Gary Lautens
Encyclopedia
Gary Lautens was a Canadian
humorist and newspaper columnist
. He wrote for the Toronto Star
from 1962 until his death.
Born in Fort William, Ontario
and raised in Hamilton
, Lautens began working for the Hamilton Spectator after school and in the summers when he was just 13 years old. He subsequently studied history at McMaster University
, where he was editor of the campus newspaper The Silhouette
from 1948 to 1950.
He subsequently rejoined the Spectator in 1950, working as a police reporter, sportswriter and columnist. Fans of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
once burned Lautens in effigy
after he had written something unflattering about the team in the newspaper. He met his wife, Jackie, in 1957 when she was a contestant and he was a judge in the annual "Miss Tigercat" pageant.
In 1962, Lautens was hired by the Star to replace Pierre Berton
. At the Star, Lautens became the most widely-read columnist in Canada. He also hosted occasional television and radio programming on CBC Television
.
In 1982, Lautens was named managing editor
of the Star, and successfully increased the paper's circulation and profits even in the midst of an economic recession
. However, he was replaced as managing editor in 1984 and returned to writing his humour column.
He died on February 1, 1992 of a heart attack. Upon news of Lautens' death, thousands of readers turned up at the Star offices, lining up for three days to sign books of condolence.
Lautens published four books during his lifetime, and was twice winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Two further books collecting some of his most popular columns were published posthumously.
His younger brother Trevor Lautens was a long-time columnist for the Vancouver Sun, and oldest son Stephen Lautens is also a noted Canadian newspaper columnist.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
humorist and newspaper columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
. He wrote for the Toronto Star
Toronto Star
The Toronto Star is Canada's highest-circulation newspaper, based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Its print edition is distributed almost entirely within the province of Ontario...
from 1962 until his death.
Born in Fort William, Ontario
Fort William, Ontario
Fort William was a city in Northern Ontario, located on the Kaministiquia River, at its entrance to Lake Superior. It amalgamated with Port Arthur and the townships of Neebing and McIntyre to form the city of Thunder Bay in January 1970. Ever since then it has been the largest city in Northwestern...
and raised in Hamilton
Hamilton, Ontario
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Conceived by George Hamilton when he purchased the Durand farm shortly after the War of 1812, Hamilton has become the centre of a densely populated and industrialized region at the west end of Lake Ontario known as the Golden Horseshoe...
, Lautens began working for the Hamilton Spectator after school and in the summers when he was just 13 years old. He subsequently studied history at McMaster University
McMaster University
McMaster University is a public research university whose main campus is located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The main campus is located on of land in the residential neighbourhood of Westdale, adjacent to Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens...
, where he was editor of the campus newspaper The Silhouette
The Silhouette
The Silhouette is a student newspaper at McMaster University, located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The newspaper is published every Thursday during the academic year, and once during each summer month. The circulation is 10,000 copies per week...
from 1948 to 1950.
He subsequently rejoined the Spectator in 1950, working as a police reporter, sportswriter and columnist. Fans of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
once burned Lautens in effigy
Effigy
An effigy is a representation of a person, especially in the form of sculpture or some other three-dimensional form.The term is usually associated with full-length figures of a deceased person depicted in stone or wood on church monuments. These most often lie supine with hands together in prayer,...
after he had written something unflattering about the team in the newspaper. He met his wife, Jackie, in 1957 when she was a contestant and he was a judge in the annual "Miss Tigercat" pageant.
In 1962, Lautens was hired by the Star to replace Pierre Berton
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
. At the Star, Lautens became the most widely-read columnist in Canada. He also hosted occasional television and radio programming on CBC Television
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
.
In 1982, Lautens was named managing editor
Managing editor
A managing editor is a senior member of a publication's management team.In the United States, a managing editor oversees and coordinates the publication's editorial activities...
of the Star, and successfully increased the paper's circulation and profits even in the midst of an economic recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
. However, he was replaced as managing editor in 1984 and returned to writing his humour column.
He died on February 1, 1992 of a heart attack. Upon news of Lautens' death, thousands of readers turned up at the Star offices, lining up for three days to sign books of condolence.
Lautens published four books during his lifetime, and was twice winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Two further books collecting some of his most popular columns were published posthumously.
His younger brother Trevor Lautens was a long-time columnist for the Vancouver Sun, and oldest son Stephen Lautens is also a noted Canadian newspaper columnist.
Books
- Laughing with Lautens (1964)
- Take My Family...Please! (1980)
- No Sex Please...We're Married (1983)
- How Pierre and I Saved the Civilized World (1984)
- Peace, Mrs. Packard and the Meaning of Life (1993)
- The Best of Gary Lautens (1995)