Fred J. Griffith Sr.

Place: Williamsport

Born: 1922

Death: 1999

Biography:

Fred J. Griffith was a retired photographer for The Commercial Appeal who broke into the news business behind the handlebars of a motorcycle. He was known for finding fast-breaking news and had a friendly knack for getting inside tightly secured police perimeters. Griffith worked as a courier at the Associated Press, ferrying photos around the city on his motorcycle. With a $14.95 photo kit and some tutoring from staff members, he became a photographer himself. He met and photographed notable figures such as Harry Truman and Dwight Eisenhower. Griffith's career eventually took him to the AP bureau in Memphis, where he was hired as a photographer for The Commercial Appeal in 1958. He was said to be one of the hardest working photogs his co-workers had seen.