BIOGRAPHY/HISTORY

Peter Gzowski was born July 13, 1934 in Toronto but grew up in Galt, Ontario. His great-grandfather was engineer Sir Casimir Gzowski. He was educated at Ridley College in St. Catharines and the University of Toronto. During his time at the University of Toronto he edited the University's newspaper "The Varsity". He has worked for town newspapers in Timmins, Moose Jaw and Chatham. He became managing editor of Maclean's Magazine in 1962. In 1971 he worked for CBC's "This Country in the Morning" for three years. After this he hosted a radio show called "Gzowski on FM". Peter entered national late night television by hosting a show called "90 Minutes Live" from 1976 to 1978. In 1982 he started hosting CBC's "Morningside" radio show. He has written three books: "Spring Tonic" in 1979, "The Sacrement" in 1980 and "The Game of Our Lives" in 1981. He is the father of five children. (Taken from: "The Canadian Encyclopedia" Vol. 2. 1988 and "CBC Biographies".) In 1974, 1983 and 1985 Peter won ACTRA awards for best host-interviewer on radio. He has also won three National Magazine Awards one of which was in 1981 for his profile on Wayne Gretzky. In 1986 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada and a Companion in 1999. Trent honoured him with an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree October 31, 1988. He had an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of New Brunswick. (Taken from: "Trent Fornightly." Vol. 18, No. 3, 1987.) Gzowski served as Trent's eighth Chancellor from 1999 until his death in 2002 from chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.

CUSTODIAL HISTORY

This fonds was created by and in the custody of Peter Gzowski before it was donated to Trent University Archives.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

This addition to the fonds consists of manuscripts for the "Morningside Years" and "Friends, Moments, Countryside", correspondence between Peter Gzowski, McClelland and Stewart and other editorial staff. There are 'mail bag' and 'ROA' (read on air) letters addressed to the Morningside show, some of which are included in the "Morningside Years." Also included is one complete radio program schedule and a program for "Peter Gzowski's Invitationals play the Winter Garden." There are also nineteen computer disks consisting of letters, transcripts of "Morningside" interviews, and chapters of the "Morningside Years". Twenty-four audio cassette tapes of Gzowski's interviews with various Canadian authors and scientists such as Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Dr. Tak Mak, William O. Mitchell, Robertson Davies, William Unruh, Jean Chretien, Alice Munro, Timothy Findley are also included. As well, there are a total of six photographs of Peter Gzowski and his staff.

NOTES

Title based on the creator of the fonds.

Includes 6 photographs, 24 audio cassettes and 19 computer disks.

This fonds was donated by Peter Gzowski.

Restrictions: N

Finding aids: Y

Associated material located at the Archives of Ontario and York University Archives.

This fonds, along with 95-008, 98-010 and 01-004, is an addition to 92-015.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Series A: Original manuscripts of "Friends, Moments and Country side" and related materials

Series B: Original manuscripts of "The Morningside Years" and related materials

Series C: Correspondence from Morningside listeners

Series D: Correspondence between Peter Gzowski and editorial staff regarding ideas for a new book

Series E: Morningside broadcast Program

Series F: "Peter Gzowski's Invitational Play the Winter Garden" Program

Series G: Photographs of Peter Gzowski and Staff

Series H: "The Morningside Show" Audio Cassettes

Series A: Original manuscripts of "Friends, Moments and Country side" and related materials

Box 1

Folder

1: Original manuscripts of "Friends, Moments, Countryside"

2: Related correspondence with Edna Barker (editor) 1997-1998

3: Related correspondence with Edna Barker (editor) undated

Series B: Original manuscripts of "The Morningside Years" and related materials

Box 2

Folder

1: Original manuscripts of "The Morningside Years"

2: Editorial correspondence 1997

3: Copyright permission letters and miscellaneous items

4: Bills and receipts 1997

5: Edna Barker's "Morningside" notebook

6: Computer backup disks of "The Morningside Years" (12 items)

Series C: Correspondence from Morningside listeners

Box 3

Folder

1: 1994

2: 1995

3-5: 1996

6: miscellaneous dates

7: undated

8: Letters on foreign women 1994-1997

9: Letters on foreign countries 1995-1997

10: Letters from Section Seventeen 1997

11: Original letters of "Life with Jessie" 1995

12: Computer backup disks (4 items)

Series D: Correspondence between Peter Gzowski and editorial staff regarding ideas for a new book

Box 4

Folder

1: Correspondence between Edna Barker and Peter Gzowski 1996

2: Possible chapters for the new book 1996

Series E: Morningside broadcast Program

3: Morningside broadcast Program for Christmas Eve 1996

Series F: " Peter Gzowski's Invitational Play the Winter Garden" Program

4: Program 1993

Series G: Photographs of Peter Gzowski and Staff

5: Photographs of Peter Gzowski and staff (6 items) undated

Series H: "The Morningside Show" Audio Cassettes

Box 5

Folder

1: Transcripts of "The Morningside Show interviews" (3 computer disks)

2: Twenty-four audio cassettes of interviews with various Canadian authors, scientists, etc.