Tom Laporte
| Tom Laporte | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1953 |
| 💀Died | March 3, 2017 Chicago, Illinois, USAMarch 3, 2017 |
| 🏳️ Citizenship | USA |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Known for | Radio, Public Servant, Burning Man Project |
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Tom LaPorte (1953 - March 3, 2017)[1] was a Chicago radio host, assistant water commissioner, and a member of the Burning Man festival's media team.
Early life and education[edit]
Born in Boston, Massachusetts in 1953, LaPorte moved to Illinois in 1960.[2] He attended Glenbard West High School, graduating in 1971. During high school, he interviewed American activist Abbie Hoffman for a school radio program and contributed to "The Glen Bard" newspaper.[3] Glenbard West High School considers him a notable alumnus.[citation needed] He earned an Associate of Arts in Speech Communication and Rhetoric from College of DuPage in 1976 and a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communications and Radio-TV from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale in 1979.[2]
Career[edit]
LaPorte contributed to CBS Radio all-news WBBM AM 780, all-news WMAQ, and WIND AM 560 as a webmaster, editor, managing editor, producer, and news editor.[4] At WMAQ, he produced a series for Black History Month in 1989.[5]
Burning Man project[edit]
As "Lost Tom," LaPorte was a founding member of the Burning Man Chicago Steering Committee, leading art projects that fostered creativity and collaboration.[6] Tom was actively involved with Burners Without Borders and BMIR. Tom's voice continues heard in public service announcements at Burning Man every year.[7]
Public service career[edit]
LaPorte served as an assistant water commissioner for Chicago, contributing to civic and environmental initiatives.[8] He was involved in the Chicago Airport System Music Program, bringing local music to O'Hare International Airport.[9][10]
Personal life[edit]
LaPorte and Jim Belushi were friends and roommates, with documented interactions including LaPorte bailing Belushi out of jail.[11][6][12]
Awards[edit]
LaPorte was a six-time recipient of the Peter Lisagor Award[4] and was recognized in the Chicago Sun Times I-Street 100 most influential persons in December 2000 for launching WBBM's "Tech Desk".[13]
References[edit]
- ↑ "Thomas LaPorte Obituary - 2017". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "LaPorte, Tom". Klein Artist Works. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ "An Interview About the Trial with Abbie Hoffman (November 1969)". famous-trials.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Robservations: It's 50 years and farewell for ABC 7's Frank Mathie | Robert Feder". robertfeder.dailyherald.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ Tribune, Chicago (1989-01-27). "COTTON CLUB SHOW MISSES THE REAL ONE". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "We've Lost Tom". Burning Man Journal. 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- ↑ "We've Lost Tom". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ↑ "Tom LaPorte Archives — Chicago Clout". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ↑ "Remembering Tom LaPorte and the Chicago Airport Music Program". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ↑ "Memories of Tom LaPorte". 6 December 2017. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
- ↑ [1]Chicago Radio Guide May 1985
- ↑ "Bad Santa". Chicago Sun Times. 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via PressReader.
- ↑ Yumpu.com. "I-Street's list of 100 most influential people Publication ... - Big Frontier". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
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