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Peter Finley Dunne was born in Chicago on July 10, 1867.

He was educated in the Chicago public schools ( graduating from high school last in his class ), then began his newspaper career in Chicago as a newspaper reporter / editor for the Chicago Telegram in 1884, at age 17.

He was then with the Chicago News from 1884 – 88, the Chicago Times in 1888, the Chicago Tribune in 1889, the Chicago Herald in 1889, and the Chicago Journal in 1897.

Originally named Peter Dunne, to honor his mother, who had died when he was in high school, he took her family name as his middle name some time before 1886, going by PF Dunne, reversed the two names in 1888, for Finley P. Dunne, and later used simply the initials, FP Dunne.

His sister, Amelia Dunne Hookway, was a prominent educator and high school principal in Chicago ; the former Hookway School was named in her honor.