Former Daily Herald journalist, White House aide Murnane dies at 81

When he headed to college, a young Ed Murnane thought he would become a math or physics teacher.

But it soon became clear neither path was right for him, so he turned to another love: newspapers.

He ended up working in the White House.

Of course, there’s more to the story of Murnane, who died Monday at age 81.

The Chicago native started working for the Paddock Publications newspaper chain the week after graduating from Northern Illinois University in spring 1966. He spent five years with the company, as it transformed from a chain of weekly newspapers into the Daily Herald.

For part of that time, he was the newspaper’s political editor, including a stint covering the state legislature.

“Ed was one of the Herald’s senior reporters and political editor in the ‘70s — well respected by the staff, the political world and the community at large. He left us to become a congressional aide,” said Doug Ray, chief executive officer, publisher and chairman of the Daily Herald Media Group.

“I recall working with Ed on a television panel on election night, analyzing the results,” Ray added. “He was the authority and it showed. While Ed moved on to Washington, his roots were in Arlington Heights. Those of us who worked with Ed will always remember him as an outstanding journalist, a political expert and a good guy.”

Murnane moved to Washington, D.C., for a Congressional fellowship awarded by the American Political Science Association. It called for working in Congressional offices. Murnane worked with U.S. Rep. Phil Crane, the suburban Republican who was a rising star in the party at the time, becoming his press secretary, then chief of staff.

“While I had some misgivings about giving up a newspaper career, I was intrigued by the government and political world, and the excitement of Washington was tantalizing,” Murnane said in an interview with the Northern Illinois University Alumni Association. “We attended two presidential inaugurations, met presidents Nixon and Ford — and yes, we experienced the Watergate hearings. As Congressman Crane’s press secretary, I had to learn how to deal with the news media.”

Murnane later worked on President Ronald Reagan’s 1984 reelection campaign, served as public affairs director for the Regional Transportation Authority and, in 1988, was executive director of the Illinois campaign to elect George H.W. Bush president.

In 1992, Bush appointed Murnane as a deputy assistant and director of presidential advance.

While Murnane was a diehard Republican, “he never had any bad thing to say about the other party,” said his son, Brian Murnane.

After Bush’s reelection loss in 1992, Murnane became president of the Illinois Civic Justice League, a nonprofit organization that worked on issues related to civil courts.

He also became more involved with the Catholic Church (he had once thought of becoming a priest), including taking photographs for Our Lady of the Wayside Church in Arlington Heights, where he lived for many years before moving to Palatine.

In retirement, he wrote again for the Daily Herald, penning op-ed pieces on politics for two years starting in 2016. Topics included rich men such as Bruce Rauner and JB Pritzker running for governor, and the actions of President Donald Trump during his first term in office.

“I always thought he believed in the nobility of political service,” Brian Murnane said. “He believed in the honor of politics and serving in the public realm.”

Murnane is survived by his wife, Laurel; two sons; and a daughter. Visitation is Oct. 23, at Smith-Corcoran Funeral Home in Palatine, and the funeral Mass is Oct. 24, at St. Thomas Catholic Church in Palatine.