Class of 1946
Kaplan attended Marshall from 1939 to 1942, but he interrupted his education to serve as a military photographer for three years in World War II serving in Africa, Italy, Sardia and Cosrsica. He was wounded in action and earned the Bronze Star. He resumed his studies after the war and graduated in 1946. Kaplan, who had worked at The Herald-Dispatch from 1938-42 rejoined after receiving his degree, becoming director of photography in 1975 and being recognized by the paper as the “Dean of Photography.” He was one of the photographers who covered the 1970 Marshall University football team plane crash. When he retired in 1984, Kaplan –who trained several generations of photographers at the newspaper-taught photojournalism on a volunteer basis. He earned numerous photography awards and was nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize.
