For over four decades, Walter Nice photographed life in Columbus, U.S. presidents and more

Walter David “Dude” Nice worked as a photographer for Columbus newspapers for 44 years. His photojournalism created a unique record, producing many of the most skilled and stunning pictures of old Columbus that exist today.

From 1914 through 1920, Nice was the lone photographer for both The Columbus Dispatch and The Ohio State Journal. In 1920, he began working for The Ohio State Journal exclusively. Thirty years later, in 1950, he returned to The Dispatch, where he continued to work until his retirement in 1958.

Nice learned his craft when photographers were still using magnesium powder to create a flash, and saw many changes to the field, including color photography and Polaroids.

Remarkably, in 1921, he took a photograph of the Rotary Club, raced back to the office, developed it and had it ready for printing in just 20 minutes — an incredible feat at that time, and one showcasing his dedication and ability.

Nice was born in 1884 in Wooster, Ohio, where he pursued football in high school and in his first and only year at the College of Wooster. He dropped out of Wooster due to his grades, but his talent as a quarterback was lauded by many, including Lynn St. John, who went on to become the athletic director at the Ohio State University.

St. John, for whom St. John Arena was named at Ohio State, said he thought Nice could have been one of the greats if he’d stuck with it.

Inatead, Nice worked for a few years in Zanesville as an engraver before coming to Columbus. He then worked as the assistant to Charles L. Dowerman, an earlier staff photographer at The Dispatch, who left journalism to lead his business, the Royal Photo and Film Company.

Nice took it from there. During his career, he photographed every sitting president from Theodore Roosevelt to Harry Truman, as well as President Warren G. Harding.

Nice also captured everything from disasters to football games, and of course, life and buildings in old Columbus itself.

He declined an offer from Amelia Earhart for a flight, preferring to keep his feet on the ground. Nice died on Sept. 15, 1966.

Megan Sheeran is a librarian with the Columbus Metropolitan Library.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: For over four decades, Walter Nice photographed life in Columbus, U.S. presidents and more