Jonathan Eig

Jonathan Eig (BSJ86) was inducted into Medill’s Hall of Achievement in 2024.

Eig is the author of six books, four of them New York Times best sellers. His most recent book, published in 2023, “King: A Life” won the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Biography, has been longlisted for the National Book Award and named one of the best books of the Year by The New York Times, The Washington Post and Time Magazine. He was recognized the New-York Historical Society who named him American Historian Laureate.

In addition, Eig’s previous work, “Ali: A Life,” won a 2018 PEN America Literary Award and his debut book “Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig” received the Casey Award. Eig’s fourth book, “The Birth of the Pill,” will be staged as a theatrical production by TimeLine Theatre in Chicago.

Eig worked for his hometown newspaper, The Rockland County (N.Y.) Journal News at age 16 and went on to report for The New Orleans Times-Picayune, The Dallas Morning News, Chicago Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.

He's appeared on the Today Show, NPR's Fresh Air, and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Eig served as a producer on the PBS documentary Muhammad Ali, directed by Ken Burns. Eig has spoken at the National Cathedral, the Apollo Theater, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Eig was a “Cherub” in the Medill-Northwestern Journalism Institute before enrolling at Medill.