All Things Considered

In his easy, intimate way, Howard Vincent ("Pat") O'Brien gave his public what he thought they wanted—"pathos comes first, humor second, with 'big thoughts' (economics, politics, etc.) trailing badly." His column in the Chicago Daily News, called "All Things Considered," was just that: pleasant musings about cats, commuting, sunspots, watercolors, dishwashing and his daughter's debut.

One sentimental O'Brien column, written the day his son Donel went off to war —and death—told a universal story. It was reprinted in Reader's Digest, read on the radio and at Rotary Clubs.

This spring, Pat O'Brien...