The Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions to Missouri -journalism, and to provide an educational venue to showcase visual reporting pioneers and the work of current photojournalists.

Established in 2005, the HOF was housed in Washington, Mo., for 10 years before relocating to the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri. Please visit our www.photojournalimhalloffame.org to see biographies of each of the inductees and examples of their work.

Inductees are recognized for one or more of the following: outstanding photojournalism achievement, long-term photography for a Missouri publication or other journalism outlet, leadership in education, technical innovations, ethical values and integrity and contributions to community.

2020

Chris Cannella

Christine M. Cannella was born in Omaha, Nebraska. Her introduction to photography came as a toddler watching her Uncle Joe manipulate his ever-present Leica; she also loved the magic of watching her father’s Polaroid pictures reveal themselves.

Chris earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism in 1973 from the University of Kansas. She joined the staff of the Leavenworth Times in 1974. In February 1976, the newsroom scanner reported a fire over the feed store downtown. Chris’ photo of a fireman rescuing a 7-month- old ran in newspapers around the world. It led to Chris being hired as the first woman among a photo staff of 27 men at the Kansas City Star in 1976.

Chris earned a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare in 1983 from the University of Kansas. She became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Art Therapist until her retirement in 2016. Chris continues to make photographs nearly daily.

Two of her long-term projects include: The shepherdess/poet: four years, following a then-14-year-old girl raising a herd of sheep on the Coast of Maine and a year-long project shooting the Milky Way at the New Moon.

A man where a conductor's cap looks into the camera.

An elderly man sits outside of a grocery store as an elderly woman walks by.

A man scrunches his face as he affectionally holds up a small dog.

John Dengler

John L. Dengler’s passion for photojournalism started as a 10-year-old in a relative’s abandoned basement darkroom. By 14, he was a staff photographer for The Pioneer, the student-produced newspaper at Southwest High School. He studied photojournalism at the University of Missouri and spent his breaks as a temporary staff photographer at the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. After graduation, he worked as a features page designer at the Globe-Democrat. Following Angus McDougall’s philosophy that photojournalists should produce entire packages from start to finish, he used the position to improve photo editing and usage throughout the paper. He joined the photography staff a year later where his efforts in photography and picture editing were recognized with numerous regional awards. When the paper closed, he joined the Springfield News-Leader as Graphics Editor, where he continued to push for compelling visual storytelling through design, photography, and infographic reporting. Dengler has also served on the faculty and on the staff of the Missouri Photo Workshop.

In 2008, Dengler took advantage of an opportunity to start a new chapter – a freelance business combining his love of photography with his passion for the outdoors, focusing primarily on conservation and environmental issues. His freelance photography has been used by BBC Books, the National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, national travel and regional magazines, and he has work on permanent display at several science museums including the Wonders of Wildlife National Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo.

A trio of men, one holding a shotgun, inspect the trunk of a car.

A pregnant woman sits on a swing at rest while talking to a child

A group of people stand inside what looks like a large air ballon with another air pillow inside it.

Odell Mitchell, Jr.

Odell Mitchell Jr. became interested in photography at age 17 when an older brother brought back a camera from Vietnam. Odell, a native of East St. Louis, Ill., was an award-winning photographer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for twenty-four years.

He traveled throughout the United States, Mexico and Africa covering the gamut of news, sports, fashion and features. In addition to his career at the Post-Dispatch, Odell has taught seminars on photography and has been a judge in various photographic competitions.

His shooting philosophy is “don’t pose, just shoot,” to capture the truth and reality of the moment. Odell says, “Photography is so much fun for me. I’ve been blessed to be able to work professionally doing something that I love that never gets boring or routine for me. There’s always something new to learn, too, as I’ve progressed from using film cameras to using all digital camera equipment.”

He currently teaches photography to college and high school students. Odell’s photos have been published in national magazines, books, and exhibits. He and his wife have published a series of children’s books that feature his photography. He lives in O’Fallon, Ill. with his wife, Linda.

A catholic priest or religious leader kneels before an alter in a church.

A man holds a pistol among a group of people.

2021

Marie Hansen

After graduating from the University of Missouri, Marie Hansen went to the Louisville Courier-Journal where she was a photographer and photo editor.

In 1942, she was offered a job to join the team of LIFE staff photographers as their third female staff photographer (Margaret Bourke-White and Hansel Mieth were the other two at the time). Hansen’s first big story for LIFE was her photo-essay on the WAAC’s, the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps, which was first organized in the United States, May 12, 1942.

In 1945, Hansen went to Hollywood for LIFE, where Joseph Pasternak (Hungarian-born film producer working at MGM) asked her to audition. After a screen test, she was offered a movie contract, but turned it down because she realized she was more interested in what was going on behind the camera than in front of it. After Hollywood, Hansen was stationed in Washington, D.C. where she was assigned to the White House during most of World War II.

General Dwight D. Eisenhower chose one of Hansen’s portraits of him as his “official” photograph. In 1946, Hansen left LIFE as a staff photographer, and she and her husband David Wesley toured the world as a writer/photographer team.

A collection of black and white photos taken most likely during the first half of the 20th century.

Two photos.

Left photo shows president Harry Truman speaking with General Dwight Eisenhower.

Right photo - General George Patton

Left photo - a woman dances.

Right photo - a man and woman lie on a blanket under a tree.

John Sleezer

John Sleezer trained as a combat photographer in the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Hood before taking his first job as a staff photojournalist in Kansas in 1980.

In 1987, he became the chief photojournalist at the Columbia Daily Tribune, and he spent 31 years at The Kansas City Star mostly photographing the Royals and the Chiefs. He also covered daily news and feature stories including Final Four basketball tournaments and World Series games.

While at The Kanas City Star, he served as temporary picture editor in each of the three picture desk positions at the paper (assignment editor, features editor, and night editor). His success stories include developing and implementing a training program to transition the photography staff during the years of transition from film-based still photography to digital photography and video.

His photography has been earning awards since 1978, including an NFL Pro Football

Photograph of the Year and The Full Nelson Award. He also volunteers with the Boy Scouts of America, including four years as Cub Scouts leader and nine years as a Boy Scouts leader.

A person stands in a phone booth holds a bicycle standing vertically on the rear tire as a woman with an umbrella walks by.

A manager of the Kansas City Royals baseball team throws his cap to the ground during an exchange with the umpire.

A boys holds a bucket of water atop his head while another boy drinks from a stream of water coming from a hole in the side of the bucket

Julie Smith

Julie Smith, born and raised in Jefferson City and grew up less than 10 miles from the current Jefferson City News Tribune office, a place where she has spent 30-plus years covering community events, activities, and life.

Smith first became interested in photography when she worked on her high school’s yearbook staff. She bought a Kodak 110 Instamatic from JC Penney in Jefferson City unaware that she was beginning a lifelong journey. After high school graduation, her interest in photography was reignited when she received a Yashica 35mm Rangefinder and taught herself technical and compositional skills by trial and error.

In 1982, she started work at Wright Camera Shop in Jefferson City, where she built a relationship with the News Tribune chief photographer, a role she would later take on. In 1989 she started at the News Tribune part-time and was hired full-time a couple months later. In December 2021, Smith will celebrate her 32nd anniversary with the paper, where she has received numerous prestigious awards and recognition, including being nominated for the Zonta Yellow Rose Woman of Achievement, the W.E. Hussman Employee of the Year Award for WEHCO Media’s Palmer Division of newspapers, Jefferson City’s Chamber of Commerce Exceptional Employee of the Year award, and a parade for “Julie Smith Day.”