Mr. W.E.”Emmet” Gladstone was North Carolina’s first skeet shooting star. At a time when shooters were required to drop their guns below the armpit and the target release as variable, he shot unbelievable scores. He won four North Carolina State Championships between 1936 and 1941 with scores of 197x200; 197x200; 199x200; 199x200. His favorite gun was a Winchester Model 12 pump gun and he handled it like a baton. Mr. Gladstone’s career spanned the late 1930’s thru the 1950’s. During these years he won championships in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.

Walter Emmet Gladstone was a champion trap and skeet shooter with numerous accomplishments during the first half of the twentieth century. Born August 3, 1893, W. E. Gladstone was the son of Walter and Kate Ogburn Gladstone, who lived in Forsyth County. Emmet attended Oak Summit School and Whitsett Institute High School. He faithfully served his country for two years during World War I as a gunner with the 317th Field Artillery in Europe.

W. E. Gladstone learned to shoot as a boy with a .22 caliber rifle given to him by his father. His family lived on a farm a few miles north of Winston-Salem where he spent many days in the field hunting small game. His interest in shooting was rekindled during his time in Louisville where he won his first trapshooting tournament in 1927. The following year, Mr. Gladstone won the Kentucky State Championship.

While W. E. Gladstone was an accomplished trapshooter, he also enjoyed much success in skeet shooting. In addition to numerous other skeet trophies, W. E. Gladstone won the North Carolina All-Around Skeet titles in 1936, 1937, 1939, and 1941.

As a North Carolina Trapshooter, Mr. Gladstone won the state doubles championship in 1930, and he captured the singles and all-around titles in 1937. Perhaps his best year was 1939 when W. E. Gladstone won the singles, doubles, and all-around trophies. Emmet’s last state title was handicap champion in 1940. Mr. Gladstone also competed at the Grand American in Vandalia, Ohio. His lifelong interest in clay target shooting and hunting continued until his death on November 18, 1968, at the age of 75.

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