Searching for an example of his work
His career of over forty years in communications permitted him to focus
on his love of photography, the arts, media and technology. After high
school, Jack went to work for the Evansville Sunday Courier & Press
as staff reporter, fine arts editor, and then chief
photographer. In the late 1950s, he wasa camera department and advertising
manager at Smith & Butterfield in downtown Evansville. In the 1960s
he worked as a news writer and cinematographer for WFIE television,
a freelance commercial photographer, and
a producer of audio-visual materials and television commercials for
Merchandising Incorporated (associated with WTVW television) and as
a co-owner of Visual Arts, Inc. In the 1970s, he was the official campaign
photographer and directed television production for both campaigns
of former Evansville mayor, the late Russell Lloyd. During that time,
Jack also wrote and produced material for the Deaconess Hospital audio
visual department and internal television
network, including a training script and video for the original Medical
Information Processing Systems. The system vendor then adopted his video
for national training. He continued at Deaconess Hospital as Coordinator
for Public Relations in 1976 and then as Director of
Media Services with responsibility for media relations, publications,
and all audio-visual services for the hospital until his early retirement
in 1993. His creative contributions to the annual fund raising "Party
of the Year" were always delightful. Under his direction, Deaconess
Hospital's 1989 Annual Report was the first hospital annual report in
the nation to be produced on videotape and was Added by: Roger Gleitz
It was selected from among 650 annual reports
to receive the top national award, a Gold Touchstone presented by the
American Society for Hospital Marketing & Public Relations of the
American Hospital Association. In his volunteer work, Jack was always
energetic and creative. He was president of the Evansville Fine Arts
Camera Club from 1969 to 1970. He was a member of the founding committee
and original
publicity director for the Evansville Arts & Education Council (now
Arts Council of Southwestern Indiana), serving as council president
(1973-74), and later as the council's public relations representative.
In the mid-late 1970s, he was a board member of the Conrad Baker Foundation,
a board member and publicity chairman for the Vanderburgh County Chapter
of
the American Heart Association, and a founding committee member and
chairman of Media Credentials and Hospitality for Thunder on the Ohio.
In the early 1980s, Jack was a member of
the board, the executive committee, and Crowd Control Director for Thunder
on the Ohio and was on the board of the Evansville Freedom Festival
for two years, chairing the Freedom Festival Parade in 1995 and 1996.
From 1987 to 1993 and again in 1997, he was chairman for the Children's
Art Fair at Mesker Zoo, tireless in his conviction that art is both
important and enjoyable for everybody. The event broke the zoo's all-time
single day attendance record three times. Jack served the Friends of
Mesker Park Zoo for over ten years as a board member,
president and secretary-treasurer. He was publicity committee chairman
on the board of the Evansville Parks Foundation Inc., in 1993-94. In
retirement, Jack continued to pursue his many hobbies, which included
photography, collecting and enjoying movies and jazz music and following
Indiana University basketball. Jack took pleasure in keeping up with
technology and was known as Niteowl to his fellow basketball enthusiasts
on the online Hoosier Haven basketball forum. Jack helped organize in-person
meetings of the online basketball fans to attend midnight madness games
and tailgate gatherings. He will be remembered for his likeability,
his generous nature, his passion for music, his warm hearted practical
jokes and his keen sense of
humor.