Gordon Garnos Papers

Gordon Richard Garnos was born April 6, 1935, in Presho, South Dakota, to Carl and Louise (Schnert) Garnos. He joined the United States Air Force (1954-1958). He received a B.S. from the University of South Dakota in 1964. He accepted a position as a reporter for the Watertown [South Dakota] Public Opinion. He stayed there for over a year before becoming the Executive Vice President of the American Cancer Society of South Dakota. He was in this position for two years and returned to the Watertown Public Opinion in 1968. Garnos worked his way up at the paper holding various positions, including Area Editor and News Editor. In 1980, he became the Editor of the Watertown Public Opinion. He retired in 2002 from this position.

Although he was retired, Garnos continued to write. In 2002, he began to write a weekly opinion column “Seeing South Dakota.” Nearly a dozen newspapers in South Dakota ran his column. He continued to write the column until his passing 2016. / Gordon Garnos received numerous awards and honors not only for his professional work, but also work he did in the community. The Department of Journalism & Mass Communication at South Dakota State University named him a Lusk Fellow. He was inducted into South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2007 and South Dakota Hall of Fame in 2010. Garnos was awarded multiple Golden Apple awards from the South Dakota Education Association. He was also named South Dakota Newsman of the year in 1981. Garnos was elected to the Watertown City Council in 2002 and served two terms.

Garnos married Elizabeth McFarland in Chester, England on September 7, 1958. They had four children William, Heather Simmonds, Richard, and Christopher. Gordon Garnos died December 9, 2016.