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Former AP photo editor Sandy Colton dies at 83
The Associated Press is reporting that William J. “Sandy” Colton, an AP photographer and photo editor for more than 2 decades, died Thursday of heart failure at his home in in Upstate New York. Colton, who had battled cancer in recent years, was responsible for many changes at the news agency including the AP’s conversion from black and white to color photography.
During the Korean war, Colton was in the Air Force and assigned to the staff of Pacific Stars and Stripes, the unofficial U.S. military newspaper, where he wrote war features. Frustrated by having to rely on Signal Corps photographers, he established the Tokyo-based paper’s own photo operation and later, as a civilian, became its chief photographer, covering events across Asia and the Middle East.
After returning to the United States in 1961 Colton was hired by the AP in New York. Except for a three-year stint as photo editor at the Washington Evening Star, he spent his career with the news agency. “Sandy Colton’s versatility as both writer and picture guy made him especially valuable,” said Hal Buell, former AP chief photo editor. “His experience, technical expertise and tireless work ethic helped AP solve problems at a time when photography was changing to all color, and eventually to digital transmission and digital photography.”
Colton retired from the AP in 1984 and became a charter member of the Eddie Adams Workshop, an annual free workshop for 100 young photojournalists chosen from around the world. Colton is survived by his wife, Irene; two sons by a previous marriage, Jay and James; a sister and three grandchildren.
Web: www.ap.org - Click here to view the original press release.
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