Yoichi Okamoto

Who was Yoichi Okamoto?

Yoichi R. Okamoto was the first official U.S. presidential photographer, serving Lyndon B. Johnson. He was fondly known as "Oke", and was given unprecedented access to the Oval Office. He captured images of the President of the United States, more candid than had been previously acceptable.

Because of his ability to be present at almost any event, more photos of the Johnson presidency are available than from any earlier term of office. The 1990 coffee table book LBJ: The White House Years by Harry Middleton consists primarily of images taken by Okamoto.

Okamoto was a native of Yonkers, New York. Okamoto attended Colgate University and served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps. He died at his own hand, hanging himself in his Florida home, at the age of 69.