Charles, Gordon
Biographical notes:
Gordon Charles, born on August 23, 1920 in Salisbury, NC, wrote many articles on travel and outdoor activities. These syndicated columns were published in local Michigan newspapers such as the Traverse City Record-Eagle and The Flint Journal .
After Charles was born, the family moved from North Carolina to Cincinnati and then to Columbus, OH. The family finally settled in Traverse City, MI, where Charles attended and graduated high school. It was during this time that Charles started writing in journals detailing his day-to-day life. After high school he attended the Chapin School of Business. He then entered the Army where he worked in radio intelligence for 2 1/2 years. He then completed correspondence classes in journalism.
In 1945, Charles worked as a radio announcer, newscaster and commentator for WTCM in Traverse City, MI. He left WTCM for the Traverse City Record-Eagle in 1953 where he worked as a reporter and columnist. He began his weekly column "Outdoors with Gordie" at this time. In 1956, he became the outdoor editor for the paper.
In 1961, Charles moved to South Dakota to work as a Communications Specialist with the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks-Information and Education Series. He wrote news stories, magazine articles, and produced the weekly radio show "South Dakota Outdoors." In 1962, Charles was promoted to Chief of Information and Education for the Department.
Unable to pursue his own writing, he left South Dakota in 1965 and moved back to Michigan and became the editor for the Michigan Out-of-Doors . He continued to write articles for the Traverse City Record-Eagle until he retired in the mid-1990s. Charles died May 2, 2007.
From the guide to the Gordon Charles papers, 1934-2005, 1953-1998, (Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan)
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Comparison
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Subjects:
- Outdoor life
Occupations:
Places:
- Fort Michilimackinac (Mackinaw City, Mich.) (as recorded)
- Leland (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Fayette State Park (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Grayling (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Indian River (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Mackinac Island (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Copper Harbor (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Isle Royale National Park (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Hartwick Pines State Park (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Gaylord (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Old Mill Creek State Park (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Upper Peninsula (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Traverse City (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Porcupine Mountains Region (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Frankenmuth (Mich.) (as recorded)
- Pigeon River Country State Forest (Mich.) (as recorded)
