Atlanta West End Rotarian John Ingersoll brought a living legend to our club. He is Bill Torpy, a longtime columnist from the AJC. A native of Chicago with self-described “working class roots”, Torpy intended his time in Atlanta to be short. He expected to work at a large metropolitan daily paper, then return to the Chicago Tribune. Shortly after arriving however, Atlanta was awarded the 1996 Olympic Games. Choosing to stay in Atlanta to experience the Games, Torpy found a career writing about family, local politics, and homelessness, crime, and “slice of life."
According to Torpy, he is “inherently nosy and likes to talk to people about different things.” Those qualities feed the engaging topics that draw a faithful readership. Among his most memorable subjects, is prize-fighter Evander Holyfield who engaged Torpy in a story from his youth; Torpy developed that story and shared with us a lesson for life.
Torpy’s column is published every two days. His insight and journalism are uniquely Atlanta.