Vi Edom

Vi Edom has been the guiding spirit of the Missouri Photo Workshop for 52 years. She and her husband, Cliff Edom, held the first workshop in Columbia, Mo., in 1949. They brought together top professionals in the business to instruct mid-career newpaper photograhers. Since then, life in small-town Missouri has been well documented for one week each year. Cliff and Vi came from Wisconsin to work at the Aurora School of Photo Engraving at Aurora, Mo. In 1943, the Edoms moved to the University of Missouri in Columbia, where Cliff founded the first department of photojournalism. In addition to the photojournalism department and the workshop, the Edoms created the Pictures of the Year (POY) contest. And, it was a joint effort. While Cliff came up with all of these educationally innovative ideas, it was Vi who took care of the details, making sure they succeeded. Vi accomplished this supportive work while holding a full-time job, as assistant manager of the Missouri Press Association from 1943 to 1973. Her nights and weekends were devoted to Cliff's projects and raising their daughter, Vme Edom Smith.