Gordon MacQuarrie (July 3, 1900 – November 10, 1956) was an American writer and journalist. Born in

Superior, Wisconsin , native_name_lang = oj , nickname = , total_type = , motto = , image_skyline = Tower Avenue.jpg , imagesize = , image_caption = Downtown Superior , ima ...

, he is best known for his short stories involving hunting and fishing, and for his semi-fictional organization known as ''The Old Duck Hunters' Association, Inc.''(ODHA, Inc.) He died unexpectedly in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

of a heart attack. The Old Duck Hunters stories were originally published in various outdoor related periodicals of the early 20th Century. They were posthumously gathered into book form in three anthologies entitled: ''Stories of the Old Duck Hunters & Other Drivel'', ''More Stories of the Old Duck Hunters'', and ''Last Stories of the Old Duck Hunters''. The first of these was originally published in 1967 by Stackpole Publishing, New York. Currently, all three volumes are available from Willow Creek Press,

Minocqua, Wisconsin Minocqua ( oj, Minwaakwaa) is a town in northwestern Oneida County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 4,388 as of 2017. The census-designated place of Minocqua and the unincorporated community of Rantz are both located in the town. Min ...

, both in printed and audio (abridged) form. Three subsequent volumes have also been released by Willow Creek Press. Following his August, 1924 graduation from the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin. Founded when Wisconsin achieved statehood in 1848, UW–Madison ...

, with a bachelor's degree in Journalism, MacQuarrie joined the

Superior Evening Telegram Superior may refer to: * Superior (hierarchy), something which is higher in a hierarchical structure of any kind Places *Superior (proposed U.S. state), an unsuccessful proposal for the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to form a separate state * L ...

as a cub reporter. In 1925 he became City Editor of the Telegram and was promoted to Managing Editor in 1927. He held that position until April, 1936 when he accepted a position with the

Milwaukee Journal The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper. It is also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely distributed. It is currently o ...

and moved to Milwaukee with wife, Helen Marjorie (Peck) MacQuarrie (1901-1952), and their only child, daughter Sally (1929-1994.) In September, 1954, MacQuarrie married fellow Journal reporter Ellen Gibson. MacQuarrie invented the Old Duck Hunters Association as a literary vehicle and used his real-life father-in-law, Allan Peck, as the model for the President of the association. The stories were often upbeat and humorous with MacQuarrie frequently serving as the butt of the joke. MacQuarrie is credited with becoming the first full-time, professional outdoor writer in America when he became the outdoor editor of the

on April 19, 1936. Also in 1936, MacQuarrie developed a relationship with influential conservationist,

Aldo Leopold Aldo Leopold (January 11, 1887 – April 21, 1948) was an American writer, philosopher, naturalist, scientist, ecologist, forester, conservationist, and environmentalist. He was a professor at the University of Wisconsin and is best known for his ...

. Their friendship lasted until Leopold's death in 1948; however, MacQuarrie remained a staunch supporter of Leopold's

Land Ethic A land ethic is a philosophy or theoretical framework about how, ethically, humans should regard the land. The term was coined by Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) in his ''A Sand County Almanac'' (1949), a classic text of the environmental movement. The ...

, and wrote frequently about Leopold's work until his own death in 1956.untitled
/ref> In June, 2003 a biography of MacQuarrie was released by the Wisconsin State Historical Society, entitled ''Gordon MacQuarrie: The Story of an Old Duck Hunter'', , written by Keith Crowley. Th
Gordon MacQuarrie Memorial Wetlands
are named for Gordon MacQuarrie
46.561162,-92.27640
.

Published books

*''Stories of the Old Duck Hunters & Other Drivel'', *''More Stories of the Old Duck Hunters'', *''Last Stories of the Old Duck Hunters'', *''MacQuarrie Miscellany'', *''Fly Fishing with MacQuarrie'' *''The Gordon MacQuarrie Sporting Treasury'',

References

External links

Gordon MacQuarrie Web Site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Macquarrie, Gordon 1900 births 1956 deaths Writers from Wisconsin People from Superior, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Journalism & Mass Communication alumni