Chuck Scott exhibit on display in VisCom Focus Gallery

The Scripps College of Communication's School of Visual Communication is celebrating what would have been the 100th birthday of one of its founders with a special exhibit in the VisCom Focus Gallery located on the first floor of Schoonover Center. In 1978, Chuck Scott, a prolific news photographer, editor and professor, co-founded the Institute of Visual Communication that became, in 1986, the School of Visual Communication. Scott, who passed away in 2015, would have turned 100 years old on Aug. 18.

“The gallery committee thought it would be a good idea to celebrate Chuck by doing a show of his photographs, as well as a talk about how important he was to visual journalism in the industry and at Ohio University,” said Scott’s son-in-law, Professor Emeritus Terry Eiler BFA ’66, MFA ’69, who was Scott’s partner in starting the Visual Communication program at Ohio University.

The exhibit showcases Scott’s work, along with a timeline of his life and even allows Scott to tell his own story on historic videos.

“When he started in the business after World War II, photographers were simply the people who showed up with cameras and decorated the pages of newspapers. They weren’t thought of as visual journalists,” said Eiler. “But during Chuck’s career, that changed. He went from assignment photographer to staff photographer to visual journalist to newsroom manager.”

Scott worked at some of the best visual newspapers in the country, including the Milwaukee Journal, the Chicago Daily News and the Chicago Tribune. During his 55-year career, he won more than 100 awards, including the National Press Photographers Association National Championship (1952) and Newspaper Editor of the Year (1966) awards.

“And once he started at Ohio University, he continued making an impact on the field,” said Eiler. “He trained many students who are now working everywhere in the industry and have received more than 40 Pulitzer Prizes.”

Pictures on display at the exhibit include some Scott captured of the Ohio University campus riots in 1970, as well as iconic sports photographs Scott took during his career. There are also three historic cameras on display.

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“It’s worth going to walk through the exhibit just to see the old cameras,” said Eiler with a chuckle. “They are Chuck’s old cameras, and they are just so interesting and amazing to see in person.”

The exhibit opened on Sept. 4 with a reception where Eiler spoke and shared memories of Scott. The exhibit will close on Sept. 30.

“It’s hard to underestimate what he did to change the education of visual journalism throughout the country,” said Eiler. 

The VisCom Focus Gallery is open Monday – Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Hours are sometimes extended to accommodate events.