Biographical Notes
Charles Edmund Worth was born September 30, 1895, in Tampa, Florida, to Mrs. Helen Worth. Worth graduated as valedictorian from Washington and Lee University in 1916, shortly before the United States became involved in World War I.
Worth enlisted in the United States Navy in November 1917, and was first stationed aboard the USS Montgomery as a Yeoman Second Class with the Mine Force. Based on his knowledge of Spanish, he was selected to serve in the Cable Censorship Office in Brazil, from spring of 1918 until the summer of 1919. Brazil was an ally of the United States and the only South American country directly involved in World War I. During his time in Brazil, Worth was stationed in Rio de Janeiro and Recife. In addition to his Naval duties, Worth was inspired to document his observations in a series of essays about the Brazilian people and their customs, with the intention that they might become a portion of a future memoir.
Worth was discharged in June 1919, with the rank of Chief Yeoman, and returned home to Tampa. Intending to pursue law prior to joining the Navy, Worth went on to become a Tampa Municipal Judge from 1921 to 1925, a Representative to the Florida Legislature from 1933-1934, President of the Hillsborough County Bar Association in 1937, and President of the Tampa Board of Realtors in 1949. Worth passed away on March 14, 1975, in Tampa, Florida.