KU Giving Magazine
Time and Place — Celebrating a Life Behind the Lens
Jodi Bouyack
![timeplace-HAGMAN-PIscan-016-725px](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-HAGMAN-PIscan-016-725px.jpeg)
A new exhibit in KU’s Stauffer-Flint Hall showcases notable work of award-winning Jayhawk photojournalist Alan Hagman. Hagman was deputy director of photography at the Los Angeles Times when he died unexpectedly in 2019. He was known for his skilled eye, powerful images and ability to tell compelling stories about what was happening around the world.
A third-generation KU graduate, Hagman grew up in Pittsburg, Kan., and arrived on campus in 1982. He was a staff photographer for the University Daily Kansan during college and served as chief photographer for KU’s sports information department in 1986–87. He was selected for a prestigious White House internship in 1986 covering Vice President George H.W. Bush. That led to an internship with the Ventura bureau of the LA Times, which turned into a full-time job. To honor his life and career, his family created the Alan Hagman Journalism Scholarship for KU students interested in visual storytelling.
Hagman was a leader in exploring innovative approaches to photojournalism. He received numerous awards including the Robert F. Kennedy Humanitarian Award for International Photography in 2019 for “The Great March of the Return” documenting Gaza/Israel border clashes. Hagman won the award with photographer Marcus Yam and said it was the most meaningful recognition of his career.
Hagman’s devotion to his beloved Jayhawks was unmistakable. Both his home and office were filled with KU memorabilia, and he had a license plate that read “RCJHGKU.” While dedicated to his craft, Hagman made the most of life outside work, too. He was known for his outstanding smoked brisket and bourbon collection; enjoyed traveling for concerts and golf; and had a lifelong interest in “gonzo journalism.” Colleagues and friends described him as “always being the nicest person in the room.”
“Alan and I were really close,” said Jennifer Hagman, Alan’s sister and 1986 KU School of Medicine alumna. “I was so lucky to have such a talented and fun brother. I think he’d be flattered and grateful for this exhibit.”
The photos can be viewed in person throughout 2022 weekdays 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
![timeplace-AlanHagman-2-edit-350px](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-AlanHagman-2-edit-350px.jpeg)
AN EYE FOR STORIES: Celebrated photographer Alan Hagman was known for his ability to capture the moment. Above, KU students head home with their sofa after watching a football game on the Hill, fall 1986.
Photo Contributed
Photo Contributed
Support Storytelling
To make a gift for Jayhawk Journalists or the Alan Hagman Scholarship, visit www.kuendowment.org/journalism or contact Marlys Shulda at 785.832.7352.
![President Ronald Reagan received a kiss from his wife, Nancy, on his 75th birthday on Feb. 6, 1986, in Washington, D.C. Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-1-HAGMAN-PIscan-001-2.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![he Redondo Beach Pier burned down to the water while beachgoers oblivious to the disaster sunbathed. The pier sustained $10 million in damage from the May 27, 1988, fire. (Los Angeles Times) Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-2-HAGMAN-PIscan-002-2.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![Ostrich, 1998 Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-3-HAGMAN-PIscan-008.png)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![Calvert Grant DeForest, aka Larry “Bud” Melman, a frequent guest on “Late Night with David Letterman,” laughed it up during the second Late Night with Larry Brown event in 1986 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-4-HAGMAN-PIscan-014.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![While talking to homeowners Marilyn and Ben Lane, a rogue wave reared up and slammed into the home. Marilyn Lane rushed to try and close the door, but the giant wave came crashing into the house. Hagman instinctively caught the moment, squeezing off four shots as the wave hit him and pushed him against a wall. This image landed on the front page and ran in newspapers and magazines around the world.
(Los Angeles Times, Jan. 31, 1998) Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-5-HAGMAN-PIscan-017.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![Five U.S. presidents gathered at the dedication of the Ronald Reagan Library in Santa Barbara, California, on Nov. 4, 1991. The event was the first time in U.S. history that five presidents had gathered in the same place: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. (Los Angeles Times) Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-6-HAGMAN-PIscan-019.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![Guide Tony Alvis of La Conchita headed into camp after a day on the trail in the Lion Canyon area of Santa Barbara County. Alvis led pack trips through Los Padres National Forest areas of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Alvis, a close friend of Alan’s, died in the La Conchita Mudslide in 2005. (Santa Barbara Magazine, Aug. 21, 1998) Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-7-HAGMAN-PIscan-022.jpeg)
Photo by Alan Hagman
![Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson greeted the crowd before his lecture in the Kansas Union Ballroom on Feb. 2, 1987. Photo by Alan Hagman](https://kuendowment.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/timeplace-c-8-Hagman-029.png)
Photo by Alan Hagman
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Issue 38
Spring 2024
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