Gordon Newell, Author, Mayoral Candidate

Gordon Roy Newell - an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of Seattle in 1960 and author of more than 20 books - died yesterday at age 78 in an Olympia convalescent center.

At his request, there will be no services. There will be cremation, family members said.

A native of Olympia, Mr. Newell attended St. Martin's College, Central Washington University and the University of Washington. He was a soldier in World War II and the Korean war, a Port of Seattle commissioner, a member of the Seattle Park Board, a history teacher and a journalist.

During the mayoral campaign of 1960, Mr. Newell's car was bombed in front of his home. The bombing came at a time of bitter controversy over the pinball industry in Seattle.

Mr. Newell was fascinated with ships and wrote many histories, usually in conjunction with Joe Williamson.

``At the age of 10 I became the self-appointed chronicler of Olympia maritime activity during the summer months which our family spent in a beach cabin on Budd Inlet,'' Mr. Newell once wrote. ``Armed with an ancient brass telescope, sketch pad and crayon, I pictured and recorded every boat that passed during my waking hours.''

As an editorial writer for The Daily Olympian he wrote a series of articles which later became a book, ``So Fair a Dwelling Place.'' He also wrote ``S.O.S. North Pacific,'' ``Ships of the Inland Waters,'' ``Pacific Steamboats,'' ``Pacific Tugboats,'' ``Pacific Coastal

Liners,'' Pacific Lumber ships'' and ``Ocean Liners of the 20th Century.''

Mr. Newell also penned ``Totem Tales of Old Seattle'' and ``Westward to Alki,'' a book about David and Arthur Denny, brothers who played important roles in Seattle's early years.

Mr. Newell is survived by his wife, Bonita, Olympia; two daughters, Judith Lynn Simons, Olympia, and Jacqueline Newell, South Bend, Pacific County; a sister, Dorothy Kalich, Olympia; and four grandchildren.