John C. Wolfe – Career after 9/11
The then newly elected Gov. George E. Pataki appointed John C Wolfe as a chief speechwriter, the job Wolfe held for ten years under Pataki’s twelve years in the office. Wolfe played a key role in Pataki’s response to numerous historical events, including the crash of TWA flight 800 and the September 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the world trade center. In addition to the mundane annual addresses that Pataki was either expected or obligated to deliver, Wolfe wrote two of Gov. Pataki’s inaugural addresses. Both of Pataki’s announcements on running for Governor and his primetime addresses before the 1996 and 2000 National Republican Conventions.
Wolfe’s exceptional writing style allowed him to write numerous commencement addresses and dozens of other high-profile national addresses on topics ranging from U.S. foreign and economic policy to welfare, regulatory, and criminal justice reform.
The 9/11 attacks drew major attention worldwide, and Wolfe didn’t step away from writing the first two public service announcements. The then-president of the United States, George W. Bush, presented the first speech on national television and George Pataki. However, Gov. Pataki and the Mayor of New York City, Rudolph Giuliani, delivered the second speech.
The dream was yet to come true
As Pataki’s chief speechwriter, Wolfe was exposed to the opportunity of working with countless people he admired. He had the unexpected privilege of working with John F. Kennedy, Jr., former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger (Nixon), Jeane Kirkpatrick (Ronald Reagan’s Ambassador to the United Nations), and Reagan’s top speechwriter Peggy Noonan, author of the unforgettable Challenger Disaster Speech and the best-selling book, “What I Saw at the Revolution.”
The days of thunder
It was February 3rd, 2004, when Wolfe suffered a near-fatal overdose of the prescription medication named Klonopin. Things started heading in a different direction, and Wolfe ended up at a psychiatric facility for a month when it was observed that he had attempted suicide. To alter his life and positively impact his release from the hospital, Wolfe volunteered to take a pay boost and transfer from the Governor’s office to an office at the Suny Board of Trustees as a chief writer and associate vice chancellor for the State University of New York. Even after pushing the envelope, Wolfe failed to combat his addictions and spent the next decade in an out of rehabilitation and mental clinics. Later that year, Wolfe divorced and moved to the family’s lake cottage on Loon Lake in Chestertown, New York.
A look back at the early life of John C. Wolfe
John Carden Wolfe was born on November 10th, 1965, in Rochester, New York. He is an author, copywriter, editor, and speechwriter. John holds a fabulous long resume of working with prominent figures and publishing companies. John once had a great job, a loving family, and a successful career. In short, John was living his dream until one day, things started to fall apart, and his life took its toll on him. John turned around and became dependent on alcohol, causing John to lose everything in the process, which was very important for him. This unfortunate set of circumstances subliminally opened a new chapter of John’s life. John could fix himself, and he stood tall, beating the addictions. Cleaning his life and changing his ways were not easy for Wolfe, but his determination has made him what he is today, a renowned author and an incredible father. With tremendous experience in writing, John currently writes for various clients, including high-ranking judges, elected figures, and business leaders.
Professional Journey
Wolfe began his career as an English teacher and varsity wrestling coach in Western New York for two years. He was always interested in writing, so he became a resume writer and worked in various capacities, including legal proofreader, advertising copywriter, sportswriter, editorial writer for Rochester’s (a leading monthly magazine), and chief writer for some of the nation’s top elected figures.