From left, Vladimir Zelman, David Hume Kennerly and Holly Muir are seen after the Seventh Annual Vladimir Zelman, PhD, MD Distinguished and Endowed Lectureship.

An extensive collection of noteworthy photos from recent history were the centerpiece of a lecture by David Hume Kennerly, renowned photojournalist, at the Seventh Annual Vladimir Zelman, PhD, MD Distinguished and Endowed Lectureship, held in Aresty Auditorium on the Health Sciences Campus.

Kennerly won the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography in 1972 for his portfolio of subjects that included the Vietnam War, East Pakistani refugees near Kolkata and the famous “Fight of the Century” boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier. He was 25 at the time he received the award, and two years later was appointed photographer to the president for Gerald Ford.

Kennerly said that his career success stems in part from inquisitiveness about the world around us. “I’ve been extremely lucky. And it’s all about curiosity and the idea of being able, with your camera as kind of a passport, to see things that you wouldn’t normally get to see. I’ve always wondered what was happening right around the corner. And I still do.”

Throughout his career, Kennerly has photographed every U.S. president since Richard Nixon, been at the forefront of documenting important events around the world from the Jonestown massacre to the 2016 presidential campaign and received many of the top honors awarded to photographers. He has also written six books and produced several films.

The Guilford and Diane Glazer Foundation sponsored the April 19 event. —Amanda Busick