Michael Gannon (historian)
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Michael V. Gannon (April 28, 1927 – April 11, 2017) was a historian, educator, priest, and war correspondent.


Early life and education

Michael Valentine Gannon was born into a military family in
Fort Sill, Oklahoma Fort Sill is a United States Army post north of Lawton, Oklahoma, about 85 miles (136.8 km) southwest of Oklahoma City. It covers almost . The fort was first built during the Indian Wars. It is designated as a National Historic Landmark ...
. His family moved to Florida from Washington, D.C. after the death of his father in 1939. Gannon attended high school at St. Joseph Academy in
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...
and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from
Catholic University of America The Catholic University of America (CUA) is a private Roman Catholic research university in Washington, D.C. It is a pontifical university of the Catholic Church in the United States and the only institution of higher education founded by U.S. ...
in Washington, D.C. He received a Ph.D in history from the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in 1962. His dissertation was o
''Augustin Verot and the emergence of American Catholic social consciousness''
He trained for the priesthood at the American College of the
University of Louvain A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...
in
Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium Louvain-la-Neuve (, French for ''New Leuven''; wa, Li Noû Lovén) is a planned town in the municipality of Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Wallonia, Belgium, situated 30 km southeast of Brussels, in the province of Walloon Brabant. The town was ...
.


Career

During high school and college, he worked various jobs, including radio hosting at WFOY-Radio, contributing as a sportswriter to the
St. Augustine Record ''The St. Augustine Record'' is a daily morning newspaper published in St. Augustine, Florida. The newspaper was founded in 1894 and is owned by Gannett Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean ...
, and announcing shows at Marineland. He was ordained as a priest in 1959 in the Diocese of St. Augustine. He served as the chaplain o
St. Augustine Catholic Church and Student Center
in Gainesville, Florida. He also served as Director of
Mission Nombre de Dios Mission Nombre de Dios is a Catholic mission founded in 1565 in St. Augustine, Florida, on the west side of Matanzas Bay. It is part of the Diocese of St. Augustine and is likely the oldest extant mission in the continental United States. The ...
in
St. Augustine, Florida St. Augustine ( ; es, San Agustín ) is a city in the Southeastern United States and the county seat of St. Johns County on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. Founded in 1565 by Spanish explorers, it is the oldest continuously inhabit ...
from 1962-1967. It was during his directorship that St. Augustine's 400th anniversary was celebrated and the Great Cross commemorating the founding of the mission was installed. Gannon became a faculty member in the history and religion departments at the University of Florida in 1967, beginning a teaching career of nearly 40 years. He resigned from the priesthood in 1976 and began teaching full-time at the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
. Gannon directed the Institute for Early Contact Period Studies, which conducted research into the voyages of Christopher Columbus and early interactions between Europeans and Native Americans. He served as the Assistant Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences from 1976 to 1984, and as Associate Dean beginning in 1984. He was appointed Distinguished Service Professor of History by the University in 1992. He retired as a professor emeritus of history in 1998, but continued teaching until 2003. Gannon was a prolific author of books and articles on American history, religion, and military history. In 1968, he was a war correspondent in
Vietnam Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
for the Catholic magazine ''
America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
'' and the National Catholic News Service. His childhood in St. Augustine inspired a lifelong interest in Spanish colonial history, particularly in Florida. His first two books, ''Rebel Bishop'' (1964) and ''The Cross in the Sand'' (1965) explore Florida's early years of settlement. His 1990 book ''Operation Drumbeat'' discusses the history of Germany's early
U-boat U-boats were naval submarines operated by Germany, particularly in the First and Second World Wars. Although at times they were efficient fleet weapons against enemy naval warships, they were most effectively used in an economic warfare role ...
s and became a national bestseller. Gannon served as a member and chairman of several organizations on the local, state, and national level including the
Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board The Historic St. Augustine Preservation Board (HSAPB) was a state agency in Florida that participated in the restoration and preservation of historic buildings in St. Augustine, Florida from 1959 to 1997. Created in 1959 by Governor LeRoy Coll ...
from 1969 to 1997, serving as its chairman twice; from 1975 to 1980 and 1976-77. He was a member of the
National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...
Advisory Board for Southeastern States from 1972 to 1977 and served as its chairman from 1976 to 1977. He was appointed to the National de Soto Expedition Trail Commission by the U.S. Secretary of the Interior in 1992. Gannon was also a board member of Marineland of Florida and
University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. University of Florida Historic St. Augustine, Inc. (UFHSA) is located at 48 King Street in St. Augustine, Florida (the location of Government House). University of Florida encourages UFHSA to preserve and interpret state owned properties in St. Au ...
, a successor to the Preservation Board.


Personal life and legacy

Gannon was well known for his study of Spanish colonial history. He received numerous awards and honors including Knight Commander of the Order of Isabel the Catholic, granted by
King Juan Carlos I Juan Carlos I (;, * ca, Joan Carles I, * gl, Xoán Carlos I, Juan Carlos Alfonso Víctor María de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias, born 5 January 1938) is a member of the Spanish royal family who reigned as King of Spain from 22 Novem ...
of Spain, Citizen of the Year from the City of Gainesville in 1972, and the
Order of La Florida The Order of La Florida is an award given by the City of St. Augustine, Florida to those who have rendered extraordinary services to the city. History The award was established in 1975. Recipients must be at least fifty-five years old and the ...
from the City of St. Augustine in 2007, the city's highest honor. Gannon died on April 11, 2017. He was married to Genevieve Haugen, who survived him.Obituary
gainesville.com, April 11, 2017; accessed April 17, 2017.


Selected publications

* ''Pearl Harbor Betrayed: The True Story of a Man and a Nation under Attack Hardcover''. Holt, 2001. / * * * ''Florida: A Short History''. University Press of Florida, 2003. / * ''The Cross in the Sand: The Early Catholic Church in Florida, 1513-1870''. University Press of Florida, 1965. / * ''Secret Missions''. Harpercollins, 1994. / * ''Rebel Bishop: Augustin Verot, Florida's Civil War Prelate''. University Press of Florida, 1997. /


References


External links



staugustine.ufl.edu

clas.ufl.edu
See interviews and recordings by Michael Gannon
from the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program {{DEFAULTSORT:Gannon, Michael (historian) 1927 births 2017 deaths American Roman Catholics American historians Catholic University of America alumni Catholic University of Leuven (1834–1968) alumni Laicized Roman Catholic priests University of Florida alumni University of Florida faculty