Marquette Today

Campus News and Events

Submit news

Menu

  • Campus News
    • Top News for Students
    • Top News for Faculty & Staff
    • Magazines at Marquette
    • Campus Alerts
  • Archives
  • Submit news
    • Editorial Guidelines
    • Contacts
  • @MarquetteToday
  • Events Calendar
  • Topics
    • Community Engagement
    • Diversity
    • Innovation
    • Master Planning
    • Marquette Momentum
    • Research
    • Strategic Planning
  • March 23, 2023

University mourns the loss of alumnus and benefactor Ted Knap

March 8, 2023

The Marquette University community mourns the loss of Thaddeus “Ted” Knap, a 1940 alumnus, longtime university benefactor, and prominent political reporter and White House correspondent.

As a national political correspondent for the Scripps Howard News Service, Knap covered five presidents — Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan — in addition to the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and the moon landing.

After graduating from Marquette with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, Knap spent six years with the Waukesha County Freeman before and after serving in the Army for four years during World War II. Knap was the Washington, D.C., correspondent for the Indianapolis Times and Evansville Press prior to being promoted to the Scripps Howard national staff. He retired in 1985.

“Ted Knap was a consummate storyteller who sought the truth to inform generations through his vocation as a journalist,” said Marquette President Michael R. Lovell. “On behalf of the Marquette University community, I extend deepest condolences to his family, his friends and those he impacted. His contributions as a reporter and his generosity as a private philanthropist will have a positive impact on many young journalists far into the future.”

Knap generously gave more than $3 million to support Marquette journalism students with financial needs. His example also continues to inspire students through a story wall in Johnston Hall that features several donated photographs of his experiences.

A Milwaukee native, Knap was a recipient of Marquette’s Byline Award, which honors an alumnus who has attained distinction in journalism and related communication fields.

“Ted Knap lived life to the fullest in the fast lane that journalism opened to him,” said Marquette Provost Kimo Ah Yun, former dean of Marquette’s Diederich College of Communication. “Throughout his career he strove to embody the ideal of being a reporter whose stories were thoroughly and thoughtfully researched and allowed readers to make their own decisions. His legacy will be felt in the journalists he has inspired and those he supported through both his gift of mentorship and financial scholarship, which have laid the foundation for the next generations of great journalists.”

A full obituary is available online.

Visitation will be held Saturday, March 11, from 10 a.m. until his funeral service at 11 a.m. at the Shorehaven Chapel, 1305 W. Wisconsin Ave., Oconomowoc. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to Marquette’s Ted Knap Scholarship Fund or the American Red Cross.

Please remember Ted, his family and friends in prayer.

Filed Under: For Faculty/Staff, For Students, Home - Featured Stories, News

More news

Business Leaders Forum with ManpowerGroup CEO Jonas Prising, April 3

March 22, 2023

Register for Hack for Health, April 26-28

March 22, 2023

Volunteer to mentor students at Hack for Health, April 26-28

March 22, 2023

Uncommon career pathways discussion, March 30

March 22, 2023

Out of the Darkness Campus Walk, April 22 

March 22, 2023

Dr. Mark Berlin named 2023 Sabbatical Fellowship Award winner

March 22, 2023

Why writing your life isn’t personal with Dr. Patricia Hampl, April 11

March 22, 2023

March is National Nutrition Month

March 22, 2023

More news

Quick Links

  • Faculty/Staff News
  • Student News
  • Magazines at Marquette
Submit news

Featured Stories

Marquette Bookshelf: ‘Sajjilu Arab American: A Reader in SWANA Studies’

Marquette Bookshelf: ‘Sajjilu Arab American: A Reader in SWANA Studies’

Co-Edited by Dr. Louise Cainkar, professor of social and cultural studies Both a summative assessment of the field and an exploration of new directions, this multidisciplinary reader addresses issues central to the fields of Arab American, U.S. Muslim, and Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) American studies. Taking a broad conception of the Americas, this […]

Educating the next generation of Marquette Nurses

Educating the next generation of Marquette Nurses

By Katie Darragh, communication intern in the Office of University Relations  Ranked 29th among nursing colleges nationally for its bachelor’s program, Marquette’s College of Nursing is a dynamic community of innovative teacher–scholars who are embracing Marquette’s mission to Be The Difference in the health of the community and in the lives of over 900 student […]

8 great things (you may not know) about Marquette

8 great things (you may not know) about Marquette

What you should know about Marquette as the men’s and women’s basketball teams compete on the national stage in the NCAA Tournament.

Read more featured stories.

Safety

Free steering wheel locks available from MUPD; new software available for Hyundai vehicles

Safety Task Force efforts help lead to reduced crime on campus

Marquette University makes safety a top priority

Human Resources News

March is National Nutrition Month

Earn My Wellness points and help Marquette beat Butler in blood drive competition

Register for upcoming GROW classes

Research

Apply for NMDSI mini-grants by April 7

Biological sciences professor receives R01 funding from NIH to expand genome editing tools in lizards

Marquette faculty and staff research grants from December 2022/January 2023

Awards & Accomplishments

Dr. Mark Berlin named 2023 Sabbatical Fellowship Award winner

Biological sciences professor receives R01 funding from NIH to expand genome editing tools in lizards

Director of the Lubar Center to receive Headliner Award from Milwaukee Press Club

Marquette UniversityCopyright 2022 by Marquette University
MARQUETTE.EDU // A TO Z