Robert St. John
Robert St. John was an influential American journalist and author, born in Chicago in 1902. Raised in Oak Park, Illinois, he began his reporting career in Cicero, where he notably covered topics related to Prohibition and the infamous gangster Al Capone. As the owner of the Cicero Tribune, St. John faced violence from Capone's mob, which left a lasting impact on his life and career. He later joined the Associated Press and reported on significant historical events, including Franklin D. Roosevelt's first presidential campaign and World War II. St. John's war reporting was extensive; he was one of the first journalists to cover the D-Day invasion and reported continuously on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Following the war, his interest in the Middle East deepened, leading him to support Jewish causes and advocate for the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel. Throughout his career, he authored several books on Middle Eastern leaders and history and was a respected public speaker. St. John passed away in 2003 at the age of 100, leaving behind a legacy as a prominent figure in journalism and literature.
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Subject Terms
Robert St. John
Author
- Born: March 9, 1902
- Birthplace: Chicago, Illinois
- Died: February 6, 2003
- Place of death: Waldorf, Maryland
Biography
Robert St. John was born in Chicago in 1902. His family later moved to Oak Park, Illinois, where he attended Emerson Grammar School and Oak Park-River Forest High School. After graduating from high school in 1920, he began working as a reporter in Cicero, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Most of his early stories were about Prohibition and Al Capone, the gangster. St. John eventually became the owner of the Cicero Tribune, and at one point Capone’s mob took over the newspaper and severely beat St. John, leaving him for dead.
In 1931, St. John joined the staff of the Associated Press, where he covered Franklin D. Roosevelt’s first presidential campaign. He became a foreign correspondent in the Balkans in 1939, arriving in Budapest, Hungary, on the same day that the Nazis attacked Poland. He traveled across several European nations during the course of his war reporting, and one of his legs was wounded while he was traveling on a Greek troop train strafed by a Nazi airplane. He escaped from Europe on a Greek sardine boat.
He continued to report on World War II for National Broadcasting Company (NBC)radio. He was among the first journalists to report on the D-Day invasion, staying on the radio for a total of 117 consecutive hours. He also remained on the air for seventy-two hours to report on the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan.
St. John became famous for his war experience and wrote several books about his adventures during World War II. Later in his life, he was asked to report on the wars in the Middle East, Indochina, and Africa, and he covered the war crimes trial of Adolf Eichmann. After witnessing the persecution of Jews during World War II, St. John developed an enduring interest in the Middle East and the establishment of a Jewish state in Israel. Over the years, he became an eloquent supporter of Israel and of Jewish causes.
During his long career as a journalist, St. John wrote numerous books, including several about Israel and the Middle East. His books include biographies of Israeli statesmen David Ben-Gurion and Abba Eban and Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser. St. John also was a sought-after public speaker and lecturer. St. John died in on February 6, 2003, at the age of one hundred.