January 25, 2023—We regret to have to share the news that John Jacobsen died at his home in Marblehead, Massachusetts, on January 12, with his wife, Jeanie Stahl, by his side. John founded White Oak Associates, which led strategic planning initiatives for more than 100 museums. His museum career began in 1985 as Associate Director of the Boston Museum of Science, where, under the leadership of Dr. Roger Nichols, he executive produced the Museum’s $24 million Hall Wing and Mugar Omni Theater and oversaw the making of the popular IMAX short film New England Time Capsule. John and Jeanie later co-executive produced the IMAX film The Living Sea produced by MacGillivray Freeman Films.
John was also instrumental in helping GSCA develop the Digital Immersive Giant Screen Specifications (DIGSS), which was the result of the Digital Immersive Screen Colloquium for Unified Standards and Specifications (DISCUSS), an NSF grant-funded study conducted by White Oak. John also participated on the GSCA Technical Committee, and he and Jeanie were frequent attendees at GSCA conferences.
A celebration of his life is being planned for late spring in Marblehead. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name may be made to the museum of your choice. We send our sincere sympathy to Jeanie and to their family, friends, and colleagues.
