Famed Photographer to Share Insights on Muhammad Ali During Dec. 5 Visit to RIT

Howard L. Bingham, a renowned photographer known for his rousing images of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, will discuss his remarkable career during an appearance at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Bingham’s presentation at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 5, will take place in room A205 of the Liberal Arts Building on RIT’s Henrietta campus. The free event is sponsored by Kodak Professional, a division of Eastman Kodak Co.

Kodak Professional provided a $25,000 endowment in 2000 for the Kodak/Howard Bingham Scholarship at RIT in tribute to Bingham’s dedication and talent. The annual award benefits minority students within the bachelor of fine arts program at RIT’s School of Photographic Arts and Sciences. Bingham’s visit to RIT will coincide with the presentation of this year’s scholarship.

In the early 1960s, Bingham cultivated a relationship with Muhammad Ali (known then as Cassius Clay) that resulted in a lifetime friendship. His access to Ali’s public and private life is reflected in a book of Bingham’s photographs, Muhammad Ali: A Thirty-Year Journey, published in 1993. In addition, Bingham is executive producer of the upcoming motion picture, Ali, starring Will Smith. The film is scheduled to be released this Christmas.

Bingham has also spent the past four decades documenting many of America’s historical turning points. He served as contract photographer for Life and Sports Illustrated, with photo essays appearing in Look, Newsweek, Playboy and Ebony. 

For more information on how to contribute to the Kodak/Howard Bingham Scholarship at RIT, contact Deborah McKinzie Bristol in RIT’s Office of Development at 475-2128.