Irving Kupcinet (July 31, 1912 – November 10, 2003) was an American newspaper columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, television talk-show host, and radio personality based in Chicago, Illinois. He was popularly known by the nickname "Kup".
His daily "Kup's Column" was launched in 1943 and remained a fixture in the Sun-Times for the next six decades.
Early life
Kupcinet was youngest of four children born to Russian Jewish immigrants in the North Lawndale neighborhood of Chicago. While attending Harrison Technical High School, he became editor of the school newspaper and the senior class president. He eventually won a football scholarship to Northwestern University, but a scuffle with another student led to his transferring to the University of North Dakota.
Career
Upon graduating from college, Kupcinet was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles football team in 1935.
His football career was cut short due to a shoulder injury, which led him to take a job as a sports writer for the Chicago Daily Times in 1935.
While writing his sports column, Kupcinet also wrote a short "People" section which became officially known as "Kup's Column."
In 1952, Kupcinet became a pioneer in the television talk show genre when he landed his own talk show. In 1957, he was one of the set of hosts who replaced Steve Allen on The Tonight Show, before Jack Paar was brought in to change the program's format. The series garnered 15 Emmy Awards along with a Peabody Award. A plaque on the base of the statue includes a quote by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.
Published works
In 1988, Kupcinet published his autobiography, Kup: A Man, an Era, a City.
Personal life
Kupcinet met Esther "Essee" Solomon while she was a Northwestern student, and married her in 1939. The couple had two children; a daughter, Karyn in 1941, and a son, Jerry in 1944. was never solved. Before the murder, Irv Kupcinet had been aware of his daughter's close relationship with actor Andrew Prine, and the three of them had been photographed together at a public event in Los Angeles. Irv Kupcinet conferred with Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department investigators and hired a private investigator, and he soon came to believe Prine had nothing to do with the murder. Sheriff's Department investigators never made an arrest.
Irv Kupcinet's wife Essee died in 2001; they were married for 62 years. He was buried at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie.
Filmography
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! Notes
|-
|1959|| Anatomy of a Murder || Distinguished Gentleman || Uncredited
|-
|1962|| Advise & Consent || Journalist ||
|}
See also
- Statue of Irv Kupcinet (2006), Chicago