Shel Hershorn (Shel Hershorn)

Shel Hershorn

Photographer. He was a photojournalist noted for capturing many of America’s historical events. Born Herbert Sheldon Hershorn, he learned photography in the US Navy, then became a staff photographer for a newspaper in Casper, Wyoming. In 1954 he took a position with United Press International, then began to freelance for “Life”, “Sports Illustrated”, “Time”, “Fortune” and other magazines. One of his most memorable photos was an image of Alabama Governor George Wallace standing in the doorway of a building at the University of Alabama in an unsuccessful effort to stop the first black students from enrolling in 1963. He rode the campaign trail with John F. Kennedy in 1960, photographed Kennedy’s assassin in 1963, and shot images of Lee Harvey Oswald after being fatally shot by Jack Ruby. In 1965, he took the images of the opening of the Houston Astrodome and the photos when Charles Whitman began shooting from the University of Texas tower, killing 16 people on the ground in August 1966. He also shot pictures of Taos Ski Valley founder Ernie Blake for “Sports Illustrated” and of Abiquiú artist, Georgia O’Keeffe (later his wife) for another magazine. He retired in 1970, moved to Taos, New Mexico, became a furniture maker and taught photography to actor Dennis Hopper among others. His photographic collection is on display at the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. (bio by: John “J-Cat” Griffith)

Born

  • June, 11, 1929
  • USA

Died

  • September, 09, 2011
  • USA

Cemetery

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