Education and Early Career
Born in Rhode Island, McLaughlin earned two master's degrees (philosophy and English literature) from Boston College, and a Ph.D. (philosophy) from Columbia University. Upon entering the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic Church and being ordained a priest, McLaughlin spent years as a high school teacher at Fairfield College Preparatory School, a Jesuit prep school in Connecticut, where his arrogant mannerisms earned him the nickname "Father God." A Republican, he originally opposed the Vietnam War and, in 1970, sought permission from his order to run for a seat in the United States Senate, representing Rhode Island. His superiors denied him this. McLaughlin defied his superiors and ran anyway, losing to the incumbent four-term Senator John O. Pastore.
Through a friendship with Pat Buchanan, McLaughlin became a war supporter and a speech writer and advisor to U.S. President Richard Nixon. Because priests are not allowed to take on political jobs, he was ordered by his Jesuit superiors to return to Boston and, rather than obey, he left the Society of Jesus.
Prior to entering broadcasting, he was associate editor of America, a weekly opinion journal published by American Jesuits. From 1981 to 1989, McLaughlin was Washington editor and author of the monthly political column, "From Washington Straight," for National Review.
Read more about this topic: John McLaughlin (host)
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