John R. Wilke, a 20-year veteran of The Wall Street Journal known for incisive reporting on the intersection of business and politics, died of cancer Friday afternoon at his Bethesda, Md., home, according to a story on the paper’s Web site. He was 54.
The story states, “After receiving a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, Mr. Wilke worked for BusinessWeek as a Washington correspondent in 1984 and became a staff writer for the Boston Globe in 1986. He joined the Journal’s Boston bureau in 1989, where he covered technology. His reporting there disclosed an internal revolt against Kenneth H. Olsen, president of computer pioneer Digital Equipment Corp., who soon resigned.
“After moving to Washington for the newspaper in 1995, he covered the long Justice Department antitrust case against Microsoft Corp. He also uncovered that Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates wasn’t able to wrangle an invitation to join the exclusive Augusta National Golf Club, despite his considerable wealth and fame.
“Mr. Wilke reveled in the camaraderie of the newsroom. Late on Fridays, he was known to send emails to colleagues asking, ‘Shall we gather a posse?’ before leading them to a local restaurant or watering hole.”
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