Former Tallahassee Democrat Publisher Gus Harwell Dies

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A former publisher of the Tallahassee Democrat has died.

The paper reported Monday that Gus Harwell died Friday in Port Orange. He was 85.

Harwell was publisher of the Democrat from 1973 to 1981. He then became Knight-Ridder’s vice president of operations for small and mid-size papers. He retired in 1995.

Harwell was a native of Tupelo, Mississippi, and was a graduate of the University of Missouri.

Allison Leslie is a University of South Florida graduate with a bachelors degree in Mass Communications. She joined Genesis in 2016. With a passion for sports, Allison has interned with 620 WDAE, Pewter Report, Trifecta Team: St. Petersburg Bowl, Bullscast, and many other publications. Being a native to the Bay Area, she has followed and supported Tampa Bay teams her whole life.