WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- Conservative Chicago Sun-Times columnist Robert Novak, one of the United States' most influential journalists, died in Washington Tuesday of brain cancer.
He was 78.
"He was someone who loved being a journalist, loved journalism and loved his country and loved his family," Novak's wife, Geraldine, told the Sun-Times Tuesday.
Among his journalistic endeavors, Novak will be remembered for identifying Valerie Plame as a CIA "operative" in his column, as well as the name of the company she used as cover and informants who met with them. He reported the information was provided to him by two "senior administration officials," and the report eventually led to the obstruction-of-justice and perjury conviction of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, an aide to former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Novak's long-running career contributed to his presence on the U.S. journalistic scene in newspaper columns, newsletters, books and on television.
On May 15, 1963, Novak teamed up with Rowland Evans Jr. to create the "Inside Report" political column, the Sun-Times said. After Evans retired in 1993, Novak handled the column on his own.
Novak has called the Sun-Times home since 1966.
He was on several political talk shows, notably "The Capital Gang," "Crossfire" and "Evans, Novak, Hunt and Shields."
Novak was born and raised in Joliet, Ill. His first newspaper jobs were with the Joliet Herald-News, and while a University of Illinois student, with the Champaign-Urbana Courier.
Novak's wife said he had returned home after being hospitalized last month. Novak's malignant brain tumor was discovered July 27, 2008.
