Charles O. Johnson Papers

Charles O. Johnson was born in Minneapolis on January 29, 1898, and was a 1916 graduate of North High School. His first job in the newspaper business was as a copy boy at ten years old. He began his long career as a sports reporter while still in high school, covering high school sports. He covered the 1916 National Open golf tournament at the Minikahda Club for several out-of-town newspapers. After graduating from high school, he was hired by the Minneapolis Daily News as telegraph editor. He moved to the Tribune in 1919 as assistant night sports editor. At 22, he was hired by the Minneapolis Star as sports editor. When the Star and the Tribune combined in 1941, he became the sports editor of both papers, a job he held until his retirement in 1968. He covered many events of national and international importance, including World Series, heavyweight championship fights, even the 1932 and 1960 Olympics. His great love, though, was the local sports scene. He rarely missed a Minneapolis Millers game and played a leading role in bringing professional sports to Minneapolis. He retired in 1968 but continued to be a booster of Minnesota sports until his death from a heart attack in 1984.