By Kevin Greer
Lakeside Communications Manager
Bill Carlson knows Lakeside. After all, his first visit was in the late 1970s when he was invited by his girlfriend, Nancy, who later became his wife.
“She said her family was going to be up here, so she invited me,” Carlson said. “I’ve been coming ever since.”
Carlson had a very successful career as a journalist. He worked for five newspapers across Ohio, primarily the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Over the years, he covered a variety of topics, including police, education, local and state government, and local to national political campaigns. He also was an editorial writer, deputy metro editor and editor of national & foreign news at the Plain Dealer.
Originally from Illinois, Carlson spent time in Indiana before settling in Ohio, where he’s lived for most of his life. After retiring, he and Nancy began spending more time in Lakeside during the summer. They own a cottage, but from October-May they warm up in Phoenix in a 55+ community.
A Deep Connection to Lakeside
Carlson has been front and center for many Lakeside events. He’s spoken several times during Lakeside University, a special Chautauqua Lecture Series week where community members share their knowledge and experiences. He also served six years on the Historic Preservation Board & Design Review Board, including two as chairman. Nancy served nine years on The Lakeside Association Board of Directors, also chairing for two.
In preparation for Lakeside’s 150th Anniversary season in 2023, Carlson researched, wrote and designed six historical plaques that now hang at significant sites across the community. Alongside fellow Sesquicentennial Steering Committee members Mark Carle and Dave Boling, and with help from Dave Hirsch and Andy Larson from Lakeside’s Maintenance Department, the plaques were installed at Hotel Lakeside, the Pavilion, the Carroll Building (corner of Second St. and Maple Ave.), South Auditorium, Bradley Temple and the old Bell Tower along Ohio’s Most Beautiful Mile.
“I was particularly glad to put one on the bell,” Carlson said. “For years, I wondered, ‘Why don’t we have something that explains what the bell is?’”
Sharing History & Preserving Heritage
Carlson is very active with the Lakeside Heritage Society (LHS). He has delivered lectures on presidential history, often focusing on the eight U.S. presidents from Ohio. He’s also delved into topics such as the controversial election of 1876, when a special electoral commission of 15 congressmen and Supreme Court justices, was formed to determine the winner. The vote was 8-7 along party lines to award the disputed electoral college votes to Rutherford B. Hayes, making him the winner over Samuel Tilden.
On Wednesdays during the summer, Carlson was a moderator for the History of the U.S. Chautauqua Movement and Lakeside’s Beginnings. The program explores the origins of the word Chautauqua, the national movement it inspired, and Lakeside’s role in that history. They also discuss other Chautauqua communities across North American, drawing from Carlson’s involvement with the Chautauqua Trail network. Carlson has been a part of the program for four years, the first three with Lakeside historian Gretchen Curtis and last season with Dean Fick. Carlson credits Curtis for creating the original program outline that he and Fick continue to build on.
“We’re following the outline Gretchen created,” Carlson said. “We have slides that cover the main points. I don’t speak from a script. I see the next slide and that tells me what the points are. It’s more of a conversation than a speech.”
Carlson noted that the movement also inspired the Chautauqua Literary & Scientific Circle, a home study program that advanced the education of thousands and laid the groundwork for modern book clubs, 20th-century correspondence courses, and even today’s online classes.
A Lakeside Lifestyle
When he’s not researching or teaching, Carlson enjoys Lakeside’s simple pleasures – walking, biking, swimming and attending programs across all four Chautauqua pillars. While he appreciates Arizona’s mild winters, he always looks forward to returning to Lakeside each summer.
“It’s really fun to come back and see people of all ages,” Carlson said. “The programming is really special. There’s a lot to see or do, or you can just sit on the porch and read a book or lie in a hammock. It’s a great place to relax, refresh and renew.”
