Clifton C. Edom
Encyclopedia
Clifton Cedric "Cliff" Edom (February 12, 1907 in Baylis, Illinois
- January 30, 1991 in Branson, Missouri
), often credited as the "Father of Photojournalism", was prolific in the development of photojournalism
education
.
, in 1925, Edom attended a Linotype
school and worked for several newspapers. He married Vilia Clarissa "Vi" Patefield (1908–2004) on June 30, 1928, and the couple bought the weekly Edgar News in Edgar, Wisconsin
, working with it until 1930 when Edom began work with the Wausau Record-Herald in Wausau, Wisconsin
.
Five years later, the Edoms with their daughter Verna Mae "Vme", moved to Aurora, Missouri
, for Cliff to serve as educational director of TASOPE, the Aurora School of Photo-Engraving, as well as editor
of its magazine The Tasope News, later PIX.
In 1943, Frank Luther Mott
, dean of the School of Journalism
at the University of Missouri
at Columbia
, recruited Edom to head the new photojournalism sequence. He also enrolled as an undergraduate, teaching classes he wasn't able to take until his junior year, and finally completed his Bachelor of Journalism
in 1946.
Edom was prolific in his advancement of photojournalism as a recognized field, including the founding of Kappa Alpha Mu, the National Photojournalism Honors Society on April 20, 1945, and editing with Vi Edom the society's official publication, The National Photojournalist. He also established the News Pictures of the Year Competition and Exhibition, now Pictures of the Year International
(POYi), in 1944, incorporating the College Photographer of the Year competition the next year.
In 1949, the Edoms founded the first Missouri Photo Workshop to teach methods of research, observation, and timing in developing photostories of rural Missouri towns. Roy Stryker
, Russell Lee
, Angus McDougall, among many other of America's leading newspaper and magazine photographers and editors, have served as faculty at the workshop. According to the Missouri Photo Workshop, Edom's credo was to "Show truth with a camera. Ideally truth is a matter of personal integrity. In no circumstances will a posed or fake photograph be tolerated."
In 1955, Edom received the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award from the National Press Photographers Association
, which is "the highest honor in the field of photojournalism."
Although he continued his involvement with the school, Edom retired from the University of Missouri in 1972. He and Vi established The Little Gallery in Forsyth, Missouri
, and Edom continued teaching at Crowder College
in Neosho, Missouri
.
established the Clifton C. Edom Award, which "recognizes an individual in the tradition of Cliff Edom to inspire and motivate members of the photojournalism community to reach new heights."
Vme Edom Smith founded the Cliff and Vi Edom Truth with a Camera Workshop, which is sponsored in part by the Clifton C. and Vilia C. Edom Foundation for Photojournalism Education.
Baylis, Illinois
Baylis is a village in Pike County, Illinois, United States. The population was 265 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Baylis is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
- January 30, 1991 in Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
), often credited as the "Father of Photojournalism", was prolific in the development of photojournalism
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is a particular form of journalism that creates images in order to tell a news story. It is now usually understood to refer only to still images, but in some cases the term also refers to video used in broadcast journalism...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
.
Biography
After receiving a teaching certificate from the Western Illinois State Teachers College, now Western Illinois UniversityWestern Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
, in 1925, Edom attended a Linotype
Linotype machine
The Linotype typesetting machine is a "line casting" machine used in printing. The name of the machine comes from the fact that it produces an entire line of metal type at once, hence a line-o'-type, a significant improvement over manual typesetting....
school and worked for several newspapers. He married Vilia Clarissa "Vi" Patefield (1908–2004) on June 30, 1928, and the couple bought the weekly Edgar News in Edgar, Wisconsin
Edgar, Wisconsin
Edgar is a village in Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. It is part of the Wausau, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census...
, working with it until 1930 when Edom began work with the Wausau Record-Herald in Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau, Wisconsin
Wausau is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city. The city is adjacent to the town of Wausau.According to the 2000 census, Wausau had a population of 38,426 people...
.
Five years later, the Edoms with their daughter Verna Mae "Vme", moved to Aurora, Missouri
Aurora, Missouri
Aurora is a city in Lawrence County, Missouri, United States. The population was 7,014 at the 2000 census.-History:Between 1911 and 1920, the virulently Anti-Catholic newspaper The Menace was published in Aurora by W. F Phelps and Earl McClure...
, for Cliff to serve as educational director of TASOPE, the Aurora School of Photo-Engraving, as well as editor
Editor in chief
An editor-in-chief is a publication's primary editor, having final responsibility for the operations and policies. Additionally, the editor-in-chief is held accountable for delegating tasks to staff members as well as keeping up with the time it takes them to complete their task...
of its magazine The Tasope News, later PIX.
In 1943, Frank Luther Mott
Frank Luther Mott
Frank Luther Mott was an American historian and journalist of Quaker descent.Mott was born in Rose Hill, Iowa...
, dean of the School of Journalism
Missouri School of Journalism
The Missouri School of Journalism at University of Missouri in Columbia, claims to be the oldest formal journalism school in the world. Founded in 1908, only the Ecole Supérieure de Journalisme de Paris established in 1899 may be older...
at the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
at Columbia
Columbia, Missouri
Columbia is the fifth-largest city in Missouri, and the largest city in Mid-Missouri. With a population of 108,500 as of the 2010 Census, it is the principal municipality of the Columbia Metropolitan Area, a region of 164,283 residents. The city serves as the county seat of Boone County and as the...
, recruited Edom to head the new photojournalism sequence. He also enrolled as an undergraduate, teaching classes he wasn't able to take until his junior year, and finally completed his Bachelor of Journalism
Bachelor of Journalism
The Bachelor of Journalism degree is a professional degree awarded at some universities to students who have studied journalism in a three or four year undergraduate program. In the United States, some schools that do not award the B.J...
in 1946.
Edom was prolific in his advancement of photojournalism as a recognized field, including the founding of Kappa Alpha Mu, the National Photojournalism Honors Society on April 20, 1945, and editing with Vi Edom the society's official publication, The National Photojournalist. He also established the News Pictures of the Year Competition and Exhibition, now Pictures of the Year International
Pictures of the Year
is the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism program in the world. POYi began as an annual competition for photojournalism in 1944, and is now an international professional development program for visual journalism. POYi is a non-profit, academic program dedicated to journalism education...
(POYi), in 1944, incorporating the College Photographer of the Year competition the next year.
In 1949, the Edoms founded the first Missouri Photo Workshop to teach methods of research, observation, and timing in developing photostories of rural Missouri towns. Roy Stryker
Roy Stryker
Roy Emerson Stryker was an American economist, government official, and photographer. He is most famous for heading the Information Division of the Farm Security Administration during the Great Depression and launching the documentary photography movement of the FSA.After serving in the infantry...
, Russell Lee
Russell Lee (photographer)
Russell Lee was an American photographer and photojournalist.Lee had trained as a chemical engineer, and in the fall of 1936 became a member of the team of photographers assembled under Roy Stryker for the federally sponsored Farm Security Administration documentation project...
, Angus McDougall, among many other of America's leading newspaper and magazine photographers and editors, have served as faculty at the workshop. According to the Missouri Photo Workshop, Edom's credo was to "Show truth with a camera. Ideally truth is a matter of personal integrity. In no circumstances will a posed or fake photograph be tolerated."
In 1955, Edom received the Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award from the National Press Photographers Association
National Press Photographers Association
NPPA is the acronym for the National Press Photographers Association, founded in 1947. The organization is based in Durham, North Carolina and its mostly made up of still photographers, television videographers, editors, and students in the journalism field...
, which is "the highest honor in the field of photojournalism."
Although he continued his involvement with the school, Edom retired from the University of Missouri in 1972. He and Vi established The Little Gallery in Forsyth, Missouri
Forsyth, Missouri
Forsyth is a city in Taney County, Missouri, United States. The population was 1,686 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Taney County. The town is part of the Branson, Missouri Micropolitan Statistical Area-Geography:...
, and Edom continued teaching at Crowder College
Crowder College
Crowder College, established in 1963 on the grounds of the former Fort Crowder, is a two-year community college serving the Junior College District of Newton and McDonald counties in southwestern Missouri and other outlying areas, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees...
in Neosho, Missouri
Neosho, Missouri
Neosho is the most populous city in and the county seat of Newton County, Missouri, United States. Neosho is an integral part of the Joplin, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Legacy
In 1991, the National Press Photographers AssociationNational Press Photographers Association
NPPA is the acronym for the National Press Photographers Association, founded in 1947. The organization is based in Durham, North Carolina and its mostly made up of still photographers, television videographers, editors, and students in the journalism field...
established the Clifton C. Edom Award, which "recognizes an individual in the tradition of Cliff Edom to inspire and motivate members of the photojournalism community to reach new heights."
Vme Edom Smith founded the Cliff and Vi Edom Truth with a Camera Workshop, which is sponsored in part by the Clifton C. and Vilia C. Edom Foundation for Photojournalism Education.