The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-04-01
WILL ENTERTAIN
GEOGRAPHIC
STAFF
Or. Gilbert Grosvenor TO Cele-
brate Twenty-fifth Anniver-
sary With Society.

In recognition Of the twenty fifth
anniversary Of Dr.. Gilbert Grosve.
nor's direction Of the National Geo
graphic Society and editorship Of its
National Geographic Magazine, the
trustees ami staff Of the society are
being entertained at buffet sup.
per at the home of DR.. and Mrs.
Grosvenor on Eighteenth street this
Ievening.
Under DR.. Grosvenor's leadership
the National Geographic Society has
grown into world-famous co-opera-
tive organization and pne OF WASH
ington's foremost institutions. 1t Is
the largest private user of the
Washington city postoffice: Its
membership extends to every COM
munity of the United States where
there are 100 or more persons: its
organ, the National Geographic
Magazine, goes to every civilized
country, and Is carried into the
Arctic on reindeer sled and across
desert sands in camel caravans.
DIR. GrOsvenOr Is Pioneer.
DIR. Grosvenor is pioneer in sew
eral Important fields:
He inaugurated the use OF pic
lures to convey geographic informa.
ton. such as words can only din1ly
describe or define-such facts as
the colorful costumes of Europe'e
peasants, the irridescent beatty OF
waterfall or the lonesome gran
deur of an old-time square rigger
on the high seas. This innovation
has spread throughout the United
States wherever there Is a school
house, for visual instruction is now
recognized mode of teaching ge.
ography.
He has been acclaimed one Of
the worlds best friends of science,
because he paved the way. In the
National Geographic Magazine, for
telling scientific facts in a vivid, in
teresting and stimulating way with
out sacrificing one iota Of scientific
precision
He has been commended by states
men the world over for lringing
about better feeling among the
nations for, while the National Geo
graphic Society by its constitution
is estopped from any form of propa-
ganda, he has shown that better
understanding among peoples is a
sure path to ultimate world peace.
Born in Turkey.
DIR. Grosvenor was born in Con
stantinople where his father, Dr.
Edwin A. Grosvenor. was teaching
history at Robert College. He went
20. A. 5Vaa tad In n
honors, later took his NJ. A. degree
there, and was awarded an LII. ID.
degree by Georgetown University
here in 1921. He was elected presi-
dent of the National Geographic
Society in 1920.
In London, England. October %,
1900, DIR. Grosvenor was married to
Miss Elsie May Bell, daughter Of
Alexander Graham Bell. inventor OF
the telephone.
When DIR. Grosvehor came to
Washington to take charge Of the
National Geographic Society, the
offices were in half a room, with
a part-time clerk, in the old Cor
coran Building, at Fifteenth street
and Pennsylvania avenue. Today
the society is housed in a beauti-
full administration building at Six
teenth and M streets northwest; its
magazine is printed in a large plant
in lexington, and i'm an annex along
side the tracks, its tons of printed
matter are sent to all parts of the
world. 1t now employees more than
400 persons in it's varied activities.
The society has sent expeditions
to all parts Of the world, including
the famous one which found the
lost Babylon-lil1e city of Machu
Picchu in Peru, explored the ruins
of one of Americas early habita-
tons at Chaco Canyon, sent it's
flag along with the Stars and
Stripes to the North Pole with
Peary, and today has half a dozen
scientific expeditions in the field,
and is conducting a dozen or more
intensive Photographic surveys in
various parts of the globe.
Trustees Of Society.
Other trustees aside from Chief
Justice Taft and Mr.. Payne are:
Charles j. Bell, John Joy Edison,
David Fairchild,, c.. Hart Merriam,
o. p. Austin, George A. Putnam:
George Shiras, Sd, E. Lester Jones,
Grant Squires. Rear Admiral C. M.
Chester, U. S. N, Frederick V.
Coville, Rudolph Kaufman, T. l..
Macdonald. S. n. D. North, John
Oliver LaGorce, j. Howard Gore,
Major General A. W., Greedy, U. S.
A.. George Otis Smith, o. H. Tit
mann, Henry White, Stephen T.
Mather and DR.. Grosvenor.