The Minneapolis Star Tribune
Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Martin McGowan, 88, had printer’s ink in his blood

The western Minnesota native was a newspaper publisher, a state legislator and a ham radio operator.
By TIM HARLOW harlow@startribune.com

Martin J. McGowan Jr. was an aspiring journalist when he finished college. He was offered a job with the Associated Press in Chicago, but he didn’t go.

The Windy City’s loss was western Minnesota’s gain as McGowan, at the request of his father, stayed home to help run the family-owned Appleton Press, an award winning publication that he eventually became editor and publisher of until it was sold in 1965. Readers of the weekly newspaper looked forward to his musings and tidbits about local people and happenings in his column “The Cubs Corner” and similar columns in the Swift County Monitor and the Benson News, said his son Dan, of St. Paul.

“He was a talented writer,” his son said. “His column was well-received.”

McGowan Jr. died Thursday of kidney failure at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. He was 88.

McGowan graduated from Appleton High School and attended the University of Notre Dame. He transferred to the University of Missouri to complete his B.A. in journalism in 1942. He wanted to enlist in the Army, but was rejected because he suffered from asthma [ed: and hay fever]. He tried to join the Canadian army, but was turned down for the same reason. “He wanted to help the war effort,” so he returned to his hometown and did administrative work at the Appleton Armory, Dan said.

During his tenure at the Appleton Press, the newspaper won many awards for editorial writing, personal columns, typography and layout. It also was once named best newspaper in Minnesota for circulation of under 2,500 in the general excellence category, his son said.

McGowan represented Swift County in the Legislature from 1958 to 1967, serving as the secretary of the DFL caucus during his final four years. He was on the board of the Swift County DFL Party for 19 years and secretary for the Seventh Congressional District for two. He served as board chairman of the state Ethical Practices Board (now the Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board) for two terms during Gov. Rudy Perpich’s administration in the 1980s. McGowan also coordinated special projects for KTCA-TV (Ch. 2) and moderated a program called “Seminars for Seniors.”

His love for covering the issues brought him back to journalism. He bought and published papers in Blue Earth, Elmore and Winnebago, Minn., and New Richmond, Wis. Most recently he covered Crow Wing County Board meetings for the Lake Region Echo in Pequot Lakes, Minn.

“That was his lifelong passion,” his son said. “He wanted to keep his fingers in the printer’s ink.”

McGowan was an avid amateur radio operator and first earned an award for having conversations with people in 100 countries in a single year in 1968. He received the DX Century Award several times, most recently in 1998, said Allen Pitts, media and public relations director for the American Radio Relay League.

His public service resume includes the Blue Earth Planning Commission, the Appleton Public Library Board, the Minnesota Newspaper Association Board, Kiwanis, the Knights of Columbus, and service as trustee in three Catholic parishes.

In addition to his son Dan, McGowan is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elizabeth of St. Paul; five other sons, Martin III of Cranford, NJ., Vince of Las Vegas, Kevin of Eden Prairie, Brendan of St. Paul and Michael of Eagan; two daughters, Margaret McGowan of Honolulu and Maureen Sinkler of Chanhassen; a sister, Eleanor Simcoe of Westborough, Mass.; 17 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. today at Holy Childhood Catholic Church, 1435 Midway Pkwy., St. Paul, Visitation will be held at 9 a.m. at the church.

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