Political photographer David Hume Kennerly has been appointed as the first University of Arizona presidential scholar by President Robert Robbins, the school announced last Tuesday.
The unpaid, honorary appointment highlights the university’s drive to support the arts, humanities and social sciences, which are critical to success in the global economy, according to university officials
Kennerly won the Pulitzer Prize at 25 for his documentation of the Vietnam War and served as chief White House photographer for President Gerald Ford, among many other titles.
Here is his comment on the announcement :
I’m greatly honored by University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins making me his first Presidential Scholar. We look forward to working with him, the outstanding faculty, and the team at the Center for Creative Photography, home of the Ansel Adams Archive. This appointment is the start of an interdisciplinary agenda at the university that will marry photography, history, and the arts. This wouldn’t have happened without the hard work of Rebecca Soladay Kennerly whose vision of combining my historic photographs with the people in them appearing for academic appearances ignited this fuse. She has been the keeper, overseer, and chief promoter of the Kennerly Archive. Stay tuned for more exciting announcements to come!
David Hume Kennerly
