Jack Olsen

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Jack Olsen (1925-2002) was an American journalist and author known for his thorough, scholarly approach to crime reporting. He was Midwest bureau chief for Time magazine and a senior editor for Sports Illustrated. He was also a regular contributor to other publications, including Fortune and Vanity Fair.

In addition to his work as a journalist, he wrote thirty-three books, many of which investigated the life histories of violent career criminals. These include studies of serial rapists such as Arthur Shawcross (The Misbegotten Son) and George Russell, (Charmer), as well as serial killers (Hastened to the Grave: The Gypsy Murder Investigation). Discussing his life-long interest in crime journalism, Olsen described a field trip that his college criminology class took to a prison:

"I'm 19 years old and we get inside, and I see all these guys who look just like me," he said. "I thought that criminals looked different."

Explaining what triggers his determination, he said, "I start every book with the idea that I want to explain how this 7 or 8 pounds of protoplasm went from his mommy's arms to become a serial rapist or serial killer. I think a crime book that doesn't do this is pure pornography."

– Jack Olsen, quoted in the New York Times, 1993

Olsen also wrote several books examining the intersection of law and politics during the late 1960s-early 1970s. These include Last Man Standing: The Tragedy and Triumph of Geronimo Pratt, (Pratt, a leader of the Black Panther Party, was declared innocent and released from prison after serving 25 years on the perjured testimony of a paid FBI informant), and The Bridge at Chappaquiddick, (examining the 1969 car crash and death that damaged Sen. Edward Kennedy's political career).

Olsen's journalism was recognized with the National Headliner Award, the Chicago Newspaper Guild's Page One Award, the Washington State Governor's Award, and the Scripps-Howard Award. He was described as "the dean of true crime authors" by The Washington Post. His crime studies remain on required reading lists in university criminology courses. In his obituary, The New York Times described his work as "a genuine contribution to criminology and journalism alike."

Olsen lived on Bainbridge Island, Washington, and died on July 16, 2002.