The Gift of Memories

For lauded Louisville, Kentucky-based photographer Dan Dry, a chance opportunity with Athens High School newspaper The Matrix opened a gate to a lifelong career.

Dry, his wife, Margaret, and their two daughters recently gifted to the University a collection of his photos, valued at $4.1 million, that spans the decades since he picked up a camera for his high school newspaper. Comprising images of family and friends, professional work and snapshots of the daily life of an on-the-go photographer, the collection provides an important glimpse into the history of OHIO and more.

From a very early age, Dry was an integral part of local photojournalism. He was encouraged by a high school teacher to join the student newspaper and learned to use a camera after finding out that the publication needed a photographer. He quickly caught on and began working for The Athens Messenger shortly after.

Around his junior year of high school, Chuck Scott, MSJ ’70, co-founder of the School of Visual Communication in Scripps College of Communication, asked Dry to consider applying to OHIO’s photojournalism program. Though Dry initially wanted to go elsewhere for college, Scott convinced him to stay and help to shape the program.

During Dry’s time at OHIO, Scott took a position as managing editor for the Chicago Tribune. Scott’s son-in-law and School of Visual Communication co-founder Terry Eiler, BFA ’66, MFA ’69, stepped in as the school’s new director. Amid the turmoil of transition, Dry again considered pursuing his education elsewhere.

“Terry said, ‘Everybody’s leaving. I know you want to leave too. I need you to stay here and help me with this program. Give me two quarters to prove myself,’ ” Dry recalls. He now credits Eiler for pushing him to create his best work and strive for greatness.

“He was harder on me than anybody else. … I appreciated it then, and I appreciate it now,” Dry explains. “He pushed me to become the best of the very best that I could be.”

As his professors challenged him to create the compelling, cutting-edge photographs that landed him a rich selection of awards and accolades, a spirit of amicable competition among his peers did the same.

“I think that’s one of the great things about Ohio University and VisCom … the cream really rises,” he says. “It’s super competitive. If you want to succeed, it’s a great environment to be in.”

By any measure, it is clear that Dry not only succeeded, but excelled. While in college, Dry worked as chief photographer for The Athens Messenger while simultaneously managing a full course load and frequent freelance opportunities with other publications.

Before graduation, he earned top honors in the photojournalism category of the Hearst National Journalism Awards Championship, interned twice at National Geographic and received 17 job offers at local, regional and national newsrooms across the country.

“I turned them all down—every single one of them down—to go to what was my dream newspaper, who I felt had the finest photo staff in America: the Courier Journal here in Louisville,” Dry says. His original offer of a three-month temporary appointment became a five-and-a-half-year commitment that played an integral part in shaping his future.

Among other roles in his prolific career, Dry was a contract photographer for National Geographic for 10 years, owned his own corporate and advertising studio, and worked under contract with the creative team in University of Chicago’s Office of Development. Today, he is the managing director of the Creative Content Studio at Louisville-based advertising agency PriceWeber, a role he’s held for nine years, and has served as an official photographer of the Kentucky Derby for 46 years.

Over the course of his career, Dry has won more than 500 national and international photography, advertising and design awards, making him one of the nation’s most awarded photographers. His accolades include NPPA Newspaper Photographer of the Year and induction into the Ohio Communication Hall of Fame at Ohio University.

“Dan Dry is a trailblazer in the field of photojournalism. His award-winning work is a testament to his skill and creativity,” says University President Lori Stewart Gonzalez. “We are thrilled to receive such a vibrant and rich collection of his work, which will provide an important glimpse into OHIO history for many years to come. We are forever grateful for Dan’s generosity and are honored to have his collection at OHIO.”

As an Athens native, Dry is proud to continue supporting and connecting with OHIO as “a school that breeds excellence,” highlighting the uniqueness of its location in the heart of Appalachia.

“I’ve been to a whole lot of college towns,” he says. “I’ve lectured at colleges and universities across the country and, in my opinion, for what it is and what it does, [OHIO] is in a league by itself … starting with President Gonzalez and going down to the custodial staff and everyone else in between. Everyone who works there has a pride in themselves, a pride in what they do and a pride in the University.”

For the Dry family, their gift of the Dan Dry Collection, as it will be known, is a way of sharing memories and carrying on legacies.

“When I look back on everything that is in that collection, it’s so many memories that I want to share,” Dry explains. “It’s 50 years’ worth of work, and there are photos in there of me and my parents, and me and my family, and my daughters as they grew up. It’s a legacy that I wanted to share with the community and the University that has made me into the professional person that I am today.”

The personal nature of Dry’s collection will provide important knowledge of Athens and OHIO history through the lens of one noteworthy alumnus.

“Dan Dry is an extraordinary example of what an OHIO education can inspire—his remarkable career includes work that spans both photojournalism and commercial photography,” says Scott Titsworth, dean of Scripps College of Communication. “Having his collection at Ohio University will provide a tremendous resource for students and faculty, as they exemplify the power of images in compelling storytelling. We are incredibly grateful for his support and look forward to honoring his legacy through this exceptional collection.”

For Dean of University Libraries Rob Ross, Dry’s collection documents both a place-based history and one that’s more technical.

“As an early adopter of digital photography, Dan’s collection not only contains incredible images spanning his award-winning career, but it also documents technical and professional changes in photographic practice,” Ross says.

Laura Smith, photo archivist and curator of the Documentary Photography Archive in the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections at Ohio University Libraries, is leading the work to organize, describe and make accessible Dry’s work. Once processed, the collection will be open to anyone with an interest in photography or the subjects captured by Dry’s lens.

“Dan’s deep connection to Athens and the OHIO community is a wonderful entry point for students,” Ross adds. “The collection offers students a way to see themselves in the work of an accomplished photographer, whether imagining themselves in their future professions or recognizing their time in Athens and Ohio University. We look forward to seeing students, faculty and the community engage with this exciting collection.”

Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about for Dry and his family. With this gift, they are paying forward their appreciation for and pride in OHIO to a community they hold dear.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to wake up and do whatI love—photography—every day since I was 15 years old,” Dry says. “I get up every morning in anticipation of all that and anticipation of paying it forward. I’ve worked my tail off; there is no question. I have just been so blessed in my life, and I want to share that in every way that I can. Am I a proud Bobcat? You are daggone right. As proud as they come.”

Feature photo courtesy the Dan Dry Collection in the Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections