Oak Ridge Today

ORFD photographer dies at 88

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Tom Scott (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)

Tom Scott—photographer for the Oak Ridge Fire Department who kept historic fire trucks, equipment, and literature at his home—died Saturday. He was 88.

Scott was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama, but he spent the last three decades in Oak Ridge serving as the fire department’s official photographer, the City of Oak Ridge said Thursday. Scott also took photos at other fires and crashes in the area, including in Blair, Marlow, and Oliver Springs.

Scott had moved to Oak Ridge in the 1970s to work on the development of the gas centrifuge process for enriching uranium.

In 1974, he joined the Oliver Springs Volunteer Fire Department, and in 1990, he joined the Oak Ridge Fire Department as their official photographer, the city said. That happened after ORFD responded to a large structure fire where Scott was taking pictures. When the fire chief at the time, William “Bo” Harris, saw the pictures, he decided the ORFD needed to have an on-site photographer at all incidents to document the fires for training, media, and historical preservation, the city said. Harris asked Scott to lead the effort.

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DOE photographer dies at 62

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Lynn Freeny (Photo courtesy U.S. Department of Energy)

Ross Lynn Freeny, a U.S. Department of Energy photographer who helped document current and historic activities in Oak Ridge, died on January 14. He was 62.

Freeny, a University of Tennessee graduate who lived in Maryville, had been a photographer for DOE since 1992. He taught photography classes at Pellissippi State Community College. He died at Blount Memorial Hospital on January 14. He had battled cancer.

Freeny could often be seen taking photos at DOE events. For example, he took photos at the opening of the K-25 History Center in February 2020.

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Obituary: James Edward ‘Ed’ Westcott

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James Edward "Ed" Westcott

James Edward “Ed” Westcott

James Edward “Ed” Westcott, Sr., 97, of Oak Ridge, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at his daughter’s home, where he lived, on March 29, 2019.

He was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on January 20, 1922, to parents Jamie Rupert Westcott and Lucille Green Westcott, who preceded him in death. Ed had one brother, Hugh “Buddy” Westcott, who also preceded him in death.

Ed was a member of Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church.

He grew up in Nashville, and he graduated from Andrews High School and attended the Watkins Art School in Nashville, Tennessee. He received his training in photography from the Photo Craft Studio, Shadow Art Studio, and from an internship with the National Youth Administration.

He was married June 16, 1941, to a former Nashvillian, Esther Seigenthaler Westcott, who passed away in 1996. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge native, longtime Hollywood photographer George Holz to speak at UT

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George Holz

George Holz

 

Photographer George Holz—who was born in Oak Ridge, attended the University of Tennessee, and is known for his fashion and celebrity photographs—will return to UT to speak about his work at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14.

His talk will be in the auditorium of the UT College of Nursing at 1200 Volunteer Boulevard in Knoxville. It’s sponsored by the UT School of Journalism and Electronic Media, and it is free and open to the public.

Holz will be talking about his new book, “Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits.”

Holz was born and raised in Oak Ridge and attended UT for two years in the mid-1970s, working as a photographer for the Daily Beacon and the Volunteer Yearbook.

After attending UT, Holz graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California, and assisted for noted fashion photographer, Helmut Newton, who became his mentor. [Read more…]

Still on: AFORR annual meeting today to feature well-known photographer

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Ron McConathy

Ron McConathy

Advocates for the Oak Ridge Reservation will hold its annual meeting in the Social Room of the Oak Ridge Civic Center at 7 p.m. today (Thursday, February 26). The featured speaker is Ron McConathy, a well-known local photographer.

Organizers rescheduled the meeting from last week because of weather. Virginia Dale of AFORR confirmed today that the meeting will proceed tonight.

Snow across East Tennessee on Wednesday night and Thursday morning postponed many events again on Thursday, and local school systems were closed. But main roads and many side streets in Oak Ridge appeared to be in good condition by early Thursday afternoon.

During tonight’s meeting, McConathy will present a slide presentation of nature at its finest, with emphasis on the flora and fauna found on the Oak Ridge Reservation, a press release said. The event will provide an opportunity to discuss some of the opportunities and challenges facing conservation on the Oak Ridge Reservation, which has more than 20,000 acres.

Crossville artist unveils oil portrait of photographer Ed Westcott at AMSE

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A Crossville artist will unveil her oil portrait of Manhattan Project photographer Ed Westcott during a ceremony at the American Museum of Science and Energy this afternoon.

The ceremony is scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Westcott and at least one son and daughter are expected to attend, and a small reception will follow the unveiling ceremony, a press release said.

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One hundred Westcott photos now on AMSE website

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Ed Westcott Photo on AMSE Website

The 100th photo from a collection of World War II pictures taken by James Edward Westcott, the official U.S. Army Manhattan Project photographer, was added to an American Museum of Science and Energy website today.

During the past year, the World War II images taken in Oak Ridge by James Edward Westcott, the official U.S. Army Manhattan Project photographer, have been scanned one image at a time every Tuesday and Thursday into the American Museum of Science and Energy’s website.

Today, the AMSE website will add the 100th photograph. The picture shows people waiting in line outside the telephone office in Oak Ridge, and it was taken by Westcott in 1944.

“The photos of Oak Ridge taken by Ed Westcott during the Manhattan Project years are invaluable to the preservation of the story of a unique moment in the United States history,” said Julie Kellis, AMSE collections curator.

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