John T. (John Tinney) McCutcheon

Born in Indiana in 1870, John Tinney McCutcheon studied at Purdue University before building his career in Chicago journalism. He became a leading political cartoonist for the Chicago Tribune, and his drawings ranged from pointed editorial work to affectionate scenes of Midwestern childhood and small-town life.

He also worked as a war correspondent and combat artist, bringing an on-the-ground perspective to major world events. In 1931, he won the Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning for A Wise Economist Asks a Question, and over time he came to be widely known as the “Dean of American Cartoonists.”

McCutcheon wrote as well as drew, and his books and newspaper work helped preserve a vivid picture of American life in his era. He died in 1949, but his cartoons remain an important part of both journalism history and the tradition of American humor.