Misplaced Pages

#105894

42-633: It was named by the American Geographical Society in 1947 for Thomas Riggs, Jr. , Governor of Alaska from 1918 to 1921. This article about a location in the Hoonah-Angoon Census Area, Alaska is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about a glacier in Alaska is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . American Geographical Society The American Geographical Society ( AGS )

84-736: A DC-4 and crew that included aviation pioneers Thor Solberg and Paul Mlinar. During World War II , Boyd led a scientific expedition to obtain data on radio-wave transmission in the Arctic regions and worked on secret assignments for the U.S. Department of the Army . Born in San Rafael, California to John Franklin Boyd (part-owner of the Bodie, California gold mine) and Louise Cook Arner, Boyd grew up in Marin County and

126-473: A touring car , and accompanied by her chauffeur , drove across the United States at a time when there was no highway system and roads were often gravel and dirt. This would be the first of many cross-country trips that Boyd would take and detail in her many journals. Upon her parents death in 1919 and 1920, Boyd inherited the family fortune after caring for her parents in the last few years of their lives. In

168-928: 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 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

210-679: A geophysical expedition along the west coast of Greenland and down the coast of Baffin Island and Labrador for the Department of Commerce National Bureau of Standards . She was appointed as the Bureau's consulting expert on a dollar a year basis. At her own expense, Boyd chartered and outfitted the schooner Effie M. Morrissey . This schooner , owned and commanded by captain Robert Bartlett , had been successfully running yearly scientific expeditions to

252-507: 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

294-498: A hunting and filming trip to the Arctic. She was accompanied by her friends, the Count & Countess Ribadavia . She gained international notoriety for her exploits (and hunting of polar bears) and was dubbed by newspapers around the world, as the, "Arctic Diana" and "The Girl Who Tamed the Arctic". The Count of Ribadavia published a book with photographs by Boyd in 1927 titled, Chasses Et Aventures Dans Les Regions Polaires . In 1928, Boyd

336-738: A member of the executive committee of the San Francisco Symphony . She also accumulated many academic honors receiving an honorary law degree from the University of California, Berkeley and from Mills College. In 1960 Boyd became the first woman to be elected to the board of the American Geographical Society . She was also made an honorary member of the California Academy of Science . Near the end of her life, Boyd fell on hard financial times having spent much of her fortune outfitting and chartering her many explorations. Eventually, she had to sell

378-461: A memorial to their two sons which is known today as Boyd park. The Victorian-style building is presently the home of the Marin History Museum . After her brother's deaths, Boyd traveled extensively with her parents making numerous trips to Europe. It was at this time that she developed a keen interest in photography. In the spring of 1919, Boyd took a train to Buffalo, New York , purchased

420-541: 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

462-494: 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

SECTION 10

#1732851311106

504-619: A pleasure trip when those 22 lives were at stake?" Although she traveled about 10,000 miles (16,100 km) across the Arctic Ocean she found no trace of him. Nevertheless, the Norwegian government awarded her the Chevalier Cross of the Order of Saint Olav . "She was the first American woman to receive the order and the third woman in the world to be so honored." Boyd is primarily known for leading

546-616: 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. The AGS

588-501: A rugged and adventurous life. When Boyd was a teenager, both of her brothers died from heart disease within a few months of each other, brought on by childhood bouts of rheumatic fever . Her parents were devastated and began to lean heavily on Boyd for care and comfort. It was at this time that the Boyds bequeathed to the City of San Rafael their former gatehouse and some of the family property as

630-438: A series of scientific expeditions to the east and north coast of Greenland in the 1930s. Boyd photographed, surveyed and collected hundreds of botanical specimens, under the tutelage of her good friend, Alice Eastwood of the California Academy of Sciences . The American Geographical Society published her findings and photographs from the 1933 and 1935 expeditions in a book titled The Fiord Region of East Greenland . An area near

672-464: 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

714-417: 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

756-726: The Gerard de Geer Glacier was later named Louise Boyd Land . For her leadership and scientific work, Boyd was awarded the prestigious Cullum Medal by the American Geographical Society (AGS) a few years later in 1938. In August 1934, after being elected as a delegate to the International Geographical Congress in Warsaw, Poland , Boyd set out on a 3-month journey across the Polish countryside photographing and recording

798-624: The AGS Honors Committee and confirmation by the AGS Council. The AGS presents a number of awards and medals: 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. She became the first woman to fly over the North Pole in 1955, after privately chartering

840-539: 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

882-416: 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

SECTION 20

#1732851311106

924-454: 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

966-616: 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,

1008-610: 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 was not fully established until December 7, 1854, under a charter granted by legislator of

1050-420: The American Geographical Society in 1937 as Polish Countrysides . Upon the outbreak of World War II , the knowledge Boyd had gained through her six previous expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic was considered strategically significant to the war effort . The United States government requested that she refrain from publishing the book she was writing about her 1937 and 1938 expeditions, and asked her to lead

1092-720: 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,

1134-522: The Arctic since 1926. The principal purpose of the 1941 Bureau of Standards expedition was to obtain data on radio-wave transmission in the Arctic regions traversed. The ionosphere , geomagnetism and aurorae were studied. The Effie M. Morrissey sailed from Washington DC on June 11, 1941, with Boyd leading a scientific party of four men (including a physician) and a crew of eleven under the command of Capt. Bartlett. The expedition returned to Washington, D.C. on November 3, 1941, with valuable data. During

1176-572: 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 the "American Geographical Society". The society's first and most ambitious attempt to influence governmental policy

1218-499: 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

1260-576: The customs, dress, economy and culture of the many ethnic Poles, Ukrainians, Byelorussians and Lithuanians. The journey, by car, rail, boat and on foot took her first from Lviv to Kovel (these towns are in Ukraine today), and then to Kobrin – Pinsk – Kletsk – Nesvizh – Slonim (now in Belarus ). She finished the journey in Vilno . Her travel narrative was supplemented with over 500 photographs and published by

1302-562: The early 1920s, Boyd used her inheritance to travel. On a trip to Norway in 1924, she saw the Polar Ice Pack for the first time. This experience proved instrumental in her life and she immediately began planning her own Arctic adventure. In 1925, she was presented to the King and Queen of England, an honor bestowed on few American women. In 1926, she chartered the supply ship Hobby, which had been used by famous arctic explorer Roald Amundsen for

Riggs Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue

1344-447: 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

1386-509: The hills of Oakland playing and competing with her two older brothers, Seth and John. The Boyds were leading citizens of the era and their children's early years, though privileged and relatively carefree, included a well-rounded education that was punctuated every summer by an extended stay on their ranch in the Oakland Hills . It was here where Boyd and her brothers rode horses, explored Mount Diablo , fished, hunted, camped, and generally led

1428-523: 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

1470-471: 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,

1512-646: 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 , the society undertook an ambitious effort to map "Hispanic America" as part of

1554-402: The remainder of the war, Boyd worked on secret assignments for the U.S. Department of the Army , and in 1949 was awarded a Department of Army Certificate of Appreciation. Her earlier book that had been held from publication, The Coast of Northeast Greenland , was published after the war, in 1948. Later in life Louise Boyd was an active and well-known Marin figure and hostess while serving as

1596-606: 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

1638-405: 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 a joint interest in polar exploration, and readily organized

1680-508: Was instrumental in providing technical and professional support to 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

1722-434: 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

Riggs Glacier - Misplaced Pages Continue

1764-503: Was planning a second pleasure trip aboard the Hobby when it was learned that the famous Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had failed to return in an attempt to find and rescue the Italian explorer Umberto Nobile whose balloon expedition to the arctic had recently gone missing. Boyd offered her services and the 'Hobby' to the Norwegian government to search for Amundsen, saying, "How could I go on

#105894