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Lawrence Journal-World Staff Biographies

Bill Snead, 65, began his journalism career at the Lawrence (KS) Journal-World in 1954 as a 17 year-old high school senior. At that time he mixed chemicals and made engravings. He became a one man photo department while attending Kansas University. He went on to become a staff photographer at the Topeka (KS) Capital-Journal, Chief photographer at the Wilmingron (Del) News-Journal, ran the UPI Photo bureau in Vietname and Chicago from 1967 - 1969, was a National Geographic Picture Editor, and then he joined the Washington Post in 1972 as the Assistant Managing Editor of Photo and Graphis. He spent 21 years at the Post. In 1993, he returned to the Lawrence Jounal-World to run the newsroom and teach photojournalism and reporting at Kansas University. Snead was the NPPA regional photographer of the year for three years running, he has won the Pennsylvania Photographer of the Year, was runner up for a Pulitzer in 1992 for feature photography, and since returning to the Lawrence Journal has added two first place awards in 2002 for reporting and photography from the Kansas Press Association.

Richard Gwin is the senior photographer at the Lawrence Journal-World and has been with the paper since 1978. Born in Pratt, Kan. In 1950 Gwin attended the University of Kansas studying interior design and photojournalism. Gwin has won awards in both regional and national photo contests including NPPA, Associated Press and Kansas Press Association. Gwin has raced cars and motorcycles professionally, has traveled to Cuba annually since 1990 and Jamaica since 1980 and enjoys fishing when not completing work on his new 3,000 sq. ft. Santa Fe style home.

Scott McClurg is a 25 year-old-staffer who joined the Journal-World in August 2001. He is the primary KU sports photographer for the Journal-World, covering all home and away football and basketball games including two Final Fours in first two years on staff. McClurg graduated from the University of Nebraska in May 2001 majoring in
News/Editorial and spent a semester in northeast Brazil studying Portuguese and working on photo projects.

Mike Yoder, 47, is the chief photographer at the Lawrence Journal-World, managing a staff of 3 full-time photographers and has been at the paper since 1984. Yoder has a master’s degree in journalism with a photojournalism emphasis from Ball State University in Muncie, IN., was a 1999 Platypus Workshop graduate and recently participated in the America24-7 project. Yoder plays guitar in a traveling acoustic string band, enjoys cycling and has been documenting the Vinland Fair, a rural Kansas, non-commercial, community fair, for over 12 years.

Thad Allender graduated from the University of Kansas in January of 2002 with a degree in newspaper journalism. After graduating, he traveled to Chiapas, Mexico where he worked with and photographed a Zapatista community for the summer. Thad accepted a staff photography position at the Lawrence Journal-World in August of 2002. Allender was invited to participate in the 2003 Eddie Adams Workshop in New York this fall and was a contract photographer for this springs America 24-7 project.

Melissa Lacey joined the Lawrence Journal-World in May 1998. Melissa worked for three years at the Hutchinson (Kan.) News, and she also interned at the York (Pa.) Daily Record, and the Elyria (Ohio) Chronicle-Telegram. She graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in Photojournalism in December 1994.

Yoder, Gwin, Lacey and Snead were all on the Lawrence Journal-World staff in 1997 when the Journal-World won 2nd place in Pictures of Year competition for Best Use of Photography by a newspaper with circulation under 25,000.