# Edward Kramer Thompson > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Edward_Kramer_Thompson > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Edward_Kramer_Thompson.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kramer_Thompson > Source revision: 1352417963 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American writer (1907–1996)}} {{other people|Edward Thompson}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}} '''Edward Kramer Thompson''' (January 15, 1907 – October 8, 1996) was an American writer and editor. He was the editor of ''[Life](/source/Life_(magazine))'' from its early days as a weekly and was the founding editor of ''[Smithsonian](/source/Smithsonian_(magazine))'' magazine. ==Biography== Thompson was born in 1907 in [St. Thomas, North Dakota](/source/St._Thomas%2C_North_Dakota), to Edward T. Thompson, a dry goods business proprietor and local banker. After finishing high school at 15, he went with his mother to [Grand Forks, North Dakota](/source/Grand_Forks%2C_North_Dakota), at the age of 16 to begin his studies at the [University of North Dakota](/source/University_of_North_Dakota). His first wife was Marguerite Maxam, from [Montana](/source/Montana), whom he married in 1928. The first of his two sons, Edward T. Thompson would become the editor of ''[Reader's Digest](/source/Reader's_Digest)''. He would move to [Milwaukee, Wisconsin](/source/Milwaukee%2C_Wisconsin), with his family in 1929 to work for the ''[Milwaukee Journal](/source/Milwaukee_Journal)'' where he would remain until 1937. ===''Life''=== While at the ''Milwaukee Journal'' he also worked as a [stringer](/source/Stringer_(journalism)) for ''[Time](/source/Time_(magazine))'' which brought him to the attention of [Henry Luce](/source/Henry_Luce) who was thinking about introducing a national picture magazine, which would become ''Life''. Luce hired Thompson in 1937 as assistant picture editor for this new venture. From 1949–1961 he was the managing editor. During this time he came to know Lee Eitingon, who would become his second wife in 1963. Thompson was known for the free rein he gave his editors, particularly a "trio of formidable and colorful women: [Sally Kirkland](/source/Sally_Kirkland_(editor)), fashion editor; Mary Letherbee, movie editor; and [Mary Hamman](/source/Mary_Hamman), modern living editor."Hamblin, Dora Jane: "That Was The Life", page 161. W.W. Norton & Company, 1977. He retired from ''Life'' as editor in chief, in 1970. ===''Smithsonian''=== Next he "invented", to use his word, ''Smithsonian'' magazine. "To those all-out converts to computerized journalism who declaim that 'print is dead,' I say, 'Not so fast.{{'"}} are his opening words of his book: ''A Love Affair with Life & Smithsonian'' published by the [University of Missouri Press](/source/University_of_Missouri_Press) in October 1995. His other 'invention' was the magazine ''Impact'' which he created for the Army Air Forces during his time out during [World War II](/source/World_War_II); ''Life'', he would say, was Henry Luce's invention. ===Death=== He died on October 8, 1996.{{cite news |title=Edward K. Thompson Dies; Smithsonian Magazine Editor |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21921487.html?dids=21921487:21921487&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+09,+1996&author=Bart+Barnes&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Edward+K.+Thompson+Dies;+Smithsonian+Magazine+Editor&pqatl=google |quote=Mr. Thompson was born in St. Thomas, N.D. |work=[The Washington Post](/source/The_Washington_Post) |date=October 9, 1996 |access-date=March 25, 2010 |first=Bart |last=Barnes |archive-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121026025045/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/21921487.html?dids=21921487:21921487&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Oct+09,+1996&author=Bart+Barnes&pub=The+Washington+Post+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Edward+K.+Thompson+Dies;+Smithsonian+Magazine+Editor&pqatl=google |url-status=dead }} ==References== {{reflist}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Edward K}} Category:1907 births Category:1996 deaths Category:American magazine founders Category:American magazine publishers (people) Category:People from Pembina County, North Dakota Category:Writers from North Dakota Category:University of North Dakota alumni Category:Life (magazine) people Category:20th-century American writers Category:Recipients of the Legion of Merit Category:20th-century American male writers Category:Phi Delta Theta members Category:20th-century American publishers (people) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Edward Kramer Thompson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kramer_Thompson) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Kramer_Thompson?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.