Hunter S. Thompson, creator of Gonzo Journalism, not only is known for his writing, but also for his persona. Born July 18, 1939 in Louisville, KY.
After his insurance salesman father, Jack Thompson's death in 1954, his mother, Virginia Thompson was left to raise him and his brothers. In high school it appeared that Thompson would become an athlete. Instead, a series of arrests would follow. After an arrest in 1956 for robbery, Thompson was sentenced to sixty days in a correctional facility; after thirty days he was released. By then it was too late for him to graduate with the rest of his class, and he joined the United States Air Force. A year later he received his diploma after he was given credit for courses he took while serving. He also studied journalism at Columbia University in New York. While enlisted he began his journalism career; he worked as a sports writer and later as editor for the Eglin Air Force Base Newsletter. His supervising officer's discovery that Thompson had also been moonlighting for a civilian newspaper was the culminating event that led to his honorable discharge in 1958.
His career continued to include work as the Caribbean correspondent for Time in 1959 and for the New York Herald Tribune from 1959 until 1960. Then, in 1961 he became the South American correspondent for the National Observer, which he continued until 1963. From 1964 to 1966 he worked as the West Coast correspondent for Nation and as a columnist for Ramparts from 1967 through 1968. He was then a columnist for Scanlan's Monthly from 1969 thru 1970. At this point he began his position as national affairs editor for Rolling Stone, which lasted until 1984. In addition, he also worked for High Times as a global affairs correspondent from 1977 until 1982. For five years from 1985 to 1990, he worked as a media critic for the San Francisco Examiner. In 1988 he also was editor-at-large for Smart, and he wrote freelance political analysis for various European magazines.
In order to research the Hell's Angels for his first book, Thompson rode with the Angels for almost a year.
Not only is Thompson an author and journalist, but he also had a run in politics. In 1968 he was a candidate for sheriff of Pitkin County, CO; election results were: Glen Ricks, 171 votes, Carrol Whitmer 1533 votes, and Hunter Thompson 1065 votes. Even though he was not elected, Thompson was still influential, as he was a member of the sheriff's advisory committee of Pitkin County from 1976 thru 1981. He is also executive director of the Woody Creek Rod and Gun Club.
Thompson has only married once, to Sandra Dawn Thompson Tarlo on May 19, 1963. Between 1967 and 1972 Sandra had five miscarriages (Othitis); Thompson only has one living child, Juan Fitzgerald Thompson. Eventually Thompson's marriage dissolved.
In addition, much media attention has been given to Thompson's use of drugs and conflicts with the law. In February 1990, he was again the center of media coverage when a woman accused him of sexual assault. The woman, who was described as an actress, a reporter, and an ex-pornographic film producer, claimed that Thompson assaulted her when she refused to join him in his hot tub. In response, the local police searched Thompson's home; they discovered small quantities of marijuana and cocaine, as well as Valium-like pills, thirty-nine hits of LSD, not to mention an antique Gatling gun, and four sticks of dynamite. As a result, Thompson was charged with five felonies and three misdemeanors. If convicted, he could have spent up to fifty years in prison. However, the charges were eventually dismissed.
