The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional

geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...

s, founded in 1851 in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

. Most

fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

s of the society are

Americans Americans are the citizens and nationals of the United States of America.; ; Although direct citizens and nationals make up the majority of Americans, many dual citizens, expatriates, and permanent residents could also legally claim Ame ...

, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows from around the world. The society encourages activities that expands geographical knowledge, and the interpretation of that knowledge so that it can be useful to geographers and other disciplines, especially in a policymaking environment. It is the oldest nationwide geographical organization in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Over the century and a half of its existence, the AGS has been especially interested in three regions: the Arctic, the Antarctic, and Latin America. A signature characteristic of the AGS-sponsored exploration was the requirement that its expeditions produce tangible scientific results.

History

The AGS was founded by 31 New Yorkers, who were wealthy philanthropists, historians, publishers and editors. Among them were

George Folsom George Folsom (May 23, 1802 – March 27, 1869) was an American lawyer, historian, librarian, diplomat and politician from New York. Early life Folsom was born on May 23, 1802, in Kennebunk, York County, District of Maine. He was the son of T ...

Henry Grinnell Henry Grinnell (February 18, 1799 – June 30, 1874) was an American merchant and philanthropist. Early life Grinnell was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts on February 18, 1799. He was the son of Cornelius Grinnell (1758–1850) and Sylvia ( ...

, Henry Varnum Poor,

Hiram Barney Hiram Barney (May 30, 1811 – May 18, 1895) was an American lawyer, abolitionist, and politician who served as Collector of the Port of New York from 1861 ''-'' 1864 during the presidency of Abraham Lincoln. Early life Barney was born in Hender ...

, Alexander Isaac Cotheal, Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, S. De Witt Bloodgood,

John Romeyn Brodhead John Romeyn Brodhead (January 2, 1814 – May 6, 1873) was an American historical scholar. During his service in the diplomatic corps, he transcribed many rare documents related to the colonial history of New York. Biography Early life John Ro ...

Joshua Leavitt Rev. Joshua Leavitt (September 8, 1794, Heath, Massachusetts – January 16, 1873, Brooklyn, New York) was an American Congregationalist minister and former lawyer who became a prominent writer, editor and publisher of abolitionist literature. ...

and Archibald Russell. The founders held a joint interest in polar exploration, and readily organized the AGS upon the request of Lady Franklin to search for her husband and his voyagers lost in the Polar

Franklin Expedition Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, and , and was assigned to traverse the last unnavigated sections of the Northwes ...

. In September 1851, the committee formed to draft a constitution. On October 9, this committee undertook the constitution at a meeting held in the Geographical and Statistical Library in New York City. The society was not fully established until December 7, 1854, under a charter granted by legislator of the State of New York'Wright, John Kirtland 'The Years of Henry Grinnell', ''Geography in the Making: The American Geographical Society 1851-1951'' (1952) —

George Grady Press George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...

The society was primarily named the "American Geographical and Statistical Society"; possibly due to the fact that the organizational meeting was held in

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, th ...

's "Geographical and Statistical Library". In 1871, the AGS amended its Charter and dropped "and Statistical" from its title, thus becoming the "American Geographical Society". The society's first and most ambitious attempt to influence governmental policy was made early in 1862. On January 7, a special committee was appointed to devise a taxation system to correspond with the present state of public affairs. The committee prepared a report which was printed and distributed to members of the society, members of Congress, and other public functionaries throughout the United States. The society also began to integrate globally within the international geographical community, sending a council member to attend the first

International Geographical Congress The International Geographical Union (IGU; french: Union Géographique Internationale, UGI) is an international geographical society. The first International Geographical Congress was held in Antwerp in 1871. Subsequent meetings led to the estab ...

(King1893NYC) pg327 AMERICAN GEOGRAPHICAL SOCIETY, 11 WEST 29TH STREET

During World War I, the interdisciplinary, government-sponsored "Inquiry" in preparation for the Paris Peace Conference was led by the AGS and headquartered in the society's building in New York. After the

Armistice of 11 November 1918 The Armistice of 11 November 1918 was the armistice signed at Le Francport near Compiègne that ended fighting on land, sea, and air in World War I between the Entente and their last remaining opponent, Germany. Previous armistices ...

, President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...

and the American Delegation sailed for

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

. With them sailed AGS Director

Isaiah Bowman Isaiah Bowman, AB, Ph. D. (December 26, 1878, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada – January 6, 1950, Baltimore, Maryland), was an American geographer and President of the Johns Hopkins University, 1935–1948, controversial for his antisemitism and ...

and three truckloads of geographical information compiled by Bowman and 150 geographers, historians, economists,

statisticians A statistician is a person who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. It is common to combine statistical knowledge with expertise in other subjects, and statisticians may wor ...

ethnographers Ethnography (from Greek ''ethnos'' "folk, people, nation" and ''grapho'' "I write") is a branch of anthropology and the systematic study of individual cultures. Ethnography explores cultural phenomena from the point of view of the subject o ...

, political scientists, and scholars of international law. The AGS was instrumental in providing technical and professional support to the many polar expeditions of

Louise Arner Boyd Louise Arner Boyd (September 16, 1887 – September 14, 1972) was an American explorer of Greenland and the Arctic, who wrote extensively of her scientific expeditions, and became the first woman to fly over the North Pole in 1955, after privately ...

during the 1930s. Her long-time friendship with geographer and future Johns Hopkins University president,

, helped inspire in Louise a lifelong interest in geography and photography, which proved invaluable on all her expeditions. The AGS published her book, ''The Fiord Region of East Greenland'', and also sent her in 1934 as the organization's delegate to the International Geographical Congress in Warsaw, Poland. During this trip Louise traveled throughout Poland with local experts, documenting the life, work and customs of the rural people, a population that would undergo drastic changes during and after the Second World War. The AGS published her second book, ''Rural Poland''. After

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, the society undertook an ambitious effort to map "Hispanic America" as part of the international effort to map the entire world at 1:1,000,000. The venture lasted from 1920 to 1945 and eventually produced 107 map sheets at a total cost of more than one-half million dollars, mostly in private donations. AGS Building

During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

, the society assisted more than forty agencies of the U.S. government. Contributing ethnographic data to U.S. Military Intelligence in the efforts to defuse

Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

strongholds in Eastern Europe. The headquarters of the American Geographical Society were initially established at

in Washington Square. The University's chapel was used for some of the society's lectures and the AGS remained at this location until 1858. Later, two rooms located in Clinton Hall, formerly the Astor Opera House, became the society's next home in December 1858. In 1866, the American Geographical Society moved to Cooper Union at Cooper Square on Ninth Street, where it remained for ten years. In 1911, the AGS moved to 3755 Broadway at 156th Street. This three story building was built on land donated by

Archer Milton Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was a philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic Studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City, and made ...

's mother and designed by Charles Pratt Huntington.Mary Mitchell and Albert Goodrich, ''The Remarkable Huntingtons: Chronicle of a Marriage'' (2004) pp. 21-24. — The Budd Drive Press, Audubon Terrace became the society's most prominent home and was visited by many scholars and dignitaries, including President

. After numerous relocations across New York City, the AGS is currently housed at 121 Sixth Avenue, Manhattan. The AGS was awarded the Scottish Geographical Medal by the

Royal Scottish Geographical Society The Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) is an educational charity based in Perth, Scotland founded in 1884. The purpose of the society is to advance the subject of geography worldwide, inspire people to learn more about the world around ...

in 2001.

Past presidents

The society has possessed a diverse line of presidents, including a

Mayor and

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...

Editor. The first president was

George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts and at the national and internati ...

, an American historian and statesman who was prominent in the promotion of secondary education and public policy. The society's presidents have included: #

(1852–1854) # Francis L. Hawks (1854–1861) #

(1861–1864) # Charles Patrick Daly (1864–1899) #

Seth Low Seth Low (January 18, 1850 – September 17, 1916) was an American educator and political figure who served as the mayor of Brooklyn from 1881 to 1885, the president of Columbia University from 1890 to 1901, a diplomatic representative of t ...

(1900–1901) #

Robert Edwin Peary Robert Edwin Peary Sr. (; May 6, 1856 – February 20, 1920) was an American explorer and officer in the United States Navy who made several expeditions to the Arctic in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He is best known for, in Apri ...

(1903–1907) #

Archer M. Huntington Archer Milton Huntington (March 10, 1870 – December 11, 1955) was a philanthropist and scholar, primarily known for his contributions to the field of Hispanic Studies. He founded The Hispanic Society of America in New York City, and made n ...

(1907–1911, Honorary President 1911-1916) # John Greenough (1916–1925, Honorary President 1925-1934) # John Huston Finley (1925–1934, Honorary President 1934-1940) # Roland L. Redmond (1934–1947) # Richard Upjohn Light (1947–1957) # Walter A. Wood (1957–1967) # Serge A. Korff (1967–1972) # William A. Hance (1972–1973) # Richard H. Nolte (1973–1980) # John E. Gould (1980–1996) # Donald J. Lloyd-Jones (1996–1999) # William P. Doyle (2000–2002) # Jerome E. Dobson (2002–2016) # Marie D. Price (2016–present) Other leaders *

(Director 1915 to 1935) * John K. Wright (Director 1938–1949)

Geographical education

Publications

The AGS publishes a peer-reviewed, scholarly periodical devoted exclusively to geography titled ''

Geographical Review The ''Geographical Review'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by Routledge on behalf of the American Geographical Society. It covers all aspects of geography. The editor-in-chief is David H. Kaplan (Kent State University). H ...

'' . The journal contains articles on all aspects of current topical and regional issues within geography. Additionally, the society publishes a forty-page, full-color journal titled ''Focus' in Geography'', which includes articles on a variety of topics aimed towards a broader audience of students, teachers, administrators and parents. ''Focus'' is edited and written by academic and professional geographers and includes theme sections; maps and photos; and special country issues. ''Ubique'', the society's thrice-yearly letter newsletter, serves as a vehicle for communication of Society news and events. Ubique is sent to all Fellows, Associates, Medalists, Geography Department Heads, and Galileo Circle Members. The AGS also provides geographers to speak to the media on a variety of issues critical to human, environmental, political, and economic development. The AGS Writers Circle produces Commentary and Op Ed pieces about issues of importance to global society, such as geopolitics, spatial technologies (e.g. Geographic Information Sciences (GIS) and Spatial Modeling), water management, global

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to ...

globalization Globalization, or globalisation (English in the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth English; American and British English spelling differences#-ise, -ize (-isation, -ization), see spelling differences), is the process of foreign relation ...

, urban growth and change, and social issues.

Expeditions

To contribute to geographical understanding, the AGS arranges an array of expeditions to various locations. The expeditions the society has been connected with fall into three categories: * expeditions organized and led by members of the society's staff * other expeditions in which members of the AGS staff took part * expeditions under the society's auspices or assisted by the institution in any other ways Most notably: A

Transcontinental Excursion Transcontinental may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Transcontinental", a song by the band Pedro the Lion from the album ''Achilles Heel'' * TC Transcontinental, a publishing, media and marketing company based in Canada, a subsidiary ...

was arranged and executed by the AGS in 1912. The idea for this excursion was generated by Professor

William Morris Davis William Morris Davis (February 12, 1850 – February 5, 1934) was an American geographer, geologist, geomorphologist, and meteorologist, often called the "father of American geography". He was born into a prominent Quaker family in Philadelphia, ...

who, in 1908 "tried the unique experiment of conducting a geographical excursion in Europe, open to students of European and American universities". The excursion promoted the acquaintance of European geographers with Americans. Currently, the AGS sends teams of scholars to improve U.S. understanding of foreign lands and peoples, in order to reduce international misunderstandings and improve humanitarian assistance in case of natural disasters, technological accidents, terrorist acts and war. The organization aims to build a multi-scale Geographic information system (GIS) for each world region, collect unclassified GIS data, conduct participatory GIS, train a new caliber of regional experts, disseminate GIS data freely to the public and publish the results in popular media and scholarly journal. Each expedition is titled a Bowman Expedition, in honor of past AGS Director,

. Others include: *

Isaac Israel Hayes Isaac Israel Hayes (March 5, 1832 – December 17, 1881) was an American Arctic explorer, physician, and politician, who was appointed as the commanding officer at Satterlee General Hospital during the American Civil War, and was then elected, a ...

' Arctic Expedition to reach the

North Pole The North Pole, also known as the Geographic North Pole or Terrestrial North Pole, is the point in the Northern Hemisphere where the Earth's rotation, Earth's axis of rotation meets its surface. It is called the True North Pole to distingu ...

* Robert Peary's Polar Expeditions * The Powell Expedition – exploration of the Grand Canyon

The AGS Travel Program

Since 1984, the AGS have organized a Travel Program, sponsoring in excess of 250 educational trips for the general public. The AGS Travel Program lecturers are professional geographers, fellows of the society and authorities on the regions traveled. Trips are conducted through various means of travel, including private jet and ship.

Fliers' & Explorers' Globe

The American Geographical Society acquired its Fliers' & Explorers' Globe in 1929 as a gift from AGS President John H. Finley."Finley Presents Globe". ''The New York Times''. 1930-01-22. In his position as editor-in-chief of ''

'', Finley invited early heroes of exploration and aviation to draw their routes and sign their names on his 18-inch globe. The society has continued the custom and has created a symbol of humanity's drive to explore the universe. Signers of the Fliers' & Explorers' Globe over the years are men and women who have explored certain places on earth for the first time in recorded history, reached new extremes of height or depth, pioneered new means of travel, or set aviation records. Among them are such people as

Charles Lindbergh Charles Augustus Lindbergh (February 4, 1902 – August 26, 1974) was an American aviator, military officer, author, inventor, and activist. On May 20–21, 1927, Lindbergh made the first nonstop flight from New York City to Paris, a distance o ...

, Amelia Earhart,

Sir Edmund Hillary Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineering, mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropy, philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa people, Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became th ...

William Beebe Charles William Beebe ( ; July 29, 1877 – June 4, 1962) was an American naturalist, ornithologist, marine biologist, entomologist, explorer, and author. He is remembered for the numerous expeditions he conducted for the New York Zoological ...

and the Apollo 13 astronauts. Signers of the Fliers' & Explorers' Globe are proposed by AGS' Exploration Committee for approval by the AGS Honors Committee and confirmation by the AGS Council.

Medals and awards

The AGS presents a number of awards and medals: *Honorary Fellowships * The Alexander & Ilse Melamid Medal *

Cullum Geographical Medal The Cullum Geographical Medal is one of the oldest awards of the American Geographical Society. It was established in the will of George Washington Cullum, the vice president of the Society, and is awarded "to those who distinguish themselves by ...

Charles P. Daly Medal The Charles P. Daly Medal is awarded to individuals by the American Geographical Society (AGS) "for valuable or distinguished geographical services or labors." The medal was established in 1902. This medal was originally designed by Victor D. Bren ...

Samuel Finley Breese Morse Medal The Samuel Finely Breese Morse Medal was established in 1902. Designed by Laura G. Fraser, this medal is awarded by the American Geographical Society for "achievements and pioneering in geographical research." History Samuel Finley Breese Mors ...

David Livingstone Centenary Medal The David Livingstone Centenary Medal was established in March 1913 by the Hispanic Society of America. The establishment commemorates the 100th anniversary of David Livingstone’s birth. Designed by Gutzon Borglum, this medal is awarded by the A ...

* George Davidson Medal *

Osborn Maitland Miller Medal The Osborn Maitland Miller Cartographic Medal was established in 1968 by the American Geographical Society Council. The Osborn Maitland Miller Cartographic Medal honors "outstanding contributions in the field of cartography or geodesy". History ...

* Van Cleef Memorial Medal * Paul P. Vouras Medal *Wrigley-Fairchild Prize

References

External links

*
American Geographical Society Library at UW–Milwaukee
{{Authority control 1851 establishments in New York (state) Geographic societies Learned societies of the United States Non-profit organizations based in New York City Organizations established in 1851