RICH CLARKSON
1932 –
Inducted 2007
Richard C. Clarkson is one of the nation’s most accomplished sports photographers, a position he has enjoyed for more than a half-century. By his own admission, he was no athlete, but Clarkson holds a sports record unlikely to be broken soon. In 2005, he photographed his 50th NCAA college basketball championship, shooting his first in 1952 and not missing one since 1960. Along the way, Clarkson’s pictures have helped redefine the way we look at sports. The Final Four is just one facet of a remarkable career with roots reaching back to the 1940s. Over his career, Clarkson also has photographed several Super Bowls, nine Olympiads, and innumerable other events. In high school, Clarkson’s interest in photography grew, and he eventually became the school’s in-demand photographer. Because the town was the home of the University of Kansas, the big events in Lawrence were college sports. By the time he was a senior in high school, Clarkson was photographing the KU basketball games for the Kansas City Star, the Topeka Daily Capital and the Lawrence Journal-World. He continued as a stringer through his own years at KU, where he majored in journalism. Born August 11, 1932 – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Graduated Liberty Memorial H.S., 1950; University of Kansas, 1955.