Remembering Political Humorist Mark Russell

With Mark Russell and Tom Trinley (then with the Museum of Broadcast Communications)

I had the good fortune to meet the political humorist, Mark Russell, at Chicago’s Museum of Broadcast Communications some years ago. Mr. Russell died last Thursday, March 30.

We had a wonderful warm and lively conversation. I remember asking him where he got his material — and, he replied…I’m paraphrasing here…well, it’s Washington, D.C. — nough said!

I also remember asking him how he learned his craft. He said that he didn’t really know. It just came naturally to him.

When I’ve reflected on that comment in years since, I found that to be true of most of the radio/TV and media personalities, who were at the “top of their game”, and whom I worked with over the years in my role as the supervisor of elections to both the national Radio Hall of Fame, and for the Chicago/Midwest Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the Emmy Awards, when I was with an accounting firm in Chicago. Their “stage presence”, if you will, just came naturally to them. It was a part of their personalities.

I recall Mark Russell’s wit and humor to be “on-point”, but never mean or condescending. He was simply hilarious.

We could use more of that these days.

Mark Russell was a wonderful gentleman. He will be greatly missed.