Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-05-07
SOCIETY
SHOWS GREAT GROWTH
Now Largest and Most Popular
Scientific Organization in
the World.

Every town and hamlet in the United
States with a population exceeding 100
Inhabitants contains one or more men,
bers of the National Geographic Society.
according to report just made to the
society at its headquarters here by Gill
bert Fl. Grosvenor. director and editor.
Fifteen years ago the society was small
and unknown. Today it is the largest
and most popular scientific organization
in the world, with membership of 2s1.-
500 Its history reads like a modern fairy
tale
In 1855 the National Geographic Society
was organized under a national charter
to promote the increase and diffusion of
geographic knowledge" Its only income
was the dues of its members. 1877 in num-
Der. 1t had no permanent home. Its
headquarters occupying half of a small
office room. 1t constantly faced a deficit.
The society struggled through hand-to-
mouth existence as local society until
1899. when new question UNIQUE in the
history of science. was asked WHY not
take the science of geography into the
homes of the people, Why not popular
ize the magazine the society was pub
lshing. Transforming it from one of cold
scientific fact. expressed in hieroglyphic
terms which the layinan could not I'M
derstand. into medium for carrying the
living, breathing human-interest fact
about the wide world into the family
circle? Would not that be the greatest
agency OF all for the diffusion of geo
graphic knowledge
New Policy Swells Membership.
When this policy was adopted the So
.io t,1l
the city of Washington. One year later
its out-of-town membership had increased
,ivefold. As the society's income in
creased. the money was reinvested in its
magazine, making it larger and better.
Soon. instead OF a society supporting a
magazine, its magazine was supporting
the society.
By 1904, Ave years after the change in
policy, the membership list included 1856
names. Four years later there were
II. 19S members. and 1925 in another
four years. In the last twelve months
100000 new members have been enrolled.
The membership of the society now ex-
tends into every state and territory in the
United States; every country of North
and South America and Europe: practi-
cally every country in Asia, and into
forty-flve towns IN Africa.
The society's work of increasing geo
graphic knowledge. by encouraging ex-
ploraton and research work with such
financial grants as its resources will per-
nit has taken it into many fields 1t has
just embarked on another expedition to
the Wilds of Peru. A series of investiga-
tons extending over three years, of the
glaciers of Alaska has been completed.
The society investigated the recent erup-
ton of Mount Katmai. in Alaska. 1t sent
an expedition to Mount Pelee and La Sou
friere to study the eruptions of these vol
canoes, and a trained geologist to Sicily
to investigate the Messina earthquake.
II has assisted various arctic expeditions.
Wide Range of Interest.
The correspondence of the society indi-
Gates the range of interest of its mem
bers Here is a letter from man want
ing 10 know who publishes the best
bathymetrical chart: here another in
curing as to the arcs of parallel south
OF tile equator: third asks for precise
information upon the rate of movement
of glaciers A merchant wants TO know
what precautions viii be necessary tc
maintain his health and what kind oil
| clothing he SHOULD take along to the west
coast of South Africa. man wonders
where gum arabic comes from: another
| seeks to know why afforestaton pro,
| notes rainfall: another, why twilight il
| the tropics is so short.
The National Geographic Society has
| transformed the study of geography from
| a pilgrimage over an oasisless deser'
| of uninteresting fact into a journey
| through the most fertile valley of fasci
! mating information about how "the othel
/ half OF the world lives. and 1t has done
\ this by means of authentic articles ant
! remarkable photographs.