Charles M. Waters Collection

Born May 11, 1920, Charles M. Waters was a native to Montgomery County. He graduated from Clarksville High School in 1938 and went on to join the Army where he competed a three-year tour during World War II. When he returned, he enrolled at Austin Peay State University and later began working as the Director of Public Relations and Instructor in English in 1948. He recieved his B.S. from the college in 1949, and went on to earn his M.A. from the University of Tennessee in 1952. While on the faculty at Austin Peay State University, Waters was a sponsor of several different student publications, including the student newspaper The All State and the annual Farewell and Hail. Several of the items in this collection are related to Waters work as a professor, including essays on literature, excerpts from works of poetry and other stories, and various Austin Peay State University materials. Waters also took an interest in history, writing and editing several works on the history of both Austin Peay State University and the city of Clarksville. Included in this collection are draft manuscripts of The First Fifty Years of Austin Peay State University and Historic Clarksville: THe Bicentennial Story, 1784-1984, both of which were edited by Waters. He also served as the editor of the monthly newspaper Cumberland Lore for thirteen years. Charles Waters retired from Austin Peay State University in 1985. In his retirement, he remained an active member of the Austin Peay State University community, serving as a member of the 1999 Alumni Reunion Planning Committee. He was also involved with the Montgomery County Historical Society and the Customs House Museum, He died on December 9, 2006.