Hy Peskin, sports photographer and philanthropist, died of kidney disease June 3 at the age of 89.

Peskin, a native of Brooklyn, N.Y., first entered the world of journalism by selling newspapers as a boy. He later became a sportswriter for the New York Daily Mirror.

After a stint in the Marines from 1943 to 1944, Peskin became interested in stop-action color photography. He is credited with pioneering a new look in sports images, and throughout his career as a photographer, his work appeared in magazines such as Sports Illustrated where he was the first staff photographer. 

Peskin's images also became familiar to readers of Life, Time and The Saturday Evening Post.

In 1961, Peskin started a foundation called the American Academy of Achievement. The program, still in existence, provides high school students with the opportunity to meet successful figures from around the world, including Nobel Prize recipients, heads of state, scientists, athletes and entertainers.