Charles Elmore facts for kids

Charles J. Elmore is an American teacher, author, and researcher from Savannah, Georgia. He is very famous for studying the exciting history of jazz music. He also taught college students for many decades. Through his books and articles, he helped people discover the rich culture of his home city.

Early Life and College Education

Charles Elmore grew up in the historic coastal city of Savannah, Georgia. As a young boy, he went to St. Pius X School. He loved to learn about how the world works.

When he was older, he went to Savannah State College. He worked hard in science and earned a BS degree in biology and chemistry. Later, he decided to study writing, teaching, and communication. He moved north to attend the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. There, he earned a MA degree in journalism. He also earned a Ph.D. degree in higher education administration. This special title showed that he was an expert in helping colleges run well.

Teaching Career at Savannah State University

Dr. Elmore returned to his hometown to teach college students. He spent more than 35 years as a professor at Savannah State University. He loved helping young people learn how to write news and share important stories.

Leading the Media Program

Dr. Elmore became the leader of the mass communications department at the university. He wanted his students to have the very best education possible. He worked hard to get his department special national approval. In May 2007, his department earned official recognition from a major media education group. The only other school in the state with that special honor was the University of Georgia in Athens.

Dr. Elmore retired in 2007, but the school needed his leadership again. In 2013, he returned to the university. He helped the media program keep its high status until 2019. He was a tenured professor of Humanities and guided many future journalists.

Big Awards and Honors

Because he was such a wonderful teacher, Dr. Elmore won many awards:

• In the 1997–1998 school year, he was named Regents Distinguished Professor of Teaching and Learning.
• In 1999, Georgia Governor Roy Barnes gave him the Governor's Award in the Humanities.
• In November 2015, he received the Richard R. Wright Award of Excellence. This is the highest honor given by Savannah State University.
• In February 2016, the school placed him into the Southern Regional Press Institute Hall of Fame.
• In 2020, he was inducted into the Savannah, Georgia Jazz Hall of Fame.

Exploring the Excitement of Jazz History

Dr. Elmore has a huge passion for jazz music. Jazz is an American style of music filled with lively rhythms, brass instruments, and creative solos.

Dr. Elmore wanted to make sure nobody forgot the musical heroes of his hometown. He began collecting rare old music recordings. He listened closely and did deep research into the past. Over the years, he wrote more than twenty articles about how jazz grew in Savannah. He explained how marching brass bands and stage shows helped shape modern American sounds.

Sharing Stories with the Community

Dr. Elmore loved sharing his discoveries with families and neighbors. In 2008, he spoke at the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation Beach Institute Lecture Series. He gave presentations about the history of the Beach Historic Neighborhood. He also taught people about the lives of free Black Americans living in Savannah long ago.

Books Written by Charles Elmore

Dr. Elmore wrote many books so children and adults could read about history anytime:

• Athletic Saga of Savannah State College (1992) – A fun look at college sports teams.
• Richard R. Wright, Sr., at GSIC, 1891-1921 (1996) – A story about a leader who helped create colleges for Black students.
• An Historical Guide to Laurel Grove Cemetery South (1998) – A guide to a famous resting place of historical figures.
• All That Savannah Jazz…From Brass Bands, Vaudeville, to Rhythm and Blues (1999) – A lively book on the city's musical journey.
• The History of the First Bryan Baptist Church – 1788-2001 (2002) – A book about one of the oldest churches in America.
• General Hunter’s Proclamation (2002) – A study of the struggle for freedom during the American Civil War.
• Savannah, Georgia (2002) – A picture book sharing local community memories.
• So Great A Cloud of Witnesses (2006) – The story of Butler Memorial Presbyterian Church.
• Tell Them We Are Rising (2015) – A complete history of Savannah State University from 1890 to 2015.

He also wrote more than fifty research articles. He wrote for the Georgia Historical Quarterly, the Journal of Higher Education, and the online New Georgia Encyclopedia. Famous newspapers like the Washington Post, Savannah Morning News, and the Atlanta Journal Constitution have used his facts to tell their stories.