CT Journalism Hall of Fame: Bob Child
Robert C. Child III has been a photographer in Connecticut for almost 50 years. He covered virtually every major news story in that time and many not so major stories. Thousands of his photos have been published.
Bob Child graduated from Yale in 1958 and began shooting for the New Haven Register that year. He worked at the former New Haven Journal-Courier as well. Bob has photographed every president except LBJ and every governor since Tom Meskill. He covered the Black Panther Trial and the May Day demonstrations in 1970. He joined the Associated Press in 1972 and has been with it since.
He won the National Associated Press Managing Editors award for Feature Photos in 1988. The image was of a woman police officer saluting with tears in her eyes at the funeral of her finance’ , also a cop, who was killed making a routine traffic stop.
AP reporter Matt Apuzzo says, “covering a story with Bob is like having a private tour guide. He’ll say, I knew his dad. I knew him when he was a beat cop. She used to work for so-and-so. Bobby knows everyone and, more importantly, everyone knows Bobby. He’s disarming and charming and, before people know it, they’re letting him make a great picture and telling you things they probably shouldn’t.”
Bob’s twin brother, the late Pat Child, was a videographer at WTNH-TV for more than 40 years. Journalists in Connecticut used to describe major news stories as “Two Child Events,” because both of them would show up to make images. Memorable images. Award winning images.
Bob Child retired from the Associated Press in 2009.
The Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame inducted Pat just after his untimely death. We take great pride in honoring Robert C. Child III as he enters the Connecticut Journalism Hall of Fame.