RESUME
TOM DUNKIN
[Reference:
Tom Dunkin Papers]
RESUME
NAME/ADDRESS:
John Thomas (Tom) Dunkin
725307 Orange Avenue
Fort Pierce, FL 34945
Telephone- 407-465-7977
AGE/HEALTH
Date/place of birth: January 8, 1925, Ruston, LA.
Health excellent. Personal physician is Dr. Oswaldo
Benitez,
phone 407/465-6800.
EDUCATION
Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, University of Georgia,
1952. Studies included 30 quarter hours of Spanish.
MILITARY SERVICE
U.S. Marine Corps, 1942-48. Included two years as a
small arms
instructor at rifle range, Camp LeJeune, NC. Combat
duty as
automatic rifleman on artillery forward observer team for
Okinawa
Campaign. Next had occupation duty in North China
during 1945-56
followed by guard duty at Jacksonville Naval Air Station
[Florida] June
to December 1946. Then served in rifle company as
squad leader
and platoon guide, Second Marine Division 1947-48.
PRESENT OCCUPATION
Retired, nominally, since 1987. Now work part-time (20
hours
weekly) as division judge, Fort Pierce jail alai fronton
employed by
State of Florida. Also work part-time as volunteer at
Fort Pierce
Police Department; occasionally do freelance writing and
photography.
WORK RECORD
From 1974 through 1985, served a research assistant,
secretary and
writing collaborator with the late retired Florida Supreme
Court
Justice with the late Alto Adams at the Alto Adams Library,
Fort
Pierce. We produced two books, The Fourth Quarter,
which is Judge
Adams' memoirs and The Law of the Land, Judge Adams'
commentaries on
the Constitution of the United States. Worked, between
projects
with Judge Adams, as a reporter, photographer and copy
editor for the
Fort Pierce NEWS-TRIBUNE. In early 1985, edited on a
three-month
temporary basis, the monthly newsletter of the St. Lucie
County Chamber
of Commerce.
1974-1972
Reporter, photographer/feature writer for FLORIDA TODAY
newspaper in Brevard. Indian River, St. Lucie and
Martin counties.
1972-1967
Reporter, general assignment, police courts and military for
COLUMBUS
(GA) LEDGER. Included coverage of the court-martial at
Fort
Benning of Army Lt. William Calley. In 1967, moderated
hour-long
PBS television program, The Other Face of Cuba, at the
University of
Georgia.
1967-1964
Copy desk rim, swing make-up and swing picture editor,
general
assignment and police reporter for the ATLANTA JOURNAL,
Atlanta, GA.
Included coverage of the Summerhill and North Avenue riots
in late 1966
to work with CBS-TV documentary film crew on PROJECT NASSAU,
an effort
by Haitian and Cuban exiles to depose the Francois Duvalier
regime in
Haiti and establish a base in Haiti to overthrow the Castro
government
in Cuba. During first eight months of 1964, worked
undercover for
Florida Legislative Investigations Committee. [John's
Committee]
(For details, please see attached addendum).
1964-1961
Editor, GLADES COUNTY DEMOCRAT, Moore Haven, FL. This
was a
Thomson newspaper, one of the three published by the
CLEWISTON NEWS,
and a one-man operation. Doubled circulation (from 400
to 800
weekly) and increased advertising revenue 26 per cent during
three-year
tenure. Took leave of absence in early 1963 for
freelance
coverage of Cuban exile group, COMANDOS L in its bombing of
the Russian
freighter BAKU off Cabarien, Cuba. Articles and photo
published
in April 12, 1963, GLADES COUNTY DEMOCRAT, photos in April
12, 1963,
LIFE magazine and 1964 WORLD BOOK ENCYCLOPEDIA YEARBOOK.
1961-1955
Reporter, copy editor, including 18 months in Sarasota and
Bradenton
bureaus for the ST. PETERSBURG TIMES &
INDEPENDENT. Later
served as aviation editor for the TIMES and covered various
aspects of
the Castro revolution in Cuba for both the TIMES and
INDEPENDENT, from
1958 through 1961. Also did freelance radio and
television
coverage in Cuba for WSUN-TV and radio stations in St.
Petersburg and
police beat spot news in St. Petersburg for Tampa radio
station WDAE.
1955-1952
Rewrite desk, general assignment, courts and courthouse
reporter for ORLANDO (FL) SENTINEL
1954-1952
Police, courts and general assignment reporter, the TAMPA
(FL) TRIBUNE.
RECOGNITION:
1971- First Annual Enterprise Award, monthly Enterprise
Award from
Associated Press of Georgia for a story on long delay in
trial for a
black murder defendant in South Georgia, and for article on
Army's top
sniper in Viet Nam going into law enforcement after
discharge.
1971- Best Spot News Coverage of the Year for coverage of
the
court-martial of Army Lt. William Calley, Jr. (for the My
Lai Massacre)
at Fort Benning, GA.
1979- Public Service Award from U.S. Treasury Department for
coverage
of regional activities in Georgia/Alabama of Alcohol,
Tobacco and
Firearms Bureau.
1969- Third place award from National Newspaper Association
for coverage of a triple murder case at Auburn, AL
1963- Runner-Up for general excellence among smaller
weeklies from Florida Newspaper Association, for GLADES
COUNTY DEMOCRAT.
ADDENDUM TO RESUME - John T. Dunkin:
January to August, 1964, worked as undercover investigator
with the
Florida Legislative Investigations Committee. Duties
included
infiltration Committee for Nonviolent Action, which was
approaching
Florida on "Peace March" from Quebec via Washington and
bound for
Guantanamo, Cuba, to protest U.S. policy regarding Cuba.
Mission was to prevent Florida getting the notoriety Georgia
had
acquired for alleged law enforcement mistreatment of
marchers.
Contacted group at Americus, GA, and after initial
encounter,
recommended procedures that accomplished goal until the
group tangled
with Key West conchs and Cubans, but no serious situations.
Later investigated various university pacifist groups
including
students and faculty members. This involved University
of Miami,
University of Florida and Florida State University. A
major point
of interest was efforts by one faculty member at University
of Florida,
to abolish ROTC.
Later assigned to riots in St. Augustine during June-August,
1964, with
objective of intelligence-gathering to aid in preventing
violence. During this time, researched progress on
National
State's Rights Party's efforts to get enough signatures on
petitions to
enable inclusion on Florida ballot for candidates John
Kasper and J.B.
Stoner. Reported to Tallahassee headquarters that
possibility
practically non-existent. Committee Staff Director
John Evans
promulgated this information to the public via United Press
and party's
political progress aborted in Florida. Also attended
and
photographed a number of Ku Klux Klan rallies in St.
Augustine-Ocala
area and reported to committee on them.
FOR CORROBORATION CONTACT JOHN E. EVANS, FLORIDA TOURISM
ASSOCIATION, P O BOX 3215 DAYTONA BEACH, FL 32115.
EMPLOYED BY HAYES SECURITY, Fort Pierce, as security guard
for
agreed-upon one-year period, December, 1985 to December,
1986.
Served one-month midnight- 8 a.m. at Lawnwood Regional
Medical Center
emergency room, next 11 months at Reserve community as site
sergeant.
REFERENCE: Ronald Hayes, Hayes Courier Service, 407/464-3515
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