The American Geographical Society ( AGS ) is an organization of professional geographers , founded in 1851 in New York City . Most fellows of the society are Americans , 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 . 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.
41-568: 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 geographical discoveries or in the advancement of geographical science". It was first awarded in 1896 to Robert Peary . The gold medal was designed by Lydia Field Emmet . "On
82-654: A State Department adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Second World War, spending part of each week in Washington, DC, and leaving the running of the university in the hands of Provost P. Stewart Macaulay. In 1942, with Bowman's strong encouragement, Hopkins founded a facility that became the Applied Physics Laboratory , where scientists perfected the proximity fuze , a device that could explode an artillery shell near
123-707: A female figure – Columbia, the left hand resting on a globe and the right holding out a laurel wreath. Beneath the right arm is the tablet to bear the record of the achievement for which the award is made. On the side is the inscription: The Cullum Geographical Medal." Source: American Geographical Society American Geographical Society The AGS was founded by 31 New Yorkers, who were wealthy philanthropists, historians, publishers and editors. Among them were George Folsom , Henry Grinnell , Henry Varnum Poor , Hiram Barney , Alexander Isaac Cotheal, Henry Evelyn Pierrepont, S. De Witt Bloodgood, John Romeyn Brodhead , Joshua Leavitt and Archibald Russell. The founders held
164-511: A gift from AGS President John H. Finley. In his position as editor-in-chief of The New York Times , 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
205-653: 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 . 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
246-541: 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, Isaiah Bowman . Others include: The AGS archive contains field notes, original maps, sketches, photographs, journals, artifacts, correspondence, expedition flags and memorabilia, field equipment, telegrams, press clippings, event programs, radio logs, meeting records, and many other documents and artifacts. In 2011
287-407: A non-Jewish woman." In 1942, Bowman instituted a quota on the admission of Jewish students. Archival research of private letters reveals Bowman intensely disliked the only tenured geography professor at Harvard, Derwent S. Whittlesey, for his scholarship and homosexuality. Beginning in 2005, the American Geographical Society has helped launch international collaborative research projects, called
328-499: A peer-reviewed, scholarly periodical devoted exclusively to geography titled Geographical Review . 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
369-477: A school of geography at Johns Hopkins. As with many non-defense disciplines, geography had languished during the war years, and it became Bowman's mission to build geography into a full-fledged division of the university. He was briefly successful, but the Isaiah Bowman School of Geography was never able to attract a high-profile scholar to give it the prestige it needed. Isaiah Bowman retired from
410-662: A target, rather than on contact or in a place where the target was predicted to be. This fuze aided greatly in repelling Japanese kamikaze attacks late in the war, and in the Ardennes region of Europe during the 1944 Battle of the Bulge . As a State Department adviser, Bowman participated in the Dumbarton Oaks Conference and the San Francisco Conference , playing a role in the foundation of
451-417: 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
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#1732776649207492-567: The Armistice of 11 November 1918 , President Woodrow Wilson and the American Delegation sailed for France . With them sailed AGS Director Isaiah Bowman and three truckloads of geographical information compiled by Bowman and 150 geographers, historians, economists, statisticians , ethnographers , political scientists, and scholars of international law. The AGS was instrumental in providing technical and professional support to
533-464: The United Nations . Upon the conclusion of the Second World War, Bowman relinquished his State Department position and once again became a full-time university president. He presided over Hopkins’ return to a peacetime status, planning for the influx of ex-military personnel as they returned to civilian status and resumed their education. His pet post-war project became the establishment of
574-434: 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
615-706: The AGS Honors Committee and confirmation by the AGS Council. The AGS presents a number of awards and medals: 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 inaction in Jewish resettlement during WWII. Bowman
656-543: The AGS arranges an array of expeditions to various locations. The expeditions the society has been connected with fall into three categories: Most notably: A Transcontinental Excursion was arranged and executed by the AGS in 1912. The idea for this excursion was generated by Professor William Morris Davis 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
697-416: 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. The American Geographical Society acquired its Fliers' & Explorers' Globe in 1929 as
738-454: The AGS moved to 3755 Broadway at 156th Street. This three story building was built on land donated by Archer Milton Huntington 's mother and designed by Charles Pratt Huntington . Audubon Terrace became the society's most prominent home and was visited by many scholars and dignitaries, including President Woodrow Wilson . After numerous relocations across New York City, the AGS is currently housed at 121 Sixth Avenue , Manhattan. The AGS
779-640: The AGS of NY and the AGS Library at UW Milwaukee began a project to organize, rehouse and create the finding aid for the society archives. The AGS Library was transferred to the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee in 1978. It holds a large collection of material from Latin American and the Polar Regions and contains over one-million items, some dating back to the 15th century. Since 1984,
820-831: The American Geographical Society were initially established at New York University 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,
861-756: The Balkans, as part of the Paris Peace Conference. Bowman directed the American Geographical Society until 1935, when he was named the fifth president of the Johns Hopkins University, succeeding Joseph Sweetman Ames . Bowman inherited a growing deficit due to the Great Depression and he began working to reduce the deficit and build the university's endowment. By the late 1930s, Hopkins was back on stable financial ground. Continuing his government service, Bowman became
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#1732776649207902-729: The Bowman Expeditions in Bowman's honor, in part to advise the U.S. government concerning future trends in the human terrain of other countries. The first project, in Mexico, is called Mexico Indigena , and has generated considerable controversy, including a public statement from the Union of Organizations of the Sierra Juarez of Oaxaca (UNOSJO) denouncing Mexico Indigena's lack of full disclosure regarding funding procured from
943-640: The Hopkins presidency at the end of 1948, and died just over a year later. Shortly after his death, the School of Geography was downgraded to department status, and, by 1968, his name was removed from the department. In 1916 he became associate editor of the Geographical Review . He was associate editor of the Journal of Geography in 1918−19 and editor in 1919−20. In 1921 he became a director of
984-574: 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 , the society undertook an ambitious effort to map "Hispanic America" as part of
1025-581: The US. Roosevelt knew well Bowman's antisemitism and that Bowman would not cause a political uproar by encouraging resettlement of Jews in America. Bowman's opposition to accepting Jewish refugees stemmed from his deep antisemitism. At the Johns Hopkins University, he established an anti-Jewish admissions quota in 1945, when other leading universities were dismantling their Jewish quota systems, on grounds that Jews were an alien threat to American culture. Bowman
1066-595: 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 . 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
1107-499: 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
1148-591: The attention of Mark Jefferson, a geographer who had studied at Harvard under the most prominent geographer of the day, William Morris Davis . Jefferson recommended Bowman to Davis, smoothing the way for Bowman's study. After one year, by prearrangement with Jefferson, Bowman returned to Michigan in 1903 for a year, before returning again to Harvard. After graduating from Harvard in 1905, he became an instructor and graduate student at Yale , where he stayed for ten years. While at Yale, Bowman participated in three study expeditions to South America, in 1907, 1911 and 1913; on
1189-451: 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 , Amelia Earhart , Sir Edmund Hillary , William Beebe , Louise Arner Boyd and the Apollo 13 astronauts. Signers of the Fliers' & Explorers' Globe are proposed by AGS' Exploration Committee for approval by
1230-469: The front is the figure of a young man standing in the bow of a boat. He has thrown down his oars upon discovering land. He shades his eyes with his hand as the boat progresses through the waves. A sea gull, hovering, indicates the proximity of land. The whole is supposed to represent enterprise and the spirit of exploration. Inscribed on the face of the medal is: The American Geographical Society of New York." "The reverse, to typify achievement and award, bears
1271-530: 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. During World War II , 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 strongholds in Eastern Europe. The headquarters of
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1312-475: The many polar expeditions of Louise Arner Boyd during the 1930s. Her long-time friendship with geographer and future Johns Hopkins University president, Isaiah Bowman , 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
1353-471: 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 , globalization , urban growth and change, and social issues. To contribute to geographical understanding,
1394-738: The newly formed Council of Foreign Relations . Before and during World War II he served on the Council of Foreign Relations ' War and Peace Studies project as chairman of its territorial group. From 1945 to 1949 he was a CFR vice-president. Bowman was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1916, the American Philosophical Society in 1923, and the United States National Academy of Sciences in 1930. In 1941 he
1435-491: The third trip, he served as the leader of the group. This research provided material for his PhD dissertation, conferred in 1909, and for several publications. In 1915, he became the first director of the American Geographical Society (AGS). Some of his more notable works include: When the United States entered the First World War in 1917, Bowman placed the resources of the AGS at the government's service, and he
1476-517: Was a known anti-Semite: extremely suspect of Jews and reluctant to hire them at the university. According to Neil Smith, Bowman fired one of the most promising young historians on the Johns Hopkins faculty in 1939, saying "there are already too many Jews at Hopkins." In American Empire , Bowman is further quoted as saying "Jews don't come to Hopkins to make the world better or anything like that. They come for two things: to make money and to marry
1517-440: Was asked to "gather and prepare data" to assist with a future peace conference once the fighting stopped. Bowman sailed for France in December 1918 as Chief Territorial Specialist, but he quickly assumed an administrative role as well, gaining the ear of President Woodrow Wilson and his chief adviser, Colonel Edward House . Bowman thus played a major role in determining distribution of land areas and national borders, especially in
1558-631: Was awarded the Scottish Geographical Medal by the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 2001. The society has possessed a diverse line of presidents, including a New York City Mayor and The New York Times Editor. The first president was George Bancroft , an American historian and statesman who was prominent in the promotion of secondary education and public policy. The society's presidents have included: Other leaders The AGS publishes
1599-697: Was awarded the British Royal Geographical Society 's Patron's Medal for his travels in South America and his services to Geography. In 1939 Roosevelt appointed Bowman to head Project M, to find refuge for Jewish emigrants from Europe. According to "harrowing" evidence uncovered by Bowman's biographer Neil Smith, news of mass slaughter of Jews in Europe did not increase Bowman's sense of urgency for rescue or swift resettlement elsewhere. Bowman's team looked for uninhabited or sparsely settled land on five continents, but not in
1640-627: Was born in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. His family was Mennonite and of Swiss descent, and, at the age of eight weeks, Bowman's father moved his family to a log cabin in Brown City, Michigan , sixty miles north of Detroit. In 1900, Isaiah became an American citizen and began intensive study to prepare himself for admittance to Harvard . Studying first at Michigan State Normal College in Ypsilanti (now Eastern Michigan University ), Bowman came to
1681-555: Was not fully established until December 7, 1854, under a charter granted by legislator of the State of New York' 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 's "Geographical and Statistical Library". In 1871, the AGS amended its Charter and dropped "and Statistical" from its title, thus becoming