POYi began as a photographic contest in the spring of 1944 in Columbia, Missouri, when the Missouri School of Journalism sponsored its “First Annual Fifty-Print Exhibition” contest. Established by University of Missouri photojournalism professor Cliff Edom and his wife Vi, the 50 print Exhibition attracted 223 picture entries from 60 photographers. Its stated purpose was, “to pay tribute to those press photographers and newspapers which, despite tremendous war-time difficulties, are doing a splendid job; to provide an opportunity for photographers of the nation to meet in open competition; and to compile and preserve…a collection of the best in current, home-front press pictures.” Read more about the history of POYi. The entries for book submissions to the contest are given to the Journalism Library every year and kept as a collection in the upstairs of the library.  The Journalism library started keeping the collection together after the RJI building was completed and the new Journalism Library was finished.  Before that the books were kept together with the general collection. See the list of POYi titles that are held in the Journalism Library.