Tom Laporte
Born1953
DiedMarch 3, 2017
Chicago, Illinois, USA
CitizenshipUSA
Known forRadio, Public Servant, Burning Man Project

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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LaPorte and Jim Belushi were friends and roommates, with documented interactions including LaPorte bailing Belushi out of jail.[11][6][12]

Awards

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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

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  1. ^ "Thomas LaPorte Obituary - 2017". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  2. ^ a b "LaPorte, Tom". Klein Artist Works. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  3. ^ "An Interview About the Trial with Abbie Hoffman (November 1969)". famous-trials.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  4. ^ a b "Robservations: It's 50 years and farewell for ABC 7's Frank Mathie | Robert Feder". robertfeder.dailyherald.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  5. ^ Tribune, Chicago (1989-01-27). "COTTON CLUB SHOW MISSES THE REAL ONE". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  6. ^ a b "We've Lost Tom". Burning Man Journal. 2017-03-15. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
  7. ^ "We've Lost Tom". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  8. ^ "Tom LaPorte Archives — Chicago Clout". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  9. ^ "Remembering Tom LaPorte and the Chicago Airport Music Program". Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  10. ^ "Memories of Tom LaPorte". 6 December 2017. Retrieved 2024-03-05.
  11. ^ [1]Chicago Radio Guide May 1985
  12. ^ "Bad Santa". Chicago Sun Times. 2012-12-18. Retrieved 2024-03-07 – via PressReader.
  13. ^ Yumpu.com. "I-Street's list of 100 most influential people Publication ... - Big Frontier". yumpu.com. Retrieved 2024-03-07.