RIP Donald Kaul

[47of74]

RAGBRAI co founder Donald Kaul has died

Donald Kaul, a longtime Register columnist known for his passionate and unapologetic writing, died Sunday morning. He was 83.

Kaul was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist, in 1987 for the Cedar Rapids Gazette and 1999 for the Register.

He also — and check this out, Don, three whole sentences in before this came up — was a founder of the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, which after humble beginnings began its 46th edition Sunday as the world's oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle tour.

Kaul’s "Over the Coffee" columns in the Des Moines Register and other newspapers nationwide typically were drenched in satire. "His readers followed with a religious zeal that few modern journalists can hope to inspire," former Register columnist Kyle Munson wrote earlier this year in a piece looking back on Kaul's career and life in light of his prognosis.

[Frustratedlady]

1. So sorry to hear that. RIP, Donald.

He was my favorite columnist and he and I began most days together with a cuppa coffee. His dry sense of humor and sharp wit were refreshing and his political leanings closely matched my own.

When my sil was in Saudi during the Gulf War, he was leaning against a jeep when Kaul walked up and said, "You look like you might be an Iowa farm boy." My sil shook his hand and proceeded to be interviewed by Kaul. He was quite impressed with how easy he was to visit with and the article was great, as well.

[bobbieinok]

2. Very sorry to hear this. To me he WAS the Des Moines Register.

[rurallib]

4. I second that

His puncturing of the stuffed shirts in the Iowa legislature was a springtime delight. He was so deft hitting the mark several times in a column.
And what he did to Nixon was a thing of legend.

[bobbieinok]

5. Wasn't he one of the founders of the annual biking across IA? Is that going on now?

[rurallib]

6. yep sure did

he and a a fellow Register writer name of John Karras (IIRC) rode to work on bikes. Some friendly banter ended up in a bet of who could ride across Iowa.
So the challenge was thrown. They invited folks to join them and the rest is history. At least that is how I remember it.

Cool thing for me is that they will be rolling right by my house Saturday morning. I expect the first rider to pass before sunrise and the last one may be near sunset.

[bobbieinok]

7. My son and ex said they were in Ames Tues, with tents in the park and a festival downtown.

In many ways I really miss IA. Lived there from 68 to 89.

But I know it's changed a lot---for the worse politically. The religious right had already taken over the GOP in the state before I left. Most IA people had no experience to understand what was going on. Being in SoBapt churches in OK and TX from birth til college grad, I saw what was happening and was too unaware to comprehend what an unexpected shock it was to most Iowans.

[IADEMO2004]

3. 1st. day of this years RAGBRAI? How is that a thing?

Damn I loved reading his stuff. Farewell OT.