Of interest … Scott Stewart

Scott Stewart’s home office is a gallery of memories. Photos from his long career as a photographer line three of the four walls, each telling a story of dedication and passion. At 61, he was laid off in 2013 from his job as a photographer for the Chicago Sun-Times, after 28 years at the paper. Forced to return to his roots, he re-entered the world of firefighting, where his family had deep ties.

Stewart comes from a long line of firefighters. His paternal grandfather served with the Rome Fire Department, and his uncle worked with the Cave Springs Fire Department, both in Georgia. As a child, he and his father would spend Sundays visiting Chicago firehouses, as his father was friends with Fire Commissioner Robert J. Quinn. This early exposure shaped his path, leading him to volunteer in the fire service.

He lost his father at just eight years old and his mother when he was 16. It was then that Quinn, who was then head of the Chicago Civil Defense Fire and Rescue Division, reached out to encourage Stewart to get involved. He spent the next ten years volunteering, eventually rising to the rank of captain. During this time, he met Cathy, his future wife, who was also a volunteer firefighter with the Merrionette Park Fire Department. The two have been married for 35 years.

Stewart first picked up a camera at age 8, thanks to his neighbor Fred Stein, who became a mentor and helped shape his love for photography. Their friendship led to his first job in journalism at the Chicago Daily News, where Stein was a photographer. In the 1970s, he worked at Central Camera, where his boss gave him a credit line to buy his first camera. Soon after, he captured a major moment: two CTA buses crashed near 55th and Hyde Park. He rushed to the scene, took photos, and sold them to the Daily News, Sun-Times, and AP—earning nearly $500, enough to pay off the camera.

He later studied photojournalism at Columbia College, graduating in 1977. Afterward, he joined the Sun-Times as a darkroom technician and eventually became a full-time photographer. One of his most memorable moments came during Reagan’s presidency, when he was invited aboard Air Force One to meet the president, who personally congratulated him on the birth of his daughter.

In 2011, Stewart won a Pulitzer Prize for a powerful image capturing a tense moment in Chicago, where gang members were seen conducting a drug deal while children walked nearby. That photo remains one of his most iconic works.

After being laid off in 2013, Stewart found work as the head of the photo unit at Evergreen Park Fire Department. But despite his efforts, he struggled to find steady work as a photographer. He returned to firefighting, eventually becoming a lieutenant at Merrionette Park. He also serves on the MABAS Division 21 Cause and Origin Team, combining both his passions.

At one point, he juggled six jobs to support himself, but everything changed when he was diagnosed with a detached retina. A series of surgeries left him unable to work for months, and he relied on an online fundraising campaign to get through the tough times. Despite the challenges, Stewart remains positive, grateful for his life, his family, and the two loves that define him: photography and firefighting.

He says he wouldn’t change a single moment. For Scott Stewart, being a photographer and a firefighter isn’t just a job—it’s a calling.

Thanks, Dan

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