Evening star., 1919-04-01
Conditions Contrasted.

Mr.. Grosvenor entered upon his du-
ties in half a room of the old Cor
coran building. then at Pennsylvania
avenue and 18th street. with a few
magazines and newspaper files and
dusty records the only visible prop
erty of the society. In fact. the So
ciety was in debt and could not af-
ford even clerical assistance for its
editor, so for time he not only edit
ed the publication. but personally did
all else, even to addressing the en-
velopes containing the copies of the
publication.
Today the society is housed in COM
modious and beautiful buildings on
18th and NJ streets. It's various ac-
tivities give employment to more than
500 persons in Washington. 1t is the
largest customer. other than the gov
ernment itself, Of the Washington
city post Office. where it's magazines
are mailed.
The society has never asked men,
bers for grants or contributions other
than the modest annual membership
fee. 1t pays no dividends except for
its valuable contributions to the
worlds knowledge, and no individual
nor group has reaped dollar of prof
1t from it. The appeal of its maga-
zine 80 extended its membership that
the income enabled the society to un-
dertake wide range of activities.
such as its many explorations; it's
preparation of maps. like those of
Europe's battle fronts and of the races
crate series as that of the 1900 flags
in colors. including those of all CIV
ilized nations, every state in the
Union, historic standards and signal
flags: sending daily and without cost
to more than 500 newspapers a geo
graphic bulletin service: and grant
ing outright 100000 to help purchase
section of land to be added to the
SeQuoia National Park and thus save
from the woodman the giant red
woods, the nations biggest trees and
the Oldest living things in existence.
Awards Medals for Research Work.
The society also awards gold medals
for geographical research, ana holds
yearly in Washington q notable series
of lectures at which have appeared
such men as William Howard Taft,
the late Theodore Roosevelt. viscount
Sir Ernest shackleton. Sir Wilfrid T.
Greenfell and scores of others of
worldwide fame.
The magazine issues are 30 plan
ned that they follow the path of cur
terest. yet they contain nothing but
information and illustration of per-
manent value, SO that millions of
copies ana reprints are in use in
libraries and schools for reference
and for the teaching Of geography.
Mr.. Grosvenor was born in Constan-
tinople, where he spent his boyhood,
and graduated from Amherst College
In 1897 with special honors in litera-
ture and history. He was married in
London, England, in 1900, to Miss
Elsie May Bell. daughter of Alexander
Graham Bell and has seven children.
His Work as Writer.
Mr., Grosvenor has written and
edited a number of scientific papers.
books and reports; has contributed
numerous articles to magazines, and
is member of the board of mana
gers or a trustee of a number of
Washington institutions. including
George Washington UniveI sity, Amer
lean University. American Security
and Trust Company and Equitable
Cooperative Building Association. He
also is chairman of the executive
committee Of the American Asso-
citation to Promote Teaching of Speech
to the Deaf.
Hanging in Mr.. Grosvenor's Office
is a handsomely engrossed copy of
resolutions Of thanks rendered him
recently by the board of managers
of the National Geographic Society
for the superb work" he has accom-
plished in creating an organization
which has meant so much in the his |
tory of the capital.