Remembering the Edmund Fitzgerald, 50 Years After its Famed Sinking
Many people know John U. Bacon for his bestselling books on sports history, especially his deep dives into University of Michigan football. But on Tuesday evening, we were treated to another side of John: his work as the author of a book on the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Thank you to everyone who joined us to hear John in conversation with his longtime friend (and Foundation trustee) James Hackett. Together, they explored both the history and the human stories behind the tragic sinking of the Mighty Fitz. In attendance there was even a relative of one of the sailors who lost his life in that fateful storm.
ο»ΏWe were so entertained from start to finish that we let the event run a little long - but we don't think anyone minded!
About The Gales of November
For three decades after World War II, the Great Lakes replaced Europe as the epicenter of global economic strength. At its heart was the 729-foot Edmund Fitzgeraldβthe biggest, most profitable ship on the Lakes, embodying Americaβs industrial might.
But on November 10, 1975, during a βstorm of the centuryβ with 100 mph winds and 50-foot waves on Lake Superior, the Mighty Fitz sank, taking all 29 crew members with her and leaving the tragedy shrouded in mystery.
In The Gales of November, award-winning journalist John U. Bacon delivers the definitive account of the disaster. Drawing on more than 100 interviews with families, friends, and former crewmates, Bacon explores Great Lakes shippingβs critical economic role, the sailorsβ uncommon lives, the sinkingβs likely causes, and the heartbreak left behindββthe wives, the sons, and the daughters,β as Gordon Lightfoot sang.
Photos from the Event
Details on Attending
Where
Aquinas College, Performing Arts Center
1703 Robinson Road SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506
When
Tuesday, November 4, 2025
Program: 6:30 p.m.
Book signing to follow the event.
Program Supporters
In partnership with the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library & Museum and the Secchia Family Foundation, the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation is proud to bring John Bacon to Grand Rapids.
About JOHN BACON
John U. Bacon has written 14 books on sports, business, leadership, and history, including seven national bestsellers. His latest book, βTHE GALES OF NOVEMBER: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald,β will launch on October 7 by WW Norton / Liveright. He has written for dozens of major American publications, appears often on national TV, and won NPR's prize for the nation's best commentary in 2014. He lives in Ann Arbor and northern Michigan with his wife and son.
