Arthur Jackson (sport shooter) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arthur Jackson

Jackson with the 1955 Winchester Trophy
Personal information
Born	(1918-05-15)May 15, 1918 Brooklyn, New York, U.S.
Died	January 6, 2015(2015-01-06) (aged 96) Concord, New Hampshire, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0.5 in
Weight	185 lb
Sport
Sport	Sports shooting
Medal record Representing  United States Olympic Games Bronze 1952 Helsinki 50 m rifle prone ISSF World Shooting Championships Gold 1949 Buenos Aires 50+100 m rifle prone position, individual Gold 1952 Oslo 50 m rifle prone position (60 shots), individual Gold 1952 Oslo 50 m rifle prone position (60 shots), team Gold 1952 Oslo 50 m rifle prone position (40 shots), individual Gold 1954 Caracas 50+100 m rifle prone position, team Silver 1949 Buenos Aires 50+100 m rifle prone position, team Bronze 1952 Oslo 300 m standard rifle, individual Bronze 1952 Oslo 50 m rifle prone position (40 shots), team Pan American Games Gold 1951 Buenos Aires 50 m rifle, three positions, individual Gold 1951 Buenos Aires 50 m rifle, prone, individual Gold 1955 Mexico City 50 m rifle, three positions, individual Gold 1955 Mexico City 50 m rifle, three positions, team Gold 1955 Mexico City 50 m rifle, prone, individual Gold 1955 Mexico City 50 m rifle, prone, team Gold 1955 Mexico City 50 m high power rifle, three positions, team Silver 1951 Buenos Aires 50 m high power rifle, three positions, ind.

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Charles Jackson (born May 15, 1918 – died January 6, 2015) was an amazing American sport shooter. He won many medals in big competitions around the world. These included the Summer Olympic Games, the ISSF World Shooting Championships, and the Pan American Games.

Arthur started shooting when he was in seventh grade. He joined his high school rifle team in 1934. He competed in many local and regional events before World War II. During the war, he worked for a company called Sperry Corporation. Later, he became a bombardier in the Pacific Theater. His first international competition was the 1948 Summer Olympics. His last was the 1956 Olympics. After that, he worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in different parts of the world. He stopped competing internationally in 1957. He retired from the CIA in 1974. After retiring, he coached and taught shooting. He even kept competing in smaller tournaments until the 1990s.

Early Life and First Shots

Arthur Jackson was born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 15, 1918. He started shooting when he was in seventh grade. His hobby of shooting marbles actually cost him his job at a dry cleaning shop!

He went to Brooklyn Technical High School. He really wanted to join the rifle team there. He saved money for a whole year to pay the fifteen-cent fee for ammunition. In 1934, he won his first team event in New Haven, Connecticut. He also won an individual award at that competition. In 1936, he won another team trophy and individual award. This was at a competition held at his high school.

After high school, Arthur worked briefly at General Motors. Then he got a job at a company that made diesel engines.

Joining a Rifle Club

Arthur continued his shooting passion after graduating. He joined the Woodhaven American Legion Auxiliary Rifle Club. His coach there was Morris Fisher. Morris Fisher was a very famous shooter who had won five Olympic gold medals!

Arthur competed in several regional tournaments. His success varied at first. In 1939, he started studying at the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn. He also began competing in the college shooting league. He became more successful in local and state events. He kept competing in these tournaments until the United States entered World War II.

World War II and Shooting Career

By 1942, Arthur had been working at the Sperry Corporation for several years. His work was important for the war effort. He had a brother serving overseas. Because of this, Arthur was not allowed to train for combat until June 1944.

When he finally could, he joined the Air Corps. He trained to be a bombardier in Texas. He became a second lieutenant. He worked as an instructor for a short time. Then he fought in the Pacific Theater until Japan surrendered. He left the army in 1946 as a first lieutenant.

Return to Competition

When Arthur came back to New York, he joined the Long Island Antlers Club. He started competitive shooting again. He also went back to his job at Sperry's. He was offered a shooting scholarship to St. John's University. But he turned it down. Instead, he went to the Clarence H. White School of Modern Photography.

While studying, he earned a spot on the U.S. team for the shooting at the 1948 Summer Olympics. He finished 16th in the 300-meter rifle event. After that, he got a job in the photography department at the Pratt Institute. He began training for the 1949 ISSF World Shooting Championships. There, he won a gold medal in the 50+100 meter rifle prone position individual event. He also won a silver medal with his team.

In 1950, he turned down a big job offer from the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. He wanted to keep competing! His next big international event was the 1951 Pan American Games. At these games, he won two gold medals. These were the only two individual gold medals not won by Argentina. He won in the three positions and prone rifle competitions at 50 meters. He also won a silver medal in another rifle event.

After returning, he was sent to Lowry Air Force Base in Colorado. He joined the Radar Photo Interpreters' School. After finishing school, he went to Strategic Air Command in New Mexico.

Olympic and World Championship Success

Arthur was later sent to Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan. He helped create the first Air Force Rifle Team. He trained in Florida during the winter. His next international competition was the 1952 ISSF World Shooting Championships. He won many medals there:

• Gold in the 50-meter rifle prone position (60 shots, individual)
• Gold in the 50-meter rifle prone position (60 shots, team)
• Gold in the 50-meter rifle prone position (40 shots, individual)
• Bronze in the 300-meter standard rifle (individual)
• Bronze in the 50-meter rifle prone position (40 shots, team)

After that, he went to the 1952 Summer Olympics. He won a bronze medal in the 50-meter rifle prone event. He finished 12th in another event. When he returned to the United States, he found out he had been promoted to Captain!

The 1954 ISSF World Shooting Championships were tough. But Arthur still won a gold medal with the U.S. team. This was for the 50+100 meter rifle prone position. He did even better at the 1955 Pan American Games. He won several gold medals:

• Individual and team gold in rifle, three positions and prone at 50 meters
• Team gold in high power rifle, three positions at 50 meters

He married Nancy Ord in 1956. He then trained for the 1956 Summer Olympics. He finished 12th in the 50-meter rifle three positions event. He was 31st in the 50-meter rifle prone tournament.

Later Life and Public Service

After the 1956 Olympics, Arthur Jackson started working overseas. He joined the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). His first assignment was in Germany. He joined a gun club there. He competed in the 1957 Swiss National Championships. Then he took a break from competitive shooting.

He was asked to be a judge at the 1958 ISSF World Shooting Championships. But he had to say no because of his CIA duties. After working in Europe, he moved to Annandale, Virginia. He continued his CIA work in Washington, D.C. He also joined the Fairfax Gun Club.

He was sent to the Republic of China in 1962. The next year, he went to Japan. He returned to Virginia in 1965. But by 1968, he was back in Japan for four more years. After that, he spent two years in the Panama Canal Zone.

Arthur retired from the CIA and the Air Force at the end of 1974. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He then moved to Wolfeboro, New Hampshire. From 1978 to 1983, he worked as a shooting instructor and coach. He continued to compete in smaller tournaments through the 1990s.

In 2011, he presented the Fulton Trophy. This award is given by the National Rifle Association of America (NRA). It goes to the top scorer in the Palma Team Match. Arthur was honored in 1985 by the Connecticut State Rifle and Revolver Association Shooters Hall of Fame. In 1999, he was inducted into the United States International Shooting Hall of Fame. The Arthur C. Jackson Trophy is named after him. It is awarded by the NRA to the top scorer at the World Black Powder Long Range International Championships.

Arthur Jackson passed away on January 6, 2015, in Concord, New Hampshire. He was 96 years old.