Robert H. Jackson

Robert Hill Jackson (born April 8, 1934) is an American photographer. In November 1963, Jackson, then working for the Dallas Times Herald, took a photograph capturing the fatal shooting of Lee Harvey Oswald by Jack Ruby. Jackson won the Pulitzer Prize for Photography for the photograph in 1964.

Early life and career Born on April 8, 1934, Jackson grew up in Dallas. His interest in photography began when he was either at the age of twelve years or thirteen years. An aunt gave him a Baby Brownie Special camera, and a family cat became one of his first subjects. When Jackson turned fourteen years old, his interest became more serious. Another aunt gave him an Argus C-3 35 mm camera. Jackson's first news photo was of a double fatality crash in northern Dallas. Jackson persuaded his father to drive him to the scene of the crash. His second news photo was of an airplane crash at Love Field. Jackson attended Highland Park High School, and later Southern Methodist University, leaving the university in 1957.

His photography interest grew when he began photographing sports car racing. He joined the 36th Infantry National Guard. While in the Army, Jackson became a photographer for an Army general. and using Kodak Tri-X film, During the transfer, Oswald was shot and mortally wounded by Jack Ruby in the Dallas police station garage. Jackson photographed the event the instant after Ruby shot Oswald. In his photo, Ruby’s gun has the signs of muzzle flash and smoke rings, and Oswald is impacted by the bullet, his eyes are clenched shut with his mouth opened wide to scream in pain in an anguished expression and his manacled hands are moving to clutch at his stomach, while Dallas police detective Jim Leavelle who was handcuffed to Oswald, reacts.

Jackson's colleague Jack Beers at The Dallas Morning News took an almost identical photo, but six-tenths of a second earlier, the instant before Ruby fired. Beers was also called to testify in front of the Warren Commission.

Later life In later life, Jackson was a staff photographer for the Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. He retired from the Gazette in 1999. He has three daughters, two sons from his wife's previous marriage and a son with his current wife. he has 10 grandchildren

Jackson believes Oswald acted alone and rejects conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination.