Assistant Editor Tom Graler asleep in the
yearbook office after an all nighter, 1967

Other than my father, the man who influenced me most was my high school journalism teacher, Fred Marlo. He made me co-editor of both the school paper and yearbook and pointed me toward the University of Kentucky. At the time UK had no photography program. I was paid $25 a week to begin it. I wasn't unhappy there was no program. It meant I could learn by doing, and from my freshman year onward I did most of the work there was to do, together with my mentor Dick Ware, the resident professional.

Our work culminated in 1967 with the UK yearbook. I was editor and principle photographer and determined to do something distinctive. The result is a two volume, hard bound, slip cased yearbook. The first volume was for photography. The second was for teams, clubs and class portraits. Creating the books took everything we had. I lived in the yearbook office for weeks at a time, and attended no classes.The yearbook was my class. Making it taught me about the risks of overindulgence, and the need for an editor.

But the year also provided what college was supposed to provide - a lasting learning experience. It taught me to esteem the making of books, and since then there hasn't been a time when I haven't been working on one.