More Books by Hartley
Curriculum Vitae: Robert Hartley
 Professional Careers
  • 1959-1986, reporter, editor, publisher for daily newspapers in Idaho (Twin Falls Times-News), Illinois (East St. Louis Metro-East Journal and Decatur Herald and Review), Ohio (Toledo Blade), and Washington (Bellevue Journal-American).
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  • 1986-2000, consultant, partner and co-CEO of The Rocky Company in Seattle, Washington.
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  • Currently residing in Surprise, Arizona.
Published Books
  • Charles H. Percy: A Political Perspective, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1975.
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  • Big Jim Thompson of Illinois, Chicago: Rand, McNally & Co., 1979. Received a 1980 Award of Merit from the Illinois State Historical Society.
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  • Paul Powell of Illinois: A Lifelong Democrat, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 1999.
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  • Diamond in the Emerald City: The Story of Safeco Field, Seattle: Seattle Mariners, 1999. Editor.
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  • Lewis and Clark in the Illinois Country: The Little-Told Story, Philadelphia: Xlibris Co., and Denver: Sniktau Publications, 2002. Chosen as centerpiece book for the Illinois State Library Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration. Author chosen as a principle speaker at the 2004 Illinois Authors Book Fair.
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  • An Uncertain Tradition: U.S. Senators from Illinois, 1818-2003, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2003. Co-author with David Kenney. Received a 2004 Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society.
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  • Death Underground: The Centralia and West Frankfort Mine Disasters, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2006. Co-author with David Kenney. Received a 2007 Certificate of Excellence from the Illinois State Historical Society.
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  • Winfield's Golden Era of Sports: How Decades of Champions, Heroes and Dynasties Shaped One of the Richest Athletic Traditions in Kansas, Denver: Sniktau Publications, 2009.
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  • Paul Simon: The Political Journey of an Illinois Original, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2009. Featured banquet speaker, 2009 Conference on Illinois History.
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  • The Heroic and the Notorious: U.S. Senators from Illinois, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2012. Second edition of An Uncertain Tradition. With co-author David Kenney.
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  • Battleground 1948: Truman, Stevenson, Douglas, and the Most Surprising Election in Illinois History, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2013. Received Certificate of Excellence from Illinois State Historical Society.
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  • The Dealmakers of Downstate Illinois: Paul Powell, Clyde L. Choate, John H. Stelle, Carbondale: Southern Illinois University Press, 2016.
Papers commissioned and delivered for Illinois History Symposium (Illinois Historical Society, sponsor)
  • 1983: "Reflections: James R. Thompson and the Prosecution of Otto Kerner." Thompson talked to the REH about his motivations and strategies during interviews for a biography in 1978.
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  • 1985: "Watergate Special Prosecutor: Present at the Creation." Sens. Adlai E. Stevenson III and Charles H. Percy both were involved in creation of the prosecutor's office during Watergate. Documents came from REH files on the two senators.
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  • 1989: "Charles O. Stewart's Journalistic Fight Against Crime in East St. Louis, 1945-1965." Stewart was crime reporter for a daily newspaper in the St. Louis area. The material was gathered for a book on criminal activity in East St. Louis.
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  • 1991: "Jerome Munie: The Man Who Ran the Sheltons Out of Town." Munie was sheriff from 1930-34 in a crime-infested Illinois city; successfully fought an entrenched gang.
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  • 1993: "A Castle Complete (With a Moat) for a Crime King." The organized crime king in Southern Illinois built a home surrounded by a moat and became the target of FBI surveillance.
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  • 1996: "John S. Rendleman and the Paul Powell Cash Stash: October, 1970, January, 1971." Rendleman found $800,000 in cash kept by Powell in a hotel room closet. This work eventually led to a book on Powell published in 1999.
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  • 1998: "Paul Powell and the Chicago Downs Gravy Train." Powell mined hundreds of thousands of dollars from his association with the Chicago racetrack, which he made possible by state legislation.
Papers commissioned for the Conference on Illinois History
 (Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, sponsor)
  • 1999: "A Touch of Illinois on a Presidential Trek to Yellowstone National Park in 1883." Chester A. Arthur's journey included Illinois citizens and officials.
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  • 2000: "Joseph Dickson: The Adventures of an Illinois Frontiersman." This resulted from research on the book about Lewis and Clark in Illinois country.
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  • 2001: "E.H.N. Patterson: 'Ready for Any Emergency:' Tales of a Journalist and Adventurer from Oquawka, Illinois." From research on the Pike's Peak gold rush.
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  • 2002: "Rachel Edgar: Heroine of the Frontier:" The story of a woman with courage and nerve in a time when the focus was on men. From research for the Lewis and Clark book.
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  • 2005: "The Scanlan Files: How the Centralia Mine Disaster Could Have Been Avoided." From research for a book manuscript submitted to Southern Illinois University Press.
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  • 2006: "The Whistle Campaign Stopped Here: Harry S. Truman and Illinois in 1948." From research of the whistlestop campaigns of Truman on three occasions.
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  • 2007: "Almost Like Brothers": The Friendship of Alan Dixon and Paul Simon. From ongoing research into the lives of U. S. senators from Illinois.
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  • 2010: "I Worked for My Friends: John H. Stelle's Life as a Political Operator": A former governor and controversial political craftsman.
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  • 2012: "Dick Mudge: Maverick Democrat Against Bossism, Crime and Dishonesty": Mudge fought against gambling and corruption in Madison County, Ill.
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  • 2013: "The Exile Years: George C. Marshall in Illinois, 1933-1936": The years before Marshall earned his first general’s star.
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  • 2015: "Governor Stevenson and the Offensive Against Gambling": A mixed record fighting slot machines and racetrack betting.
Recent History Magazine Articles
  • "A Touch of Illinois on a Presidential Trek to Yellowstone National Park in 1883," Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical "Society, No. 43:1, Spring 2001, 38-58.
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  • "Lewis and Clark in the Illinois Country," Illinois History Teacher, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 10:3, 2003, 29-38.
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  • "E. H. N. Patterson: 'Ready for any emergency:' Tales of an Oquawka, Illinois Newspaper Family," Journal of Illinois History, Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 6:1, Spring, 2003.
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  • "Paul Simon: Crusading Editor from Troy, Illinois," Journal of Illinois History. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Spring, 2005.
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  • "The Whistle Campaign Stopped Here: Harry S. Truman and Illinois in 1948," Journal of Illinois History. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, Spring, 2008.
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  • "General John A. Logan: A Name Remembered and Honored by Coloradans," Colorado Heritage Magazine. 2008.
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  • "The Chicago Company: A Pikes Peak Gold Rush Success Story," Journal of Illinois History. Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, 2009.
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  • "General John A. Logan: A Name Remembered and Honored by Coloradans," Colorado Heritage Magazine. 2010.
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  • "A Touch of Class: Fred Harvey’s Operations at Chicago Union Station," Journal of Illinois History, Fall, 2012.
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  • "The Indian Art World of Jeanne Snodgrass King," Journal of Illinois History, American Indian Art Magazine, summer 2013.
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  • "Dick Mudge: Maverick Democrat Against Bossism, Crime and Dishonesty," Journal of Illinois History, Fall, 2013.
Book Reviews
  • "Peak Performance: The Mountaineering Adventures of Henry A. Buchtel III," W. Dale Nelson, University of North Texas Press, 2003, Journal of Illinois History, 6:3, Autumn 2003.
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  • "Finding the West: Explorations with Lewis and Clark," James P. Ronda, University of New Mexico press, 2001, Bulletin of the Illinois Geographical Society, Fall 2003, 45:2.
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  • "The Man Who Changed Illinois Politics," book review of "Power House: Arrington From Illinois," by Taylor Pensoneau, appearing 3-29-07, in Illinois Times.
Special Awards
  • The Delta Award of the Friends of Morris Library at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale was presented to Hartley in April 2007. The award is given to those who have "written/published about southern Illinois with distinction or added to the cultural life of southern Illinois." Hartley's award was for work as a journalist and author.
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  • Hartley received The Cowley County Historical Society History Award in 2006 in "recognition of your efforts to document the history of Winfield, Kansas." Hartley, with his wife, Mary, is a founder of Celebrate Winfield History, an annual symposium.