Famous People

An "investigative reporter" in Washington before that profession became fashionable, Drew Pearson was in his day the king of the muckrakers in the nation's capital. He, later in association with his protoge Jack Anderson, wrote the column "Washington Merry-Go-Round," which appeared in hundreds of newspapers across the country. This picture was taken just a few weeks before his death. Leica M-3, 90mm Summicron, Tri-X

Bill Buckley was a friend of mine -- something that hundreds of people can accurately say -- as well as the leading conservative voice in American political letters for more than a generation. This was taken aboard his sailboat on the way back from one of his famous Friday night sails to Eaton's Neck, Long Island. Olympus Stylus, Fujicolor, fill-in flash

Now a successful novelist and columnist, Andrew Klavan was a colleague of mine at a little newspaper office in Putnam County, New York, when this picture was taken in early 1979. So, I knew him when. Leica M-2, 35mm Summicron, Tri-X, D-76 1:1

In 1981, WOR-AM in New York was the number one radio station in the country. A lot of it had to do with the newsroom (I say somewhat immodestly; I was morning drive editor and a street reporter there at the time). This view of the newsroom features sports reporter Don Criqui, seated, and New York radio news legend Lester Smith. Leica M-4, 35mm Summicron, Tri-X, Microdol-X 1:3

A typical morning on the air at WOR-AM. At the left is New York radio fixture John A. Gambling; in the center is news reader Lou Adler, the station's news director at the time, and at right is Mayor Edward I. Koch. Leica M-4, 35mm Summicron, Tri-X, Microdol-X 1:3

One of the most famous radio personalities in the world, Willis Conover broadcast his jazz program on the Voice of America to every country on the planet for decades. Mamiya 645, normal lens, Tri-X, Microdol-X 1:3

Though not generally famous, Cliff Edom remains an icon in the field of photojpurnalism -- he effectively invented modern photojournalism, and most of the best news photographers of today were his students or his students' students. Almost as famous in the field was his wife, Vi. Here they prepare for a picture showing at the Missouri photo workshop in Bolivar. Bronica S-2, normal lens, Tri-X, Diafine developer

As associate illustrations editor of the National Geographic, Tom Smith shepherded some of the world's best and most famous images into print. But his work as a teacher of photojournalism, though lesser known, is not to be overlooked. Here he helps a student figure out a cranky Ultrablitz Meteor SPGH electronic flash. Leica M-4, 50mm f1.2 Canon lens, Tri-X

Ed Kim was photo editor at National Geographic; here he's shown with the nifty (then new) Leicaflex with motor drive and the 400mm Telyt lens. Partially shown is University of Missouri photojournalism student Harriet Goldberg. Bronica S-2, normal lens, Tri-X, Diafine