Charles McDowell, Jr. (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Charles "Charley" McDowell, Jr. (24 June 1926 – 5 November 2010) was a long-time political writer
and nationally syndicated columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch
and panelist on PBS-TV's
Washington Week in Review
. McDowell appeared in an interview in Ken Burns'
documentary The Congress
; provided the character voice for Sam R. Watkins in Burns' documentary The Civil War; and provided character voice as well as consultation for Burns' documentary Baseball. McDowell was a Washington and Lee University
alumnus and a member of Columbia's
Graduate School of Journalism
.
on June 24, 1926. He was the son of Charles Rice McDowell, Sr. (1895–1968) and Catherine Frazier Feland (1904–1986). When he was young, the family moved to Lexington, Virginia
, where the elder McDowell was a professor of law at Washington and Lee University
. (His mother was the long-time secretary to the law dean; eventually, she was said to wield so much power that she effectively "was the dean of law.") The younger McDowell became an undergraduate there, majoring in English and graduating in 1948. He then attended the Columbia University School of Journalism, and graduated the following year.
McDowell then moved to Richmond, Virginia
, and joined the staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he would remain his entire career, retiring in 1998. He covered local news and was then assigned to the State Capitol, where he reported on the General Assembly and state politics. In 1954, McDowell began to write a syndicated column that appeared three or four times per week and would span the remainder of his career. He was assigned to Washington, D.C., in 1965, and relocated to Alexandria. McDowell wrote three books: "Campaign Fever," a journal of the 1964 presidential election; and two collections of humor columns titled "One Thing After Another" (1960) and "What Did You Have in Mind?" (1963). He was also a panelist on PBS' "Washington Week in Review" for 18 years, beginning in 1978, and was a writer, narrator and host for other PBS programs, including "Summer of Judgment: The Watergate Hearings," "Richmond Memories" and "For the Record." McDowell also provided voiceovers for the productions "The Civil War" and "Baseball" by Ken Burns.
McDowell was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame in 1988, and awarded the Fourth Estate Award by the National Press Club in 1996. He married Ann G. Webb of Ashland, Virginia. McDowell lived with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia
until they moved to Virginia Beach after his retirement. He died on November 5, 2010, due to complications of a stroke.
Political journalism
Political journalism is a broad branch of journalism that includes coverage of all aspects of politics and political science, although the term usually refers specifically to coverage of civil governments and political power....
and nationally syndicated columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch
Richmond Times-Dispatch
The Richmond Times-Dispatch is the primary daily newspaper in Richmond the capital of Virginia, United States, and is commonly considered the "newspaper of record" for events occurring in much of the state...
and panelist on PBS-TV's
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
Washington Week in Review
Washington Week
Washington Week is a public affairs program on PBS. Unlike panel discussion shows that focus on debate as a means of discussing topics, the program follows a path of moderation and discussion...
. McDowell appeared in an interview in Ken Burns'
Ken Burns
Kenneth Lauren "Ken" Burns is an American director and producer of documentary films, known for his style of using archival footage and photographs...
documentary The Congress
The Congress (film)
The Congress is a 1988 documentary film directed by Emmy Award-winning director Ken Burns. The Florentine Films production, which focuses on the United States Congress, aired on PBS in 1989. Narrated by David McCullough, the documentary features use of photographs, paintings, and film from sessions...
; provided the character voice for Sam R. Watkins in Burns' documentary The Civil War; and provided character voice as well as consultation for Burns' documentary Baseball. McDowell was a Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
alumnus and a member of Columbia's
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
Graduate School of Journalism
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism
The Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism is one of Columbia's graduate and professional schools. It offers three degree programs: Master of Science in journalism , Master of Arts in journalism and a Ph.D. in communications...
.
Expanded biography
Charles Rice McDowell, Jr. was born in Danville, KentuckyDanville, Kentucky
Danville is a city in and the county seat of Boyle County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 16,218 at the 2010 census.Danville is the principal city of the Danville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Boyle and Lincoln counties....
on June 24, 1926. He was the son of Charles Rice McDowell, Sr. (1895–1968) and Catherine Frazier Feland (1904–1986). When he was young, the family moved to Lexington, Virginia
Lexington, Virginia
Lexington is an independent city within the confines of Rockbridge County in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 7,042 in 2010. Lexington is about 55 minutes east of the West Virginia border and is about 50 miles north of Roanoke, Virginia. It was first settled in 1777.It is home to...
, where the elder McDowell was a professor of law at Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University
Washington and Lee University is a private liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States.The classical school from which Washington and Lee descended was established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, about north of its present location. In 1776 it was renamed Liberty Hall in a burst of...
. (His mother was the long-time secretary to the law dean; eventually, she was said to wield so much power that she effectively "was the dean of law.") The younger McDowell became an undergraduate there, majoring in English and graduating in 1948. He then attended the Columbia University School of Journalism, and graduated the following year.
McDowell then moved to Richmond, Virginia
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
, and joined the staff of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, where he would remain his entire career, retiring in 1998. He covered local news and was then assigned to the State Capitol, where he reported on the General Assembly and state politics. In 1954, McDowell began to write a syndicated column that appeared three or four times per week and would span the remainder of his career. He was assigned to Washington, D.C., in 1965, and relocated to Alexandria. McDowell wrote three books: "Campaign Fever," a journal of the 1964 presidential election; and two collections of humor columns titled "One Thing After Another" (1960) and "What Did You Have in Mind?" (1963). He was also a panelist on PBS' "Washington Week in Review" for 18 years, beginning in 1978, and was a writer, narrator and host for other PBS programs, including "Summer of Judgment: The Watergate Hearings," "Richmond Memories" and "For the Record." McDowell also provided voiceovers for the productions "The Civil War" and "Baseball" by Ken Burns.
McDowell was inducted into the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame in 1988, and awarded the Fourth Estate Award by the National Press Club in 1996. He married Ann G. Webb of Ashland, Virginia. McDowell lived with his wife in Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
until they moved to Virginia Beach after his retirement. He died on November 5, 2010, due to complications of a stroke.