Women's Worlds at the American Geographical Society^*

* I appreciate the assistance of the ags archivist, Peter Lewis, in providing access to materials; of Dorothy Drummond, Harvey Flad, David Lowenthal, Mary Ann Lowenthal, Lynn Mullins, and Miklos Pinther for information about life at the ags; of the Society of Woman Geographers for providing access to its oral history collections; of the late Margaret Trussell for giving me her files on Wilma Fairchild; of John Fraser Hart and Wilbur Zelinsky for permission to cite their correspondence with Wilma Fairchild; of Chris Baruth, curator of the American Geographical Society Library at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee for drawing my attention to the quotation I use as the epigraph (now on a plaque at the entrance to the AGS Library's rare materials room); and to Sarah Kerr (formerly Myers) for her insightful copyediting of this manuscript, to which she brought her personal experience of the Society.

Abstract

For much of the twentieth century, women in the United States found it difficult to obtain university positions in geography. Opportunities existed in other types of institutions, however, including the American Geographical Society (ags). This article addresses ways in which the Society's mission intersected with its historical context from 1895 to 1970 to create niches for women in editorial and library work. It explores the women's origins, their perspectives and experiences with the ags, and the significance of their contributions to the discipline. It suggests the potential of a gendered social approach for enriching understanding of the histories of geographical institutions.

• American Geographical Society
• employment
• history of geography
• staff
• women

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Janice Monk

Dr. Monk is the executive director of the Southwest Institute for Research on Women at the University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721.