[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 8]
[Senate]
[Page 10456]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                         DEATH OF JEFF MacNELLY

 Mr. FITZGERALD. Mr. President, readers of the Chicago Tribune 
and newspapers across America suffered a great loss last Thursday when 
legendary political cartoonist Jeff MacNelly lost his battle with 
lymphoma. He was 52.
  Jeff MacNelly was one of the giants of modern political commentary. 
In this era of multi-media communication, round-the-clock news, and 
ubiquitous political punditry, Jeff offered a fresh and witty 
perspective on local and national affairs.
  It has been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But Jeff 
MacNelly was a master, and his were worth more. No matter what the 
issue, no matter who the subject of his praise of caustic criticism, 
Jeff had a way of making his point and making you laugh at the same 
time. That was his gift.
  Born in New York City in 1947, Jeff MacNelly knew he was meant to 
draw. He left college during his senior year in 1969 to pursue a career 
as a political cartoonist, and accepted a job with a weekly newspaper 
in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Jeff won his first Pulitzer Prize in 
1972 at age 24, and two more followed in 1978 and 1985. His legendary 
comic strip ``Shoe,'' which he continued for the rest of his life, was 
born in 1977. By the time Jeff passed away last week, ``Shoe'' was 
syndicated in over 1,000 publications nationwide. Jeff briefly decided 
to retire his pen in 1981, but, missing the excitement of politics and 
the daily news business, was lured back into action in 1982 by the 
Chicago Tribune. He worked at the Tribune until his death.
  For nearly 30 years, Jeff MacNelly entertained and informed us with 
his unique blend of humor and political insight. He died young, but 
left his mark--literally and figuratively--on the entire world.

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