Charles Saint Denis Papers

Charles Saint Denis was born in Minnesota in 1901. He spent his early years in Green Isle, a small community southwest of Minneapolis. After graduating from South High School in Minneapolis, he went to the University of Minnesota and eventually earned a law degree from the Minnesota College of Law. He spent many years at sea, circling the globe at least once and crossing the Atlantic over 90 times. He was even the radio broadcaster aboard USS America in 1931. While abroad, he operated a Catholic seaman's home in Singapore. During this time, he became acquainted with the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick, the organization for which he would eventually be the historian. He also traveled to Alaska on several occasions, and even helped a large group of Minnesota farmers relocate to the Matanuska Valley during the Depression. He also served as general counsel for the state emergency relief administration in 1935. He collapsed due to overwork while at this position and spent two years at the Glen Lake sanatorium. He died in 1971 in Minneapolis.