Richard Chase

When Richard Chase was asked what he liked about being a TV photographer, Chase answered, “It’s loving what you do, caring about people, and enjoying photography.” In 1970, Richard Chase traded his newspaper camera for a TV one and spent a total of four decades at WBZ-TV, Boston’s Channel 4, before retiring in May 2008. Through much of the time with WBZ, Chase worked the morning shift and covered, among many major stories, the day-to-day drama of Boston’s 1970s turbulent school desegregation. “What bothered me the most about that story,” he told an interviewer on his retirement, “were the kids getting off buses – young children – with glass in their hair and crying.” Chase also remembers the more joyous stories over the years, such as the Olympics and championship seasons with the Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots.  Richard Chase is the Hall of Fame Board of Directors’ choice for its 2019 Pioneer Award.