Hill’s Eisele Retires

As far as D.C. media departures go, the departure of The Hill co-founder and longtime editor/columnist Al Eisele is a pretty notable one.

Eisele, The Hill’s ceremonial figurehead, is retiring after a decade on the masthead. The legend’s swan song drew front-page billing in yesterday’s edition. The former Mondale spokesperson, who has spent over forty years in Washington since arriving as a Knight-Ridder writer, plans to write some books and pursue other projects in his retirement.

Speaking to Fishbowl yesterday, he said he has a long half-finished biography of Boston’s Cardinal Cushing that he hopes to polish, as well as updating a dual biography of Humphrey/McCarthy that he published back in the day.

“The paper’s in good hands, and I wanted to move on,” he said.

He also plans some travel and might do some teaching.

> With Eisele gone, Jeff Dufour will continue writing the “Under the Dome” column solo once the paper, which is going on recess too, resumes publishing in September.

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