Charles McKinley was born in Fulton, South Dakota and educated at the University of Washington and the University of Wisconsin. From 1918 to 1960 he was professor of political science at Reed College in Portland, Oregon. He was particularly interested in the theory and practice of public administration and planning, and as a specialist in these fields often served on government committees and commissions. He wrote two major studies on the impact of the federal government in the Pacific Northwest: Uncle Sam in the Pacific Northwest (Berkeley, CA, 1952), and The Management of Land and Related Water Resources in Oregon (Washington, D. C., 1965).
From the guide to the Charles McKinley papers, 1930-1968, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)
