Edward Kramer Thompson (January 15, 1907 – October 8, 1996) was an American writer and editor.
While at the Milwaukee Journal he also worked as a stringer for Time which brought him to the attention of 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.
are his opening words of his book: A Love Affair with Life & Smithsonian published by the 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; Life, he would say, was Henry Luce's invention.