Dick Gordon (sports writer)
Encyclopedia
Charles Richards Gordon, known as Dick "Scoop" Gordon (January 15, 1911 – December 8, 2008), was an American
sports
journalist
whose works were a regular feature in venerable sports magazines
like The Sporting News
, Sports Illustrated
, and Baseball Digest
. After earning his nickname "Scoop" in 1930 by reporting for The Daily Princetonian
that golfing legend Bobby Jones
would be retiring from active competition, Gordon went on to a sports reporting career which ended in 2008.
). The younger Gordon attended St. Paul Academy
and wrote for the school newspaper Now and Then. The school's headmaster reportedly opined that Gordon was a better writer than F. Scott Fitzgerald
, who had been a student at the St. Paul Academy from 1908 to 1911.
, graduating in 1933. While attending Princeton, he was a reporter for the The Daily Princetonian
. He received the nickname "Scoop" in 1930 for being the first to report that professional golfer Bobby Jones
was retiring from the sport. After graduating from Princeton, Gordon returned to Minnesota and became a sports writer for The Pioneer Press. In January 1939, he joined the Chicago Daily News
as a sports writer.
, he served in the United States Marine Corps
for 26 months. He served as a Marine Combat Correspondent in the Pacific Theater of Operations
. In November 1943, his story about a U.S. Army baseball team that endured six months at Guadalcanal
was published in The Sporting News
. After over two years of combat action, Sergeant Gordon was returned to Minneapolis and worked for a time as a U.S. Marine recruiter. On April 26, 1945, Gordon married Adelaide Washburne, a Smith
graduate who had been teaching at the University of Minnesota
and worked in the American Red Cross
during World War II. After the war ended, Gordon returned to his job as a sports reporter for the Chicago Daily News.
, the oldest continuously-published baseball magazine in the United States. When Sports Illustrated
magazine launched in the mid-1950s, Gordon was one of the budding journal's first writers. On a daily basis, Gordon worked the sports desk for the The Minneapolis Star, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Villager
newspapers in the Twin Cities. He wrote articles about the Minnesota Twins
baseball team, the Minnesota Golden Gophers
, and the Minnesota Vikings
. Gordon covered the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California
where the U.S. men's ice hockey team won gold. He continued to write for the Villager until he retired after a long career in early 2008.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sports
Sports journalism
Sports journalism is a form of journalism that reports on sports topics and events.While the sports department within some newspapers has been mockingly called the toy department, because sports journalists do not concern themselves with the 'serious' topics covered by the news desk, sports...
journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
whose works were a regular feature in venerable sports magazines
Sports magazine
A sports magazine is usually a weekly, monthly, biweekly magazine featuring articles or segments on sports. Some may be published a specific number of times per year.Major sports magazines in print include:...
like The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, and Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest
Baseball Digest is a baseball magazine resource, published in Evanston, Illinois by Lakeside Publishing Company. It is the oldest and longest-running baseball magazine in the United States....
. After earning his nickname "Scoop" in 1930 by reporting for The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian is the daily independent student newspaper of Princeton University. It is published five days a week from September to May and three days a week during the University's Reading Period in January and May.- Finances :...
that golfing legend Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
would be retiring from active competition, Gordon went on to a sports reporting career which ended in 2008.
Childhood
Charles Richards Gordon grew up in St. Paul, Minnesota, the son of Charles William Gordon, the proprietor of the fur clothing manufacturer Gordon & Furguson, Inc. His mother, Charlotte Bishop Gordon, was a native of Connecticut. At the time of the 1920 United States Census, Gordon was living with his parents, an older sister (Virginia), and two servants at 378 Summit Avenue in St. Paul, in the home of his grandfather, Richards Gordon, a deacon of the Episcopal Church and a board member of the new "St. Paul Institute" (now the Science Museum of MinnesotaScience Museum of Minnesota
The Science Museum of Minnesota is an American museum focused on topics in technology, natural history, physical science and mathematics education. Founded in 1907 and located in Saint Paul, Minnesota, the 501 nonprofit institution is staffed by over 500 employees and over 1,600 volunteers...
). The younger Gordon attended St. Paul Academy
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul Academy and Summit School is a college preparatory independent day school in St. Paul, Minnesota, for students in grades K–12....
and wrote for the school newspaper Now and Then. The school's headmaster reportedly opined that Gordon was a better writer than F. Scott Fitzgerald
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was an American author of novels and short stories, whose works are the paradigm writings of the Jazz Age, a term he coined himself. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest American writers of the 20th century. Fitzgerald is considered a member of the "Lost...
, who had been a student at the St. Paul Academy from 1908 to 1911.
Princeton and early career
Gordon later attended Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, graduating in 1933. While attending Princeton, he was a reporter for the The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian
The Daily Princetonian is the daily independent student newspaper of Princeton University. It is published five days a week from September to May and three days a week during the University's Reading Period in January and May.- Finances :...
. He received the nickname "Scoop" in 1930 for being the first to report that professional golfer Bobby Jones
Bobby Jones (golfer)
Robert Tyre "Bobby" Jones Jr. was an American amateur golfer, and a lawyer by profession. Jones was the most successful amateur golfer ever to compete on a national and international level...
was retiring from the sport. After graduating from Princeton, Gordon returned to Minnesota and became a sports writer for The Pioneer Press. In January 1939, he joined the Chicago Daily News
Chicago Daily News
The Chicago Daily News was an afternoon daily newspaper published between 1876 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois.-History:The Daily News was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Dougherty in 1875 and began publishing early the next year...
as a sports writer.
World War II
During World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
for 26 months. He served as a Marine Combat Correspondent in the Pacific Theater of Operations
Pacific War
The Pacific War, also sometimes called the Asia-Pacific War refers broadly to the parts of World War II that took place in the Pacific Ocean, its islands, and in East Asia, then called the Far East...
. In November 1943, his story about a U.S. Army baseball team that endured six months at Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
was published in The Sporting News
The Sporting News
Sporting News is an American-based sports magazine. It was established in 1886, and it became the dominant American publication covering baseball — so much so that it acquired the nickname "The Bible of Baseball"...
. After over two years of combat action, Sergeant Gordon was returned to Minneapolis and worked for a time as a U.S. Marine recruiter. On April 26, 1945, Gordon married Adelaide Washburne, a Smith
Smith College
Smith College is a private, independent women's liberal arts college located in Northampton, Massachusetts. It is the largest member of the Seven Sisters...
graduate who had been teaching at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
and worked in the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
during World War II. After the war ended, Gordon returned to his job as a sports reporter for the Chicago Daily News.
Post-war career
From the late 1940s through the 1970s, Gordon was one of the leading sports writers in the United States. Between 1946 and 1976, almost 250 of Gordon's works were published in The Sporting News, an American-based sports magazine established in 1886. From 1949 to 1970, Gordon's baseball writings were a recurring feature in Baseball DigestBaseball Digest
Baseball Digest is a baseball magazine resource, published in Evanston, Illinois by Lakeside Publishing Company. It is the oldest and longest-running baseball magazine in the United States....
, the oldest continuously-published baseball magazine in the United States. When Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
magazine launched in the mid-1950s, Gordon was one of the budding journal's first writers. On a daily basis, Gordon worked the sports desk for the The Minneapolis Star, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and the Villager
Villager
The Villager, formerly the Highland Villager, is the oldest community newspaper in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, USA.It was founded in 1953 as Highland Villager....
newspapers in the Twin Cities. He wrote articles about the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
baseball team, the Minnesota Golden Gophers
Minnesota Golden Gophers
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are the college sports team for the University of Minnesota. The university fields both men's and women's teams in basketball, cross country, gymnastics, golf, ice hockey, swimming, tennis, and track and field. Men's-specific sports include baseball, football, and...
, and the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. Gordon covered the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California
Squaw Valley, California may refer to:*Squaw Valley, Fresno County, California, census-designated place located in Fresno County, California*Squaw Valley, Placer County, California, community in Placer County, California and host of the 1960 Winter Olympics...
where the U.S. men's ice hockey team won gold. He continued to write for the Villager until he retired after a long career in early 2008.
Family and death
Dick Gordon and his wife Adelaide spent 61 years together, their marriage producing three boys. Adelaide died in early 2007, and Gordon followed on December 8, 2008. Sports Illustrated, the Star Tribune and his college newspaper all reported the passing.Selected works
As an active sportswriter for almost eighty years, Gordon wrote thousands of articles on subjects ranging from baseball to hockey. The following are a small sampling of his works, listed chronologically:- Charles (The Man) Comiskey II Gets Sox Presidency as 21st Birthday Gift, The Sporting News, November 27, 1946
- Little Brown Jug Series Good to the Last Drop, The Sporting News, October 22, 1947
- Big Gopher Ekberg Stars in Studies Too, The Sporting News, January 5, 1949
- Mickey Owen, Forgotten Man, Baseball Digest, February 1949
- Four of 13 Survivors of Duluth Bus Crash Playing a Year Later, The Sporting News, August 3, 1949
- Nomellini's the Monicker of Gophers' Lion of the Line, The Sporting News, October 19, 1949
- Mariucci by Phone: ‘We Rose to Heights; Russia Too Good’, Minneapolis Star and Tribune, January 1956
- Why He's Still Stan the Man, Baseball Digest, August 1957
- Giel's Ready to Wheel, Baseball Digest, February 1958
- Did Twin Cities Double Deals Selves Out of Big League Ball, Baseball Digest, March 1958
- The Great Cepeda, Junior, Baseball Digest, April 1958
- The Hottest Guy in Cold Storage, Baseball Digest, February 1959
- "Can Jim Gentile Keep a Hot Bat and a Cool Head for Baltimore?", Baseball Digest, March 1960
- 30-G Minimum Bonus Urged for Campus Raids, Baseball Digest, June 1960
- Headaches of a Ten-Club Team, Baseball Digest, December 1960
- Stallard - Made-to-Order Fireman, Baseball Digest, January 1961
- Challenge from Latin America, Baseball Digest, May 1961
- Should Power Bunt Winning Run to 3rd?, Baseball Digest, December 1961
- Minnesota's Double K-Rations, Baseball Digest, February 1962
- Pascual Finds It Doesn't Pay to Advertise, Baseball Digest, March 1962
- Where to Play 46 Homers, Baseball Digest, April 1962
- "The Truth about Donavan", Baseball Digest, July 1962
- In Bluege's Footsteps, Baseball Digest, September 1962
- Why the scarcity of big-name catchers?, Baseball Digest, October 1962
- Are Superstars a Vanishing Breed?, Baseball Digest, February 1963
- "How Allen Changed form Minnesota Villan to Star", Baseball Digest, March 1963
- Are Own Homers Beating Twins?, Baseball Digest, February 1964
- The Second Generation Doesn't Take First Honors, Baseball Digest, March 1964
- "More Frequently than Anyone since Ruth", Baseball Digest, May 1964
- Where There's Smokey, There's No Firing, Baseball Digest, June 1964
- "Appling or Cronin?", Baseball Digest, August 1964
- Control Confidence Conscience, Baseball Digest, April 1965
- "A Breed of New Shortstops", Baseball Digest, September 1965
- Those Odd Twins, Baseball Digest, October 1965
- "Kicking Up A Rule Change At Princeton", Sports Illustrated, November 1965
- Twin Firsts by a Twin, Baseball Digest, December 1965
- Oliva's Lifetime Mark Best Now, Baseball Digest, September 1966
- Letter Man at Minnesota, Baseball Digest, July 1967
- Twins' Lightning Rod, Baseball Digest, May 1968
- Graig Nettles - Is He a Star of the Fuure?, Baseball Digest, March 1969
- "Rosy Ryan Remembers...51 Years of Baseball", Baseball Digest, June 1969
- Grant Can't Stand Luxury of Emotions, The Sporting News December 6, 1969
- Crosetti Vividly Remembers Glory Years of the Yankees, Baseball Digest, September 1970
- "The Kick Football Dropped", Sports Illustrated, December 1971
- The Northern League Baseball Cradle Empty Now, Baseball Digest, July 1972
- Rookie White's Sizzling Catches Heat Up Vikes, The Sporting News, December 4, 1976
- "Boxer Billy Miske Put Up The Fight Of His Life For One Last Christmas", Sports Illustrated, December 1984