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Name: Bill Eppridge
Degree and Year: BJ '60 (Photojournalism)
Company: Sports Illustrated
Title: Staff Photographer
Guillermo Alfredo Eduardo Eppridge was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to American parents. His father was a chemical engineer working for the Dupont Company. His time in Argentina was brief, and he spent the greater part of his youth in Richmond, Va., Nashville, Tenn. and Wilmington, Del.
Bill Eppridge, BJ '60
Ermanox Photograph © 2005 David Burnett
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NikonNet USA Profile
Legends Behind the Lens:
Bill Eppridge
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His interest in photography came early. The year was 1948, and Bill Eppridge was photographed by an itinerant photographer who traveled with a pony and a camera. At that moment, Eppridge thought it might be fun to do this when he grew up. He already had his own Brownie Star Flash 620.
By the time Eppridge was in his second year of high school, he was regularly photographing local sporting events for the Wilmington Sunday Star newspaper. After graduating from Archmere Academy in 1955, he attended the University of Toronto with thoughts of an archeology degree which soon changed to the more immediate realities of photographic journalism when he was named, in his sophomore year, Director of Photography at the University's 36-page daily paper, Varsity. (Varsity staff members thought themselves to be in direct competition with the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail.)
However, common sense and its reputation dictated the University of Missouri for the rest of Eppridge's college education. During the next three years, he was three times named "MU Photographer of the Year," twice named "College Photographer of the Year" by the National Press Photographers Association and in 1959 won first place in the NPPA pictorial category of the "Pictures of the Year" competition.
After graduation from the Missouri School of Journalism in 1960, Eppridge's first professional assignment was a nine-month, round-the-world shoot covering eleven countries for National Geographic magazine. That story ran 32 pages. The Geographic wanted to put him on staff, but on advice from Bill Garrett (later to become the editor of the magazine) went to New York to renew some friendships he had made at LIFE.
While in New York City, waiting at the traffic light across the street from the Time & Life building, Eppridge heard a familiar voice say, "Bill, is that you?"
He turned and responded to the voice, "Roy, is that you?"
"Yes," said Roy Rowan, who was the LIFE Chicago Bureau Chief and had been one of the judges for the CPOY competition in 1959. Rowan had recently been transferred back to New York, and named the new Director of Photography for LIFE.
"We're looking for good, new, young photographers," said Rowan. "Can you move to New York? If so, we'll use you."
Eppridge said "Yes!" He did, and they did. His first ten assignments all ran in the magazine. Within a year he was given a contract. Six months later, he was made a LIFE staff photographer.
Eppridge's work in LIFE in the years 1962 thru 1972 ranged from wild horses in Montana's Prior Mountains to the 50th Anniversary of the Soviet Revolution; from Streisand's Paris to the Beatles first days in the United States; from Mississippi Burning and James Chaney's funeral to two essays on New York's Needle Park; from revolutions in Santo Domingo and Panama, to the war in Vietnam.
Robert Kennedy's 1968 campaign for the Presidency provided Eppridge with some of his most memorable images. He was twelve feet behind the Senator when he was assassinated in Los Angeles. The photograph of Senator Kennedy lying on the floor, his head cradled by a busboy, is one of the most famous images in photojournalism.
Sports Illustrated hired Eppridge after LIFE folded, and he dove into sports coverage on stories as varied as five Olympic games; two swimsuit issue travel stories; African big-game poaching; opening days of trout season and bear season; Monongahela Valley high school football and college sidelines action; five America's Cup campaigns; the awful consequences of the explosion of Mount St. Helen's and the oil spill of the Exxon Valdez.
Eppridge is still a staff photographer with Sports Illustrated. His work has been shown around the world, most notably in an exhibit and book based on Robert Kennedy's last campaign. His photographs of the Beatles first U.S. visit have been traveling for the past three years, and spent a year at the Smithsonian's Museum of American History. He is working on another show of his photographs of Mississippi Burning.
He currently lives in Connecticut with his wife and collaborator. His advice to young photographers: "Find a good picture editor and then marry her."
News Releases
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May 3, 2005: 406 Graduates to Be Recognized at May Commencement The Missouri School of Journalism will recognize 406 graduates at its May commencement ceremonies that will begin at 5:30 p.m., Friday, May 13, in the Hearnes Center. Photojournalist Bill Eppridge, BJ '60, will be the graduation speaker. [More]
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