Former local news photographer Don Shrubshell makes HOF

Don Shrubshell, who worked as a staff photographer for the Southeast Missourian for much of the 1990s, is one of five inductees in the 2022 class of the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame, the Missouri Press Association (MPA) has announced.

Shrubshell captured images locally from 1992 to 1998 before moving on to the Columbia Daily Tribune in Columbia, Missouri, where he was employed until Friday.

"I'm truly honored to be counted among these other professionals," Shrubshell said Tuesday.

Shrubshell, a native of Maryville, Missouri, worked in photojournalism 41 years.

Before coming to Cape Girardeau, Shrubshell was on staff at two newspapers in Kansas: Arkansas City Traveler and Hutchinson News.

"The ability to cover spot news and a commitment to doing it right have been the hallmarks of Don's photojournalism career," said a MPA news release, which cited an example of Shrubshell's work.

"Don was convinced a shooting death 14 miles away in the tiny town of Skidmore, Missouri, would make a great story, so he and a reporter drove to the scene of the crime. Don and the reporter were the only journalists on the scene after the murder of Ken Rex McElroy, (Skidmore's) town bully, whose unsolved slaying is still legendary. Don's iconic photos of the scene, including McElroy's bullet-ridden truck, have been published nationwide," the release continued.

Of his time in Cape Girardeau, Shrubshell recalled the former Bel Air Grill at 24 S. Spanish St. as a popular gathering spot for journalists.

He also said he fondly remembered a now-retired photographer colleague at the Southeast Missourian, Fred Lynch.

Shrubshell had kind words for Gary W. Rust, chairman of the board of Rust Communications, parent firm of the Southeast Missourian.

"I enjoyed working for Mr. Rust. He was good to his employees," Shrubshell said.

Shrubshell's HOF induction will be Oct. 20 at the Center for Missouri Studies in Columbia.

Notes

• Garland "G.D." Fronabarger, a photographer for nearly 60 years for the Southeast Missourian, was inducted posthumously into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame in 2017.
• Jon K. Rust, publisher of the Southeast Missourian and president of Rust Communications, was previously named to the 2022 class of the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame.