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.