Photography School Founded by WWII Navy Combat Photog Continues to Produce Champions

Nearly half a century ago, Charles “Chuck” Scott, a Navy-trained World War II combat photographer, helped found a photography school at a state university in the Appalachian foothills of the small town of Athens, Ohio (population 24,956 in 2024).

His mission — in addition to training photographers — was “to teach people the importance of photography.” For 19 years, the blunt Scott was director of Ohio University’s School of Visual Communication, which spawned a stream of future Pulitzer Prize winners. Scott’s death in 2015 led to a flood of Chuck Scott Was My Mentor tributes throughout the country.

“He inspired thousands of young photojournalists, including me,” wrote Amy Sancetta, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1993 with the Associated Press team that covered the 1992 presidential election. “He was a champion, and yet, when I was starting out, he was a champion to me.”

Scott was born 100 years ago this August. Ohio University is hosting a tribute to his award-winning work, equipment and achievements to mark the start of the school year.

“The legacy has grown,” says Terry Eiler, a professor emeritus at Ohio University who co-founded the visual communications program with his father-in-law, Scott.

“The ability to share knowledge and develop talent is a powerful gift,” Eiler said. “It’s just as powerful to start something that continues long after you’re gone.”

According to Tim Goheen, director of Ohio U’s School of Visual Communication, 46 visual journalists from Ohio University have won a Pulitzer Prize.

Marcus Yam of the Los Angeles Times won the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for “raw and urgent images of the U.S. exit from Afghanistan.” Born in Malaysia in 1984, Yam earned a degree in aerospace engineering from the University at Buffalo in 2006. When he switched to photography, Yam enrolled in a “boot camp” program at Ohio University.

Practical experience

As a super teacher and mentor, Scott was an evangelist for experience.

Yam recalls a year of hands-on transformative photo work at Ohio University that gave him “permission to embrace the unknown.” As a student, he went underground to the unincorporated hamlet of Shade, Ohio to compose a photo essay.

“That experience in Shade laid the foundation for my career,” Yam said. “I had a sense of unleashing. It gave me the confidence to go anywhere.”

Getty Images also won a 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography for its coverage of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Drew Angerer, a 2011 graduate of Ohio University, was on the Pulitzer-winning team at Getty. Reflecting on his education, Angerer was impressed by the Washington, D.C., experience of his Ohio U professors: Pulitzer Prize winner Marcy Nighswander, Jenn Poggi and Pete Souza.

Leading media companies rely on award-winning Ohio University-trained freelance photographers to cover breaking news, politics, culture and sports in the Midwest for a global audience (including Columbus’ Maddie McGarvey, Cincinnati’s Madeleine Hordinski, Cleveland’s Dustin Franz and Des Moines’ Rachel Mummey).

Sport makes the case

Photography of top sports shows how sustainable the house is that Chuck Scott built:

Getty Images plans to send Boston-based Maddie Meyer and New York-based Sarah Stier to cover aquatic sports at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both are graduates of Ohio University.

The Washington Post The Sports section (print edition) published photos of two Ohio U alums on June 17: Frank Franklin II of The Associated Press at the U.S. Open and Emilee Chinn for Getty Images at a WNBA game in Indianapolis.

Ohio U alumna Alie Skowronski’s extensive photo portfolio The Miami Herald includes professional sports. Skowronski was the 2021 Hearst Photojournalism Champion.

In Louisville, award-winning Ohio U alumnus Dan Dry has photographed the Kentucky Derby 46 times.

“Chuck Scott,” Dry said, “has had such a huge impact on my life.”

Respect photo rights

Shortly after graduating from Ohio University last year, photographer Ryan Grzybowski was approached by a producer in Los Angeles who was making a film about the first Ukrainian athlete to sign a contract with WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

The producer wanted to use photos of Olena Sadovska that Grzybowski took in 2021 at a high school swim meet in Ohio. His photos were included in the film that aired on Roku this year.

Yes, Grzybowski received compensation for the use.

“That’s definitely a life lesson from Chuck Scott,” Eiler said. “Respect photo rights!”

About the author: Ken Klein lives in Silver Spring, Maryland; he is retired from a career in politics, lobbying and media, including The Associated Press and Gannett in Florida. Klein is an alumnus of Ohio University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Scripps College of Communication. Professionally, he has worked for the Fort Myers News-Press (Gannett), The Associated Press (Tallahassee), Senator Bob Graham and the Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA).