics[20]
- Martin Tolchin; Susan J. Tolchin (2007)A World Ignited: How Apostles of Ethnic, Religious and Racial Hatred Torch the Globe[21]
- Martin Tolchin; Susan J. Tolchin (2009)Glass Houses: Congressional Ethics And The Politics Of Venom[22]
- Martin Tolchin; Susan J. Tolchin (2015)Pinstripe Patronage[23][24]
- Martin Tolchin (autobiography, 2019)Politics, Journalism, and The Way Things Were[25]
References
edit- ^Tolchin, Martin; Tolchin, Susan (July 9, 2011)."Of Power, Politics and Patronage".Wilson Center.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^abcdeFried, Joseph P. (February 17, 2022)."Martin Tolchin, 93, Dies; Times Reporter Was a Founder of The Hill".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 17,2022.
- ^abcdefghi"Martin Tolchin, acclaimed DC journalist and founder of The Hill, dies at 93".Yahoo! News.February 18, 2022.Archivedfrom the original on February 24, 2022.RetrievedFebruary 24,2022.
- ^"Times Reporter Wins Award For His Articles on Congress".The New York Times.April 24, 1983.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^New York Media LLC (March 20, 1972).New York.New York Media, LLC.
- ^"Martin Tolchin | C-SPAN.org".www.c-span.org.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^United States Congress (1993).Official Congressional Directory.U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (January 20, 1987)."Critics say U.S. 'privatized' foreign policy on Iran".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^Tolchin, Martin; Binder, David (June 23, 1988)."WASHINGTON TALK: Briefing; In Praise of C-Span".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (October 14, 1991)."THE THOMAS NOMINATION; HILL SAID TO PASS A POLYGRAPH TEST".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (October 10, 1975)."BANK DATA SOUGHT ON CITY HOLDINGS".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^"New York Publisher To Start Capitol Hill Newspaper".AP News.
- ^Kirkham, Chris (September 6, 2006)."Yet Another Newspaper Aimed at Capitol Hill".The Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^Court, United States Supreme (1996).Official Reports of the Supreme Court.Supreme Court.
- ^United States Congress House Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization (1990).Foreign Investment in the United States: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Economic Stabilization of the Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, House of Representatives, One Hundred First Congress, First Session, November 15, 1989.U.S. Government Printing Office.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^Grimes, William (May 20, 2016)."Susan Tolchin, Political Scientist Who Foresaw Voter Anger, Dies at 75".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 16,2021.
- ^"Charles P. Tolchin, 34, Author And Lecturer on Cystic Fibrosis".The New York Times.August 9, 2003.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^Kurtz, Howard (May 25, 1994)."THE CAPITOL CLARION".Washington Post.ISSN0190-8286.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (1972).To the victor...; political patronage from the clubhouse to the White House.Random House.ISBN0-394-46036-7.OCLC1181436.
- ^Tolchin, Susan J. (1974).Clout: womanpower and politics.Martin Tolchin. New York: Coward, McCann & Geoghegan.ISBN0-698-10600-8.OCLC1206174.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (2007).A World Ignited: How Apostles of Ethnic, Religious, and Racial Hatred Torch the Globe.Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.ISBN978-1-4617-1165-0.OCLC1065720584.
- ^Tolchin, Susan J. (2004).Glass houses: congressional ethics and the politics of venom.Martin Tolchin. Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press.ISBN978-0-7867-5101-3.OCLC855218714.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (2016).Pinstripe patronage: political favoritism from the clubhouse to the White House and beyond.Susan J. Tolchin. London.ISBN978-1-317-25418-8.OCLC933433419.
{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^"Books by Martin Tolchin and Complete Book Reviews".PublishersWeekly.com.RetrievedNovember 20,2021.
- ^Tolchin, Martin (November 21, 2019).Politics, journalism and the way things were: my life at The Times, The Hill, and Politico.Routledge.ISBN978-0-367-42352-0.OCLC1111263366.