Haydon, John M.

John Morse Haydon (January 27, 1920 - April 18, 1991) was a Seattle-based publisher, government official, entrepreneur, and lifetime expert on maritime affairs. Born in Billings, Montana, Haydon was raised in Seattle and attended the University of Washington, where he occasionally wrote articles for Marine Digest. He briefly worked on a Dutch merchant ship plying the waters of the Pacific before working briefly in an advertising agency in San Francisco. Then, he joined the Army Air Force as a navigator during World War II, flying combat missions over Germany and reaching the rank of first lieutenant. In 1949, he began work as the Port of Seattle's first public relations director, helping to organize a 1951 Japanese Trade Fair. In 1956, he bought Marine Digest and published it for the next 30 years. He also published several editions of a colorful and entertaining Offbeat Guide to the Waterfronts, discussing the attractions, history, and culture of the Pacific Northwest. In 1960, he won a seat on Seattle's Port Commission. He later became the first chairman of the State of Washington's Oceanographic Commission and served in several other advisory roles for the state. In 1969, President Nixon appointed him governor of American Samoa, where, among other tasks, he greeted the crew of Apollo 13 in a public ceremony following their harrowing mission in 1970. In 1974, he returned to Seattle to open a plant shop and art gallery. Later, he worked as a business consultant for the Makah Indian Tribe and then moved to Bainbridge Island, across Elliott Bay from Seattle.