125 Years: 1888-2013 ~ well, 126 January's ago tonight, Jan. 13th, and...

[Scott T. Shier]

. . . thirty-three gentlemen made their way by foot, on horseback ...to organize a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knowledge...and the rest is history.

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Hello 'Corner,

(I am still playing catch-up on 125th Anniversary observances, but perhaps better late than not at all).

I wanted to share this while it was still 2013, but tonight of all days is the next best thing. I wanted to pay a moment of respect to the 33 Founders of our National Geographic Society, founded on 13-Jan-1888 (and more formally incorporated on 27-Jan, 1888).

They were:

Gardiner G. Hubbard,

Adolphus W. Greely,

John R. Bartlett,

Henry Mitchell,

Henry Gannett,

A. H. Thompson,

and,

Charles J. Bell,

Israel C. Russell,

George W. Melville,

Frank Baker,

W. B. Powell,

Grove K. Gilbert,

John Wesley Powell,

William H. Dall,

Edward E. Hayden,

Herbert G. Ogden,

Arthur P. Davis,

Gilbert Thompson,

Marcus Baker,

George Kennan,

James H. Gore,

O. H. Tittmann,

Henry Henshaw,

George B. Goode,

Cleveland Abbe,

Robert Muldrow II,

Winfield S. Schley,

C. E. Dutton,

W. D. Johnson,

James C. Welling,

C. Hart Merriam,

Rogers Birnie Jr.,

Samuel S. Gannett

* names typed in order of designation on Stanley Meltzoff's 1963 painting of the founders at the Cosmos Club in Washington, D.C. on 13-January-1888; except for the first 6 atop, which reflects those who signed the invitation letter dated 10-Jan-1888.

Text of that letter:

Dear Sir :

You are invited to be present at a meeting to be held in the Assembly Hall of the Cosmos Club, on Friday evening, January 13, at 8 o'clock P. M. for the purpose of considering the advisability of organizing a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical knpowledge. 

Very respectfully yours,

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