Gale Hemmann, in the local ThurstonTalk.com news outlet for Thurston Country, Washington, tells us about Ernie Brooks one of the original members of the STURP:
Brooks is originally from Santa Barbara, California. His father, Ernest Brooks, Senior, was a famous photographer, and founded the prestigious Brooks Institute (photography runs deep in the family genes). After serving in the Air Force, Ernie Brooks attended his father’s institute, and went on to serve as a teacher and then president for over three decades (producing some world-class alumni). He began diving by exploring the islands in the area, and has since gone on to dive in nearly every ocean in the world (as well as some incredible land expeditions, such as working on the Shroud of Turin project). Mentored by the legendary photographer Ansel Adams, Brooks has gained international acclaim for his talent behind the lens.
One of those world-class alumni, of course, was Barrie Schwortz.
There is a small reference to the shroud on the Brooks Institute website:
1970s: Brooks Institute plays an integral part in the photographic analysis of the fabled Shroud of Turin, a religious relic purported to be the burial cloth of Jesus Christ. The custodians of the shroud permitted a scientific study of the shroud, and a Brooks team led by Professor Vernon Miller, head of the school’s industrial/scientific department, was responsible for visual documentation and analysis.
Great to see an article about Ernie Brooks! He put the full resources of Brooks Institute behind the STURP photographic efforts and contributed greatly to our success. Also, Mark Evans, who was responsible for STURP’s photomicroscopy experiments, was a graduate student at Brooks Institute at the time.