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Thomas J. Kelly III

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American journalist
Thomas J. Kelly III
Born (1947-08-08) August 8, 1947 (age 77)
Hackensack, New Jersey
TitleFreelance Journalist
SpousePatricia Lee Moulder
ChildrenFour children
Awards1979 Pulitzer Prize Winner

Thomas J. Kelly III (August 8, 1947), born in Hackensack, New Jersey, is an American, Pulitzer prize-winning photojournalist. Based in greater Philadelphia, he has worked as a freelancer for electronic and print outlets since 1995. Kelly joined the staff of The Mercury in Pottstown, Pennsylvania in 1974, where he won the 1979 Pulitzer prize for spot news photography; he left The Mercury in 1989.

Career

Kelly worked in a variety of jobs, as a salesman, draftsman and as a volunteer firefighter. He began his career in journalism, in 1969, as a part-time staff member with the Norristown Montgomery Post, working with the organization until 1971. Kelly left the Post and began working as a photographer for a Valley Forge newspaper, Today's Post, in Pennsylvania, until leaving in 1974, to work with the Pottstown Mercury, as their Photography Supervisor. He later became the Chief Photographer, and then continued as a freelance photojournalist.

In the spring of 1978, Kelly caught a call coming over the police scanner that the Goodwill Ambulance needed assistance in East Coventry County where "someone was stabbing everybody." Kelly arrived at the scene of what would become an hour-long standoff, between the police and Richard Greist. Finally, police made the decision to storm the residence in an effort to save the family members. Kelly took multiple rolls of film during the incident, including the instant that Chief Detective Douglas Weaver rushed in to grab six year old Beth Ann Greist, bloody from multiple stab wounds, the young girl in one arm and his shotgun in the other hand; at one point, Greist broke free from the custody of the officers and charged Kelly, who would later say he didn't even realize that he had taken a photo of the incident because it happened so suddenly.

Eleven of Kelly's photographs were published by the Mercury the next morning and in 1979 he won the annual Pulitzer Prize for Spot News Photography, for those series of photographs. In the book, Press Photography Award 1942-1998, the jurors on the prize committee are quoted as saying, in choosing Kelly as the first place winner, that '"Kelly's pictures vividly illustrate pictorial judgement under extreme pressure. The photographer's intuitive sense captured virtually every significant moment of a highly-dangerous, quick moving event...The pictures were taken at considerable personal risk and represent more than merely being at the right place at the right time."'

The series of photos, titled "Tragedy on Sanatoga Road," were featured in a TNT documentary, "Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize Photographs," and have been included in multiple exhibitions around the country.

Kelly worked as the Director of Photography for The Trentonian in New Jersey in 1990, leaving in 1996 to pursue freelance photojournalism.

Awards and recognition

In addition to his 1979 Pulitzer Prize, Kelly was named as Newspaper Photographer of the year (region III) in 1975, 1976, and 1979, by the National Press Photographers Association. In 1976 he was chosen as Pennsylvania Photographer of the year, and in 1980, Kelly was the recipient of the Robert F. Kennedy journalism award.

Personal

Kelly was born to parents Thomas J. and Severina (Augenti) Kelly, on August 8, 1947. He was married in 1975, to Patricia Lee Moulder, and they have four children, Danielle, Devon, Thomas IV, and Taylor.

As recently as 2020, Kelly has filed lawsuits for copyright infringement of his photographs, including against Morgan and Morgan, a nationwide law firm.

References

  1. ^ Brennan, Elizabeth A.; Clarage, Elizabeth C. (1999). Who's who of Pulitzer Prize Winners. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 584. ISBN 978-1-57356-111-2.
  2. ^ "The 1979 Pulitzer Prize Winner in Spot News Photography". www.pulitzer.org. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  3. "Images captured by local photographer Tom Kelly part of Pulitzer Prize exhibit in Philadelphia". WFMZ.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  4. Sweeney, Caroline (5 October 2013). "Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer to have work displayed in Philadelphia". The Pottstown Mercury. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  5. "MOMENT OF IMPACT". 2011-02-16. Archived from the original on 2011-02-16. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  6. Fischer, Heinz Dietrich; Fischer, Erika J. (2000). Press Photography Awards, 1942-1998: From Joe Rosenthal and Horst Faas to Moneta Sleet and Stan Grossfeld. Walter de Gruyter. pp. LV–LVI. ISBN 978-3-598-30184-1.
  7. Rubin, Cyma, Moment of Impact: Stories of the Pulitzer Prize Photographs (Documentary), Sam Waterston, Business of Entertainment, Turner Entertainment, retrieved 2020-11-24
  8. "Prize Photos: Focusing On Six Images That Had Rare Impact | The Seattle Times". archive.seattletimes.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  9. "Photog Accuses Law Firm Of Reposting Copyrighted Video - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  10. "Photographer Drops Copyright Suit Against Morgan & Morgan - Law360". www.law360.com. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
  11. "Case activity for Thomas J. Kelly vs Morgan & Morgan Philadelphia Management Inc. on June 25". Pennsylvania Record. Retrieved 2020-11-24.
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