Author(s):
Jerome E. Dobson* - University of Kansas
Abstract:
It is fitting that the American Geographical Society (AGS) and the Office of the Geographer should join to honor Bill Wood. The two organizations have been linked historically since "The Inquiry" commissioned by President Woodrow Wilson in World War I. The AGS was responsible for running that crucial, multi-disciplinary study of European geography (language, ethnicity, boundaries, etc.) in preparation for the Versailles Peace Conference. Subsequently, that legacy and the massive collections of geographic information resulting from it became the foundation of the Office of the Geographer. Recently, the AGS has renewed its commitment to inform the public and the government about foreign geography in support of better policy making. Specifically, we proposed to send Bowman Expeditions to gather geographic information, conduct place-based research, and combat geographic ignorance. Our motivation is a deep concern that American foreign policy is increasingly driven by geographic ignorance among voters, analysts, journalists, and politicians of both parties. We relate this to the abandonment of geography from 1948 onward and associated lack of support for foreign fieldwork by geographers. To date, our prototype expedition to Mexico has been underway for two years, and another expedition is funded and ready to begin in the Antilles Region. We describe the design, progress, and results of the AGS Bowman expeditions and demonstrate how our research, purpose, and funding relate to foundational scholarship and sense of duty held by kindred geographers during the developmental stages of the discipline in the United States.
