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{{short description|American geographer}}
{{Short description|American geographer (1846–1914)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| name = Henry Gannett
| name = Henry Gannett
| honorific_suffix = LL.D
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Image:Henry Gannett.jpg
| image = Image:Henry Gannett.jpg
| image_size = 200px
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Henry Gannett
| caption =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1846|08|24}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1846|08|24}}
| birth_place = [[Bath, Maine]], US
| birth_place = [[Bath, Maine]], U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|1914|11|05|1846|08|24}}
| death_date = {{death date and age|1914|11|05|1846|08|24}}
| death_place = Washington, District of Columbia, US
| death_place = [[Washington, D.C.]], U.S.
| citizenship = American
| citizenship =
| alma_mater = [[Harvard University]]<br />[[Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology]]
| alma_mater = [[Harvard University]]<br />[[Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology]]
| occupation = Geographer
| occupation = Geographer
| employer = United States Geological Survey<br />United States Census
| employer = United States Geological Survey<br />United States Census
| organization = [[American Association of Geographers]]<br/>[[American Statistical Association]]<br/>[[Cosmos Club]]<br/>[[National Geographic Society]]<br/>Royal Geographic Society<br/>Twenty Year Topographers Club<br/>
| organization = [[American Association of Geographers]]<br/>[[Cosmos Club]]<br/>[[National Geographic Society]]
| known_for = Father of mapmaking in America
Washington Academy of Sciences
| known_for = Father of Mapmaking in America
}}
}}


'''Henry Gannett''' (August 24, 1846 – November 5, 1914) was an American [[geographer]] who is described as the "father of mapmaking in America."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=November 7, 1914|title=Henry Gannett's Funeral Takes Place Tomorrow|pages=8|work=Evening Star (Washington, D.C.)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96387618/henry-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1814|title=Henry Gannett is Dead|pages=4|work=Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, PA)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96387860/henry-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8">Evans, Richard Tranter; Frye, Helen M. (2009). "[https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1341/pdf/circ_1341.pdf History of the Topographic Branch (Division)]" (PDF). ''U.S. Geological Survey Circular''. '''1341'''. {{ISBN|978-1-4113-2612-5}}.</ref> He was the chief geographer for the [[United States Geological Survey]] essentially from its founding until 1902.<ref name=":1" /> He was also a founding member and president of the [[National Geographic Society]].<ref name=":0" />
'''Henry Gannett''' (August 24, 1846 – November 5, 1914) was an American [[geographer]] who is described as the "father of mapmaking in America."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|date=November 7, 1914|title=Henry Gannett's Funeral Takes Place Tomorrow|pages=8|work=Evening Star (Washington, D.C.)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96387618/henry-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1814|title=Henry Gannett is Dead|pages=4|work=Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, PA)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96387860/henry-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8">Evans, Richard Tranter; Frye, Helen M. (2009). "[https://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1341/pdf/circ_1341.pdf History of the Topographic Branch (Division)]" (PDF). ''U.S. Geological Survey Circular''. '''1341'''. {{ISBN|978-1-4113-2612-5}}.</ref> He was the chief geographer for the [[United States Geological Survey]] essentially from its founding until 1902.<ref name=":1" />


He was a founding member and president of the [[National Geographic Society]], a founder of the [[American Association of Geographers]], and a co-founder and president of the Twenty Year Club or Twenty Year Topographers which was formed at the U.S.G.S. Topographic Division. He was also a founder and president of the [[Cosmos Club]] in [[Washington, D.C.]]
==Background==
Gannett was born in [[Bath, Maine]], son of Hannah Trufant (nee Church) and Michael Farley Gannett.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last1=Darton|first1=N.H.|title=Memoir of Henry Gannett|journal=Annals of the Association of American Geographers|date=January 1917|volume=7|pages=68–70|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.30000053670869?urlappend=%3Bseq=74|access-date=December 15, 2014|doi=10.1080/00045601709357056|hdl=2027/inu.30000053670869?urlappend=%3Bseq=74}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Johnson|first1=Rossiter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1IDAAAAYAAJ&q=henry+gannett|title=The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans ...|last2=Brown|first2=John Howard|date=1904|publisher=Biographical Soceity|pages=70|language=en|chapter=Henry Gannett}}</ref> He attended local schools, before going to Harvard for college.<ref name=":2" /> He graduated with a B.S. from the Lawrence Scientific School of [[Harvard University]] in 1869 and received an M.E. at the Hooper Mining School (aka the [[Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology]]) in 1870.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" />


Gannett also was the geographer of the 10th [[United States Census, 1880|United States Census in 1880]], 11th Census in 1890, and the 12th Census in 1900. He was the assistant director of the 1899 Census of the Philippines and Puerto Rico, the 1902 Census of the Philippines, and the 1906 Census in Cuba.
From 1870 to 1871, he was an assistant at the [[Harvard College Observatory]].<ref name=":3" /> In 1871, he participated in a Harvard expedition to [[Spain]] to observe a [[solar eclipse]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" />


==Early life==
In 1871 he declined a position as an astronomer with [[Charles Francis Hall]]'s ill-fated [[Polaris Expedition]] to the North Pole.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> Instead, he accepted the position of [[Topography|topographer]] with Dr. [[Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden]]'s survey of [[Yellowstone National Park]], working on western territories surveys from 1872 through 1879.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" /> Gannett was trained in topographic mapping at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] by [[Josiah Whitney|Josiah D. Whitney]] and [[Charles F. Hoffmann|Charles F. Hoffman]], who encouraged him to work with Hayden.<ref name=":8" />
Gannett was born in [[Bath, Maine]], on August 24, 1846.<ref name=":2" /> He was the son of Hannah Trufant (née Church) and Michael Farley Gannett.<ref name=":2">{{cite journal|last1=Darton|first1=N.H.|title=Memoir of Henry Gannett|journal=Annals of the Association of American Geographers|date=January 1917|volume=7|pages=68–70|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/inu.30000053670869?urlappend=%3Bseq=74|access-date=December 15, 2014|doi=10.1080/00045601709357056|hdl=2027/inu.30000053670869?urlappend=%3Bseq=74}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite book|last1=Johnson|first1=Rossiter|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q1IDAAAAYAAJ&q=henry+gannett|title=The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans ...|last2=Brown|first2=John Howard|date=1904|publisher=Biographical Society|pages=70|language=en|chapter=Henry Gannett}}</ref> He attended local schools, before going to Harvard for college.<ref name=":2" /> He graduated with a B.S. from the [[Lawrence Scientific School]] of [[Harvard University]] in 1869 and received an M.E. at the Hooper Mining School (aka the [[Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology]]) in 1870.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> Later, he trained in topographic mapping at [[University of Cambridge|Cambridge]] under [[Josiah Whitney|Josiah D. Whitney]] and [[Charles F. Hoffmann|Charles F. Hoffman]].<ref name=":8" />

On July 26, 1872, while climbing the then-unnamed highest mountain in the [[Gallatin Mountains]], he and his party experienced electric shocks following a [[lightning]] event near the summit. He was to name the mountain [[Electric Peak]].
==Career==


== Career ==
[[File:Group portrait with Henry Gannett.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Geological Survey cartographers with Gannett, c.1890-1900]]
[[File:Group portrait with Henry Gannett.jpg|thumb|left|U.S. Geological Survey cartographers with Gannett, c.1890-1900]]
[[File:Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14781227634).jpg|thumb|left|Review of Peary's Records: Gilbert Grosvenor, Otto H. Tittman, Willis L. Moore, Commander Peary, Gannett, C. M. Chester]]
[[File:Supervisors of Puerto Rican census.jpg|thumb|Supervisors for the Puerto Rican Census, 1899|left]][[File:Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14781227634).jpg|thumb|left|Review of Peary's Records: Gilbert Grosvenor, Otto H. Tittman, Willis L. Moore, Commander Peary, Gannett, C. M. Chester]]
From 1870 to 1871, Gannett was an assistant at the [[Harvard College Observatory]].<ref name=":3" /> In 1871, he participated in a Harvard expedition to Spain to observe a [[solar eclipse]].<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" />


In 1871 he declined a position as an astronomer with [[Charles Francis Hall]]'s ill-fated [[Polaris Expedition]] to the North Pole.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":3" /><ref name=":2" /> Instead, with the encouragement of Charles Hoffman, he accepted the position of [[Topography|topographer]] with Dr. [[Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden]]'s survey of [[Yellowstone National Park]], working on western territories surveys from 1872 through 1879.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":8" /> On July 26, 1872, while climbing the then-unnamed highest mountain in the [[Gallatin Mountains]], he and his party experienced electric shocks following a [[lightning]] event near the summit. He named the mountain [[Electric Peak]].
In 1879, Gannet was among those lobbying to centralize the mapping functions into one government agency. Previously individual mapmakers and agencies had to compete for money from Congress for funds for projects. He suggested calling the new organization "United States Geological and Geographical Survey" although the name [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS) would officially be approved. He also assisted in planning the work of the USGS.<ref name=":1" />


In 1879, Gannet was among those lobbying to centralize the mapping functions into one government agency. Previously individual mapmakers and agencies had to compete for money from Congress for project funds. He suggested calling the new organization "United States Geological and Geographical Survey" although the name [[United States Geological Survey]] (USGS) would officially be approved. He also assisted in planning the work of the USGS.<ref name=":1" />
Gannet was appointed to the USGS on October 8, 1879, under director [[Clarence King]].<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Penry |first1=Jerry |date=October 27, 2007 |title=The Father of Government Mapmaking: Henry Gannett |url=http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/4519/%20The%20Father%20of%20Government%20Mapmaking:%20Henry%20Gannett |url-status=dead |journal=The American Surveyor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216012853/http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/4519/%20The%20Father%20of%20Government%20Mapmaking:%20Henry%20Gannett |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2014}}</ref> He was immediately transferred served as the geographer of the 10th [[United States Census, 1880|United States Census in1880]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":8" /> He laid out 2,000 enumeration districts with such precision that for the first time, each census enumerator knew in advance the metes and bounds of his particular district. The completion of this work on July 1, 1882, is considered the start of true topographical work in the United States and the birth of the quad.

Gannet was appointed to the USGS on October 8, 1879, under director [[Clarence King]].<ref name=":8" /><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Penry |first1=Jerry |date=October 27, 2007 |title=The Father of Government Mapmaking: Henry Gannett |url=http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/4519/%20The%20Father%20of%20Government%20Mapmaking:%20Henry%20Gannett |url-status=dead |journal=The American Surveyor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216012853/http://www.amerisurv.com/content/view/4519/%20The%20Father%20of%20Government%20Mapmaking:%20Henry%20Gannett |archive-date=December 16, 2014 |access-date=December 15, 2014}}</ref> He was immediately transferred served as the geographer of the 10th [[United States Census, 1880|United States Census in 1880]].<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":8" /> He laid out 2,000 enumeration districts with such precision that for the first time, each census enumerator knew in advance the metes and bounds of his particular district. The completion of this work on July 1, 1882, is considered the start of true topographical work in the United States and the birth of the quad.


On July 1, 1882, [[John Wesley Powell]] appointed Gannett as the chief geographer in charge of the topographic mapping division of the USGS, a position he held until 1896.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":8" /> Around 1884, he persuaded various organizations doing the surveys, including the railroads, to begin using similar [[datum (geodesy)|datums]] so the data could interconnect. As the chief geographer, he oversaw work on the topographical atlas of the United States.<ref name=":3" /> He also served as a geographer for the 11th Census in 1890 and the 12th Census in 1900.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />
On July 1, 1882, [[John Wesley Powell]] appointed Gannett as the chief geographer in charge of the topographic mapping division of the USGS, a position he held until 1896.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":8" /> Around 1884, he persuaded various organizations doing the surveys, including the railroads, to begin using similar [[datum (geodesy)|datums]] so the data could interconnect. As the chief geographer, he oversaw work on the topographical atlas of the United States.<ref name=":3" /> He also served as a geographer for the 11th Census in 1890 and the 12th Census in 1900.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" />


In 1890, he and [[Thomas Corwin Mendenhall]] of the [[U.S. National Geodetic Survey]] campaigned to establish the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] to create official names for locations in the United States.<ref name=":1" /> He was named to the newly created [[United States Board on Geographic Names|Board on Geographic Names]] by [[Benjamin Harrison|President Benjamin Harrison]] in [[wikisource:Executive_Order_28|Executive Order No. 28]]. In 1896, his last year with the USGS, he started the use of the [[Benchmark (surveying)|benchmark]].
In 1890, he and [[Thomas Corwin Mendenhall]] of the [[United States Coast and Geodetic Survey]] campaigned to establish the [[United States Board on Geographic Names]] to create official names for locations in the United States.<ref name=":1" /> He was named to the newly created [[United States Board on Geographic Names|Board on Geographic Names]] by [[Benjamin Harrison|President Benjamin Harrison]] in [[wikisource:Executive_Order_28|Executive Order No. 28]]. In 1896, his last year with the USGS, he started the use of the [[Benchmark (surveying)|benchmark]].
[[File:Supervisors of Puerto Rican census.jpg|thumb|Supervisors for Puerto Rican Census, 1899]]


In 1899, he was invited on the [[Harriman Alaska Expedition]]. In 1899, he was appointed the assistant director of the Census of the [[Philippines]] and [[Puerto Rico]], the Philippines again in 1902, and Cuba in 1906.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last1=Colby|first1=Frank Moore|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAhJAQAAMAAJ&dq=william+gannett+geographer+biography&pg=PA453|title=The New International Encyclopædia|last2=Williams|first2=Talcott|date=1917|publisher=Dodd, Mead|language=en|chapter=Henry Gannett}}</ref> In 1909 he was named chairman of a special committee to examine and verify the records of [[Robert E. Peary]] in the controversy with [[Frederick Cook]] over who was the first to reach the [[North Pole]].
In 1899, he was invited on the [[Harriman Alaska Expedition]]. In 1899, he was appointed the assistant director of the Census of the Philippines and Puerto Rico, the Philippines again in 1902, and Cuba in 1906.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite book|last1=Colby|first1=Frank Moore|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RAhJAQAAMAAJ&dq=william+gannett+geographer+biography&pg=PA453|title=The New International Encyclopædia|last2=Williams|first2=Talcott|date=1917|publisher=Dodd, Mead|language=en|chapter=Henry Gannett}}</ref> In 1909 he was named chairman of a special committee to examine and verify the records of [[Robert E. Peary]] in the controversy with [[Frederick Cook]] over who was the first to reach the North Pole.


Gannett's published works are geographical and statistical.<ref name=":3" /> He wrote more than fifty USGS Bulletins and Annual Reports.<ref name=":9">{{Cite web |title=The Henry Gannett Award |url=https://www.usgs.gov/programs/national-geospatial-program/henry-gannett-award |access-date=2023-10-09 |website=U.S. Geological Survey}}</ref> He issued a [[gazetteer]] for eleven states and was a contributor to ''Baedecker's Guide to the United States'', [[Encyclopædia Britannica|''Encyclopedia Britannica'']], [[The New International Encyclopedia|and ''The New International Encyclopedia'']].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news |date=November 16, 1914 |title=Great Geographer of Country is Dead pt 2 |pages=16 |work=Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, PA) |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96389386/william-gannett-obituary/ |access-date=February 25, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> He also was the author books for general readers and. statistical atlases. He wrote articles for ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'', ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'', ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'', ''[[Bulletin of the American Geographical Society]],'' and other journals. Although he did not write many works in [[geomorphology]] and [[physical geology]], he offered valuable suggestions.<ref name=":2" /> For example, he recognized [[hanging valleys]] and their importance in interpreting a geological setting.<ref name=":2" /> Later his in career, he ofter wrote about American forests, and the importance of conservation. [[File:A notable gathering on the steps of Hubbard Hall, 1909.jpg|thumb|National Geographic Society members, 1909 ]]
=== Publications ===
[[File:Gannet Peak with Gannett Glacier.jpg|thumb|[[Gannett Peak|Gannet Peak]] and [[Gannett Glacier]] in [[Pinedale, Wyoming]]]]
[[File:MtGannett.jpg|thumb|[[Mount Gannett]] in the [[Chugach Mountains]], [[Alaska]]]]
== Professional affiliations ==
In 1888 Gannett was one of six founding members of the [[National Geographic Society]].<ref name=":7">{{cite web|title=Census.gov › History › Agency History › Notable Alumni › Henry Gannett|url=https://www.census.gov/history/www/census_then_now/notable_alumni/henry_gannett.html|access-date=December 15, 2014|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8" /> He served as its first secretary, and later as treasurer, then vice–president, and president, in 1909.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> He was also Chair of the Society's Research Committee, organizing expeditions to Alaska, [[La Soufrière (volcano)|La Soufriere]], [[Mount Pelée|Mount Pelee]], Peru, and the [[Polar seas|Polar Seas]].<ref name=":2" />


From 1897 to 1909, he was a vice president of the [[American Statistical Association]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=North|first1=S.D.N.|title=Henry Gannett, President of the National Geographic Society, 1910-1914|date=1915|publisher=National Geographic Society|location=Washington, D.C.|hdl=2027/mdp.39015039793479}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> In 1904 he was among the founders of the [[American Association of Geographers]].<ref name=":2" /> Also in 1904, he was secretary of the 8th Geographic Congress.<ref name=":2" /> He was also a member of the [[Washington Academy of Sciences]], the [[Royal Geographical Society of London]], the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]], and the Philadelphia Geographic Society..<ref>{{cite book |url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89100016302?urlappend=%3Bseq=5 |title=List of members, officers, and committees, corrected to March 16, 1914. |date=1916 |publisher=Washington Academy of Sciences |location=Washington, D.C.) |page=5 |hdl=2027/wu.89100016302?urlappend=%3Bseq=5}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news |date=November 8, 1914 |title=Funeral for Henry Gannett |pages=8 |work=The Washington Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96388498/henry-gannett-obituary/ |access-date=February 25, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news |date=November 6, 1914 |title=Funeral on Sunday for Henry Gannett |pages=6 |work=The Washington Times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96389722/obituary-for-b-pierce/ |access-date=February 25, 2022 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" />
[[File:John Muir and Friends at the General Sherman Tree (1902).jpg|thumb|Sierra Club Trek with John Muir, Gannett and others at the General Sherman Tree, 1902]]
[[File:A notable gathering on the steps of Hubbard Hall, 1909.jpg|thumb|National Geographic Society members in front of Hubbard Hall, 1909. ]]
[[File:Gannet Peak with Gannett Glacier.jpg|thumb|Gannet Peak with Gannett Glacier, Pinedale, Wyoming, USA]]
[[File:MtGannett.jpg|thumb|Mount Gannett, Chugach Mountains, Alaska, USA]]
Gannett's published works are geographical and statistical.<ref name=":3" /> Although he did not public many works in [[geomorphology]] and physical geology, he offered valuable suggestions.<ref name=":2" /> For example, he recognized hanging valleys and their importance to interpreting a geological setting.<ref name=":2" /> He was issued a gazetteer for eleven states and was a contributor to ''Baedecker's Guide to the United States'', [[Encyclopædia Britannica|''Encyclopedia Britannica'']], [[The New International Encyclopedia|and ''The New International Encyclopedia'']].<ref name=":5">{{Cite news|date=November 16, 1914|title=Great Geographer of Country is Dead pt 2|pages=16|work=Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, PA)|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96389386/william-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /> Following are some Gannett's publications:
* ''The West'' with R. P. Porter and W. A. Jones (1882)<ref name=":3" />


Gannett was a co-founder and president of the Twenty Year Club or Twenty Year Topographers which was formed at the United States Geological Survey Topographic Division in the winter of 1910–1911.<ref name=":8" /> Eligibility was serving twenty years or more as a topographer with the U.S.G.S.<ref name=":8" />
* ''[https://www.loc.gov/item/a40001834/ Scribner's Statistical Atlas]'' with F.W. Hewes (1883).<ref name=":3" />
* "Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States." ''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'' No. 5(1884)<ref name=":8" />
* [[doi:10.3133/b76|"Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States. 2nd edition.]]" ''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'' No. 70 (1884)<ref name=":8" />
* ‘[[doi:10.3133/b13|Boundaries of the United States and of the Several States and Territories, with a Historical Sketch of the Territorial Changes]],” ''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'' No. 13 (1885)<ref name=":8" />
* [[iarchive:buildingofnation00gannrich|''The Building of a Nation'']] (1893)<ref name=":3" />
* ''[https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/m22 A Manual of Topographic Methods.]'' ''U.S. Geological Survey Monograph 22'' (1893)<ref name=":8" />


== Honors ==
* ''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Manual_of_Topographic_Methods/tg1sYkDdEQUC?hl=en A Manual of Topographic Surveying]'' (1895)<ref name=":3" />
Gannett received an honorary LL.D from [[Bowdoin College]] in 1889.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" />


[[Gannett Peak]], the highest peak in [[Wyoming]], and the related [[Gannett Glacier]] was named for him in 1906.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 25, 2022|title=Gannett Peak|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gannett-Peak|access-date=February 25, 2022|website=Britannica}}</ref> In 1911, Lawrence Martin named [[Mount Gannett]], a {{Convert|10,000|ft|m}} peak in the [[Chugach Mountains]] of eastern [[Alaska]], for Henry Gannett.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Gannett|url=https://alaska.guide/mountain/mount-gannett|access-date=February 25, 2022|website=Alaska Guide|language=en}}</ref>
* ''Commercial Geography'' with Garrison and Houston(1895)<ref name=":2" />
* ''[https://books.google.mg/books/about/The_United_States.html?id=a5YBtAEACAAJ&hl=mg&output=html_text The United States]'' (1898)<ref name=":3" />
* [https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b160 ''Dictionary of Altitudes''] ''in the United States'', 3rd edition (1899)<ref name=":3" />
* [[iarchive:origincertainpl00ganngoog|''Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States'']] (1902) first compilation of place names for the United States<ref name=":8" />
* ''[[iarchive:agazetteerporto00ganngoog|A Gazetteer of Porto Rico]]'' (1901)
* [[iarchive:agazetteercuba00ganngoog|''A Gazetteer of Cuba'']] (1902)<ref name=":4" />
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20081006114714/http://texashistory.unt.edu/permalink/meta-pth-6578 Gazetteer of Texas]''1902)<ref name=":4" />
* "[[iarchive:forestsoregon00ganngoog|The Forests of Oregon]]" ''USGS Professional Paper'' No. 4 (1902)
* ''[https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp5 "]''[https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp5 The Forests of Washington"] ''USGS Professional Paper'' No. 5 (1902)
* ''[[iarchive:dictionaryofalti00gannrich|A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States]]'' (1906)
* ''List of the Mountains in the United States'' (1910-12)<ref name=":8" />


The USGS National Geospatial Program presents the Henry Gannett Award for outstanding efforts in advancing and promoting mapping and geospatial sciences in the United States.<ref name=":9" />
== Professional affiliations ==
In 1888 Gannett was one of six founding members of the [[National Geographic Society]].<ref name=":7">{{cite web|title=Census.gov › History › Agency History › Notable Alumni › Henry Gannett|url=https://www.census.gov/history/www/census_then_now/notable_alumni/henry_gannett.html|access-date=December 15, 2014|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":8" /> He served as its first secretary, and later as treasurer, then vice–president, and president, in 1909.<ref name=":4" /><ref name=":1" /> He was also Chair of the Society's Research Committee, organizing expeditions to [[Alaska]], [[La Soufrière (volcano)|La Soufriere]], [[Mount Pelée|Mount Pelee]], [[Peru]], and the [[Polar seas|Polar Seas]].<ref name=":2" />


== Personal ==
From 1897 to 1909, he was a vice president of the [[American Statistical Association]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=North|first1=S.D.N.|title=Henry Gannett, President of the National Geographic Society, 1910-1914|date=1915|publisher=National Geographic Society|location=Washington, D.C.|hdl=2027/mdp.39015039793479}}</ref><ref name=":4" /> In 1904 he was among the founders of the [[American Association of Geographers]].<ref name=":2" /> Also in 1904, he was secretary of the 8th Geographic Congress.<ref name=":2" /> He was also a member of the [[Washington Academy of Sciences]], the [[Royal Geographical Society of London]], the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]], the Philadelphia Geographic Society, and one of ten founding members and president of the [[Cosmos Club]].<ref>{{cite book|url=http://hdl.handle.net/2027/wu.89100016302?urlappend=%3Bseq=5|title=List of members, officers, and committees, corrected to March 16, 1914.|date=1916|publisher=Washington Academy of Sciences|location=Washington, D.C.)|page=5|hdl=2027/wu.89100016302?urlappend=%3Bseq=5}}</ref><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|date=November 8, 1914|title=Funeral for Henry Gannett|pages=8|work=The Washington Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96388498/henry-gannett-obituary/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|date=November 6, 1914|title=Funeral on Sunday for Henry Gannett|pages=6|work=The Washington Times|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96389722/obituary-for-b-pierce/|access-date=February 25, 2022|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":7" /><ref name=":8" />
Gannett married Mary E. Chase of [[Waterville, Maine]] on November 24, 1874.<ref name=":2" /> They had a son, Farley Gannett who was an engineer for the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> Their daughters were May Gannett (Mrs. G. T. Backus) and [[Alice P. Gannett|Alice Gannett]]; the latter was a noted [[social reformer]] and [[settlement house]] worker.<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />


Gannett was one of the ten founding members and president of the [[Cosmos Club]].<ref name=":8" />
Gannett was a co-founder and president of the Twenty Year Club or Twenty Year Topographers which was formed at the U.S.G.S. Topographic Division in the winter of 1910-1911.<ref name=":8" /> Eligibility was serving twenty years or more as a topographer with the U.S.G.S.<ref name=":8" />


Gannett died at his home in 1840 Biltmore Street, [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C]]. on November 5, 1914, after being ill for about a year with [[Bright's disease|Bright's Disease.]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> His funeral service was given by Rev. U. G. B. Pierce of All Soul's [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]] Church.<ref name=":6" /> The day of his funeral, the [[National Geographic Society]] closed its offices and draped the building in mourning.<ref name=":1" />
== Honors ==
Gannett received an honorary LL.D from [[Bowdoin College]] in 1889.<ref name=":3" /><ref name=":6" />


[[File:John Muir and Friends at the General Sherman Tree (1902).jpg|thumb|[[Sierra Club]] trek with [[John Muir]], Gannett and others at the [[General Sherman (tree)|General Sherman Tree]], 1902]]
[[Gannett Peak]], the highest peak in [[Wyoming]], and the related [[Gannett Glacier]] was named for him in 1906.<ref>{{Cite web|date=February 25, 2022|title=Gannett Peak|url=https://www.britannica.com/place/Gannett-Peak|access-date=February 25, 2022|website=Britannica}}</ref> In 1911, Lawrence Martin named [[Mount Gannett]], a 10,000-foot peak in the [[Chugach Mountains]] of eastern [[Alaska]], for Henry Gannett.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mount Gannett|url=https://alaska.guide/mountain/mount-gannett|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Alaska Guide|language=en}}</ref>


== Personal ==
== Selected publications ==
=== Books ===
He married Mary E. Chase of [[Waterville, Maine]] on November 24, 1874.<ref name=":2" /> They had a son, Farley Gannett who was an engineer for the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /> Their daughters were May Gannett (Mrs. G. T. Backus) and [[Alice P. Gannett|Alice Gannett]].<ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" />
* ''[[iarchive:westfromcensus00portgoog/page/n13/mode/2up|The West: From the Census of 1880, a History of the Industrial, Commercial, Social, and Political Development of the States and Territories of the West from 1800 to 1880]].'' with [[Robert Percival Porter|Robert P. Porter]] and [[William A. Jones (politician)|William A. Jones]]. Chicago: Rand, McNally & Company, 1882.
* ''[[iarchive:louisiana00gann|Louisiana]]''. Boston: Little, Brown & Co., 1882.

* ''[https://www.loc.gov/item/a40001834/ Scribner's Statistical Atlas]'' with F. W. Hewes. New York: C. Scribner's Sons, 1883.
* [[iarchive:buildingofnation00gannrich|''The Building of a Nation, the growth, Present Condition and Resources of the United States, with a Forecast of the Future'']]. New York: The H. T. Thomas Company, 1893.
* ''[[iarchive:dr_covers-to-topographical-atlas-of-the-state-of-rhode-island-and-providence-01114344|Topographical Atlas of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations]]''. with [[Marcus Baker]] and George H. Walker. Providence, R.I.: J.C. Thompson, 1891
* ''[[iarchive:cu31924028683112/page/n9/mode/2up|The Building of a Nation; the Growth, Present Condition and Resources of the United States with a Forecast of the Future]];''. New York: The Henry T. Thomas Company, 1895.
* [[iarchive:northamerica00gann/page/n7/mode/2up|''Stanford's Compendium of Geography and Travel: The United States'' vol. 2]]. London: Edward Stanford, 1898.
* ''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/Commercial_Geography/dcIXAAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1 Commercial Geography].'' with Carl L. Garrison and [[Edwin J. Houston]]. New York: American Book Company, 1905.
* ''[[iarchive:statisticalabst00ganngoog/page/n5/mode/2up|Statistical Abstract of the World]]''. New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1907.
* ''[[iarchive:cubapopulationhi00cubaiala/page/n7/mode/2up|Cuba: Population, History and Resources 1907]]''. with Victor H. Olmsted. Washington, D.C.: United States Bureau of the Census, 1909.

=== Monographs ===
* ''[[iarchive:cu31924097555803/page/n7/mode/2up|The Areas of the United States, the Several States and Territories, and their Counties]]''. ''Extra Census Bulletin'', 1881.
* ''Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States.'' ''[[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]]'' no. 5, 1884.
* [[doi:10.3133/b76|''Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States. 2nd edition''.]] [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 70, 1884.
* [[doi:10.3133/b13|''Boundaries of the United States and of the Several States and Territories, with a Historical Sketch of the Territorial Changes'']]. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 13, 1885.
* ''[https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/m22 A Manual of Topographic Methods.]'' ''United States Geological Survey Monograph no. 22,'' 1893.
* ''[[iarchive:statisticsofnegr00gann_0|Statistics of the Negroes in the United States]]''. ''The Trustees of the [[John F. Slater Fund]] Occasional Papers'' no. 4, 1894.
* ''[[iarchive:occupationsofneg00gann_0|Occupations of the Negroes]]''. ''The Trustees of the [[John F. Slater Fund]] Occasional Papers'' no. 6, 1894.
* [https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/b160 ''A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States,3rd edition''], ''[[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]]'' 160, 1899.
* [[iarchive:origincertainpl00ganngoog|''Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States'']]. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] 248, 1902.
* ''[[iarchive:agazetteerporto00ganngoog|A Gazetteer of Porto Rico]]. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]]'' no. 183, 1901.
* [[iarchive:agazetteercuba00ganngoog|''A Gazetteer of Cuba'']]. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 192, 1902.
* ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=2KkPAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&hl=fr&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false A Gazetteer of Texas]. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]] no. 224,'' 1902.
* "[[iarchive:forestsoregon00ganngoog|The Forests of Oregon]]" ''[[U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper|United States Geological Survey Professional Paper]]'' no. 4, 1902.
* ''"[https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/pp5 The Forests of Washington"]'' ''[[U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper|United States Geological Survey Professional Paper]]'' no. 5, 1902.
* ''[[iarchive:gazetteerofdelaw00gann|A Gazetter of Delaware]]''. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 230, Series F, Geography 38, 1904.
* ''[[iarchive:bulletinofunited231gann|A Gazetter of Maryland]]''. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 231, 1904.
* ''[[iarchive:cu31924102204066/page/n7/mode/2up|A Gazetter of Virginia]]''. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 232, Series F, Geography 40, 1904.
* ''[[iarchive:gazetteerofindia0000gann|A Gazetteer of Indian Territory]]''. ''[[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]]''248, Series F, Geography 44, 1905.
* ''[[iarchive:dictionaryofalti00gannrich|A Dictionary of Altitudes in the United States 4th edition.]][[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|United States Geological Survey Bulletin]]'' no. 274, 1906.
* ''[[iarchive:gazetteerofcolor00gann/page/n1/mode/2up|A Gazetteer of Colorado]]''. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 291, Series F, Geography 51, 1906.
* ''[[iarchive:areasofunitedsta00gann|The Areas of the United States, the States, and the Territories]]''. [[U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin|''United States Geological Survey Bulletin'']] no. 302, Series F, Geography 58, 1906.

=== Articles ===


* "[[iarchive:reportongeograph100gann|Report on the Geographical Field Work in the Yellowstone National Park]]", ''Twelfth Annual Report of the Survey for the Year 1878''. United States Geological Survey, June 13, 1883.
He died at his home in 1840 Biltmore Street, [[Washington, D.C.|Washington, D.C]]. on November 5, 1914, after being ill for about a year with [[Bright's disease|Bright's Disease.]]<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":5" /><ref name=":6" /> HIs funeral service was given by Rev. U. G. B. Pierce of All Soul's [[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]] Church.<ref name=":6" /> The day of his funeral, the [[National Geographic Society]] closed its offices and draped the building in mourning.<ref name=":1" />
* "[[iarchive:jstor-1758719|The Geodetic Work of the Hayden and Wheeler Surveys]]", ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'', vol. 3, no. 2, April 11, 1884.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-1762240|Is the Rainfall Increasing upon the Plains?]]", ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]'' vol. 11, no. 265, March 2, 1888.
* "[https://librivox.org/the-national-geographic-magazine-vol-07-03-march-1896-by-various/ The Mother Maps of the United States]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' ''v''ol. 4, 1892–1893.
* "[[iarchive:averageelevation00gann|The Average Elevation of the United States]]". ''Thirteenth Annual Report of the Director 1891–92,'' United States Geological Survey, 1894.
* "[https://librivox.org/the-national-geographic-magazine-vol-05-by-various/ The Movements of Our Population]",''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' ''v''ol. 5, 1895.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-196838/page/n3/mode/2up|The Mapping of New York State]]", ''Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York'' vol. 27, 1895.
* "[[iarchive:summmaryofprimar00gann|Summmary of the Primary Triangulation Executed by the United States Geological Survey between the Years 1882 and 1894]]", ''Sixteenth Annual Report of the Survey 1894–95 Part 1: Director's Report and Papers of a Theoretical Nature''. United States Geological Survey, 1896.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-196803|A Graphic History of the United States]]", ''Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York'', vol. 28, 1896.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-197229/page/n1/mode/2up|The Topographic Work of the U. S. Geological Survey in 1895]]", ''Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York'', vol. 28, no. 4, January 1896.
* "[https://librivox.org/the-national-geographic-magazine-vol-07-03-march-1896-by-various/ Survey and Subdivision of Indian Territory]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]''vol. 7, no. 3, March 1896.
* "[https://librivox.org/the-national-geographic-magazine-vol-07-07-july-1896-by-various/ The Work of the United States Board on Geographic Names]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' ''v''ol. 7, no. 7, July 1896.
* "[https://librivox.org/the-national-geographic-magazine-vol-07-12-december-1896-by-national-geographic-society/ Statistics of Railways in the United States]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 7, no.12, December 1896.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-196984|The Administration of the Forests of the Public Domain]]", ''Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York'', vol. 29, 1897.
* "[[iarchive:ngm09_01_2003_librivox|Our Foreign Trade]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 9, no. 5, January 1898.
* "[[iarchive:ngm09_05_2009_librivox|Captain Charles D. Sigsbee, U. S. N.]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 9, no. 5, May 1898.
* "[[iarchive:ngm09_07_2012_librivox|Geographic Work of the General Government]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 9, no. 7. July 1898.
* "[[iarchive:ngm09_09_2103_librivox|The Forest Conditions and Standing Timber of the State of Washington]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 9, no. 9. September 1898.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-196931/mode/2up|The Timber Line]]", ''Journal of the American Geographical Society of New York'', vol. 31, January 1899.
* "[[iarchive:ngm10_05_2110_librivox|The Redwood Forest of the Pacific Coast]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 10, no. 5. May 1899.
* "[[iarchive:ngm10_12_2303_librivox|The Harriman Alaska Expedition]]", ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 10, no. 12, December 1899.
* "[[iarchive:forestsofuniteds00gann/mode/2up|The Forests of the United States]]", ''Twentieth Annual Report of the Survey 1898–99, Part 5, Forest Reserves.'' United States Geological Survey, 1900.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-198176|Early Western Explorers and the Railroads]]", ''[[Bulletin of the American Geographical Society]]'' vol. 37, January 1905''.''
* "[[iarchive:ask0053.0001.001.umich.edu|A Revelation of the Filipinos]]" with Joseph Prentiss Sanger and Victor H. Olmsted. ''[[The National Geographic Magazine]]'' vol. 16, no. 4, April 1905.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-198945/page/n1/mode/2up|Certain Relations of Rainfall and Temperature to Tree Growth]]", ''[[Bulletin of the American Geographical Society]]'' vol. 38, January 1906.
* "[[iarchive:jstor-1011680/page/n1/mode/2up|Farm Tenure in the United States]]", ''[[Annals Of The American Academy Of Political And Social Science|Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science]]'', vol. 33, May 1, 1909.
* "[[iarchive:paper-doi-10_1038_083283a0|Commander Peary's Expedition to the North Pole]]" with C. M. Chester and O. H. Tittman. ''[[Nature (journal)|Nature]]'' vol. 83, no. 2114, May 1910.


==References==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


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Latest revision as of 19:33, 18 December 2023

Henry Gannett
Born(1846-08-24)August 24, 1846
Bath, Maine, U.S.
DiedNovember 5, 1914(1914-11-05) (aged 68)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma materHarvard University
Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology
OccupationGeographer
Employer(s)United States Geological Survey
United States Census
Organization(s)American Association of Geographers
Cosmos Club
National Geographic Society
Known forFather of mapmaking in America

Henry Gannett (August 24, 1846 – November 5, 1914) was an American geographer who is described as the "father of mapmaking in America."[1][2][3][4] He was the chief geographer for the United States Geological Survey essentially from its founding until 1902.[2]

He was a founding member and president of the National Geographic Society, a founder of the American Association of Geographers, and a co-founder and president of the Twenty Year Club or Twenty Year Topographers which was formed at the U.S.G.S. Topographic Division. He was also a founder and president of the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C.

Gannett also was the geographer of the 10th United States Census in 1880, 11th Census in 1890, and the 12th Census in 1900. He was the assistant director of the 1899 Census of the Philippines and Puerto Rico, the 1902 Census of the Philippines, and the 1906 Census in Cuba.

Early life[edit]

Gannett was born in Bath, Maine, on August 24, 1846.[3] He was the son of Hannah Trufant (née Church) and Michael Farley Gannett.[3][5] He attended local schools, before going to Harvard for college.[3] He graduated with a B.S. from the Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard University in 1869 and received an M.E. at the Hooper Mining School (aka the Harvard University School of Mining and Practical Geology) in 1870.[5][3] Later, he trained in topographic mapping at Cambridge under Josiah D. Whitney and Charles F. Hoffman.[4]

Career[edit]

U.S. Geological Survey cartographers with Gannett, c.1890-1900
Supervisors for the Puerto Rican Census, 1899
Review of Peary's Records: Gilbert Grosvenor, Otto H. Tittman, Willis L. Moore, Commander Peary, Gannett, C. M. Chester

From 1870 to 1871, Gannett was an assistant at the Harvard College Observatory.[5] In 1871, he participated in a Harvard expedition to Spain to observe a solar eclipse.[3][4]

In 1871 he declined a position as an astronomer with Charles Francis Hall's ill-fated Polaris Expedition to the North Pole.[4][5][3] Instead, with the encouragement of Charles Hoffman, he accepted the position of topographer with Dr. Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden's survey of Yellowstone National Park, working on western territories surveys from 1872 through 1879.[5][2][3][4] On July 26, 1872, while climbing the then-unnamed highest mountain in the Gallatin Mountains, he and his party experienced electric shocks following a lightning event near the summit. He named the mountain Electric Peak.

In 1879, Gannet was among those lobbying to centralize the mapping functions into one government agency. Previously individual mapmakers and agencies had to compete for money from Congress for project funds. He suggested calling the new organization "United States Geological and Geographical Survey" although the name United States Geological Survey (USGS) would officially be approved. He also assisted in planning the work of the USGS.[2]

Gannet was appointed to the USGS on October 8, 1879, under director Clarence King.[4][6] He was immediately transferred served as the geographer of the 10th United States Census in 1880.[5][4] He laid out 2,000 enumeration districts with such precision that for the first time, each census enumerator knew in advance the metes and bounds of his particular district. The completion of this work on July 1, 1882, is considered the start of true topographical work in the United States and the birth of the quad.

On July 1, 1882, John Wesley Powell appointed Gannett as the chief geographer in charge of the topographic mapping division of the USGS, a position he held until 1896.[5][4] Around 1884, he persuaded various organizations doing the surveys, including the railroads, to begin using similar datums so the data could interconnect. As the chief geographer, he oversaw work on the topographical atlas of the United States.[5] He also served as a geographer for the 11th Census in 1890 and the 12th Census in 1900.[2][3]

In 1890, he and Thomas Corwin Mendenhall of the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey campaigned to establish the United States Board on Geographic Names to create official names for locations in the United States.[2] He was named to the newly created Board on Geographic Names by President Benjamin Harrison in Executive Order No. 28. In 1896, his last year with the USGS, he started the use of the benchmark.

In 1899, he was invited on the Harriman Alaska Expedition. In 1899, he was appointed the assistant director of the Census of the Philippines and Puerto Rico, the Philippines again in 1902, and Cuba in 1906.[2][4][7] In 1909 he was named chairman of a special committee to examine and verify the records of Robert E. Peary in the controversy with Frederick Cook over who was the first to reach the North Pole.

Gannett's published works are geographical and statistical.[5] He wrote more than fifty USGS Bulletins and Annual Reports.[8] He issued a gazetteer for eleven states and was a contributor to Baedecker's Guide to the United States, Encyclopedia Britannica, and The New International Encyclopedia.[9][3] He also was the author books for general readers and. statistical atlases. He wrote articles for The National Geographic Magazine, Science, Nature, Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, and other journals. Although he did not write many works in geomorphology and physical geology, he offered valuable suggestions.[3] For example, he recognized hanging valleys and their importance in interpreting a geological setting.[3] Later his in career, he ofter wrote about American forests, and the importance of conservation.

National Geographic Society members, 1909
Gannet Peak and Gannett Glacier in Pinedale, Wyoming
Mount Gannett in the Chugach Mountains, Alaska

Professional affiliations[edit]

In 1888 Gannett was one of six founding members of the National Geographic Society.[10][2][4] He served as its first secretary, and later as treasurer, then vice–president, and president, in 1909.[7][2] He was also Chair of the Society's Research Committee, organizing expeditions to Alaska, La Soufriere, Mount Pelee, Peru, and the Polar Seas.[3]

From 1897 to 1909, he was a vice president of the American Statistical Association.[11][7] In 1904 he was among the founders of the American Association of Geographers.[3] Also in 1904, he was secretary of the 8th Geographic Congress.[3] He was also a member of the Washington Academy of Sciences, the Royal Geographical Society of London, the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and the Philadelphia Geographic Society..[12][2][13][9][14][3][10][4]

Gannett was a co-founder and president of the Twenty Year Club or Twenty Year Topographers which was formed at the United States Geological Survey Topographic Division in the winter of 1910–1911.[4] Eligibility was serving twenty years or more as a topographer with the U.S.G.S.[4]

Honors[edit]

Gannett received an honorary LL.D from Bowdoin College in 1889.[5][14]

Gannett Peak, the highest peak in Wyoming, and the related Gannett Glacier was named for him in 1906.[15] In 1911, Lawrence Martin named Mount Gannett, a 10,000 feet (3,000 m) peak in the Chugach Mountains of eastern Alaska, for Henry Gannett.[16]

The USGS National Geospatial Program presents the Henry Gannett Award for outstanding efforts in advancing and promoting mapping and geospatial sciences in the United States.[8]

Personal[edit]

Gannett married Mary E. Chase of Waterville, Maine on November 24, 1874.[3] They had a son, Farley Gannett who was an engineer for the Water Supply Commission of Pennsylvania.[2][9] Their daughters were May Gannett (Mrs. G. T. Backus) and Alice Gannett; the latter was a noted social reformer and settlement house worker.[9][14]

Gannett was one of the ten founding members and president of the Cosmos Club.[4]

Gannett died at his home in 1840 Biltmore Street, Washington, D.C. on November 5, 1914, after being ill for about a year with Bright's Disease.[1][2][9][14] His funeral service was given by Rev. U. G. B. Pierce of All Soul's Unitarian Church.[14] The day of his funeral, the National Geographic Society closed its offices and draped the building in mourning.[2]

Sierra Club trek with John Muir, Gannett and others at the General Sherman Tree, 1902

Selected publications[edit]

Books[edit]

Monographs[edit]

Articles[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Henry Gannett's Funeral Takes Place Tomorrow". Evening Star (Washington, D.C.). November 7, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Henry Gannett is Dead". Harrisburg Daily Independent (Harrisburg, PA). November 6, 1814. p. 4. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Darton, N.H. (January 1917). "Memoir of Henry Gannett". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 7: 68–70. doi:10.1080/00045601709357056. hdl:2027/inu.30000053670869. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Evans, Richard Tranter; Frye, Helen M. (2009). "History of the Topographic Branch (Division)" (PDF). U.S. Geological Survey Circular. 1341. ISBN 978-1-4113-2612-5.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Johnson, Rossiter; Brown, John Howard (1904). "Henry Gannett". The Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans ... Biographical Society. p. 70.
  6. ^ Penry, Jerry (October 27, 2007). "The Father of Government Mapmaking: Henry Gannett". The American Surveyor. Archived from the original on December 16, 2014. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Colby, Frank Moore; Williams, Talcott (1917). "Henry Gannett". The New International Encyclopædia. Dodd, Mead.
  8. ^ a b "The Henry Gannett Award". U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Great Geographer of Country is Dead pt 2". Harrisburg Telegraph (Harrisburg, PA). November 16, 1914. p. 16. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b "Census.gov › History › Agency History › Notable Alumni › Henry Gannett". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  11. ^ North, S.D.N. (1915). Henry Gannett, President of the National Geographic Society, 1910-1914. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society. hdl:2027/mdp.39015039793479.
  12. ^ List of members, officers, and committees, corrected to March 16, 1914. Washington, D.C.): Washington Academy of Sciences. 1916. p. 5. hdl:2027/wu.89100016302.
  13. ^ "Funeral for Henry Gannett". The Washington Times. November 8, 1914. p. 8. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Funeral on Sunday for Henry Gannett". The Washington Times. November 6, 1914. p. 6. Retrieved February 25, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ "Gannett Peak". Britannica. February 25, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2022.
  16. ^ "Mount Gannett". Alaska Guide. Retrieved February 25, 2022.

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