Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photog Recounts Kent State Shooting at Comm Studies Event

Photographer John Paul Filo recounted to students, faculty, and staff the events of May 4, 1970, at Kent State University, which led to him taking one of the most famous and influential photos in American history.

Filo was invited to speak at the Wednesday, May 7, Pizza and Politics virtual discussion, sponsored by the Communication Studies department.

A student photographer at the time, Filo won a Pulitzer Prize for his photograph of 14-year-old Mary Vecchio screaming by the lifeless body of murdered student Jeffrey Miller.

Before taking that photo, Filo took one of a student waving a black flag at Ohio Army National Guard troops aiming their guns.

“[I figured] I got my photo – that’s the best picture I’ll ever take. A rifle-carrying group aiming at students,” he said.

Filo moved on, then Guardsmen started shooting. He figured they were shooting blanks, but then a bullet whizzed by him, and he saw bark knocked off a tree in front of him.

“I turned to the left and saw the body of Jeffrey Miller on the ground immediately after the shooting. There was so much blood…,” said Filo.

During that era, anyone with a camera was regarded as suspect by students, as well as military and police.

“Students thought you were working for the government…,” said Filo, and the government thought you were a protestor.

Filo went on to a career in photojournalism, working for the Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Newsweek. He was at one time head of photography for CBS.

Filo’s visit comes on the heels of a field trip of nearly 20 Emerson College students on Friday, May 2, to attend 55^th anniversary commemorations of the Kent State shootings. Students participated in a reading of excerpts from Communication Studies Chair Gregory Payne’s play Kent State: A Requiem.

The field trip was due to the generosity of Lee Schwebel ’90, who was moved after taking a class about Kent State with Payne when he was a student. He’s funded similar trips in the past, and added that he’d like to fund another one in 2027.

“[Gregory Payne] inspired our entire class as students throughout the semester,” and that’s why he said he feels it’s important to fund trips for current Emerson students to visit Ohio.