Publisher, Middle East expert remembered
A longtime Des Plaines publisher and investor, who had the ear of presidents on matters in the Middle East, died Saturday.
Albert Joseph, a Northbrook resident, led Hunter Publishing in Des Plaines from 1964 to 1988, and his investment company, Albert Joseph Investments, still maintains an office on Lee Street. Family members say he died of natural causes at the age of 87.
"His story is a classic rags-to-riches tale," says son George, of Chicago. "He was a child of the Great Depression who achieved the American dream."
The son of Lebanese immigrants, Mr. Joseph grew up in Toledo and put himself through the University of Toledo before joining the Navy during World War II. He returned to begin a career in advertising, working for an automotive parts company.
His Chicago career began when he accepted the position as executive vice president and publisher of Hunter Publishing, which served the automotive industry with trade magazines.
As publisher, Mr. Joseph wrote columns expressing his views on national topics, from politics and environmental issues to the Middle East. George Joseph says his father's knowledge of Middle Eastern affairs drew a national audience, including congressmen, senators and even a few presidents.
"My dad always wanted Americans to hear the Palestinian side of the story," George Joseph said.
Joseph was a close adviser to former Missouri Sen. Dick Gebhardt, and once accompanied former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar to the Middle East.
His legacy, family members say, is his involvement in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, founded by childhood friend Danny Thomas. Joseph was among the Lebanese American friends of Thomas who raised money to build the medical center, and he later served as board chairman.
A funeral service will begin at 10 a.m. today at N. H. Scott & Hanekamp Funeral Home, 1240 Waukegan Road, in Glenview.