W. Eugene Smith, American, 1918-1978 W. Eugene Smith (born in Wichita, Kansas) was a master photojournalist known for his many photo essays in Life magazine. After working as a part-time newspaper photographer while in high school, Smith studied briefly at the University of Notre Dame. He then moved to New York City in 1937, where his first job was with Newsweek. After a year at the magazine and