Evening star., 1954-05-06
DR.. La Gorce Heads
National Geographic;
Dr.. Grosvenor Retires

The National Geographic So
ciety late yesterday announced
the election of DR.. John Oliver
La Gorce as president of the So
ciety and editor OF it's magazine,
to succeed DR.. Gilbert Grosvenor,
who is retiring after serving the
Geographic for more than IS
years.
DR.. Grosvenor's resignation
was accepted only on condition
that he become chairman of the
board of trustees. and he was
elected to that position by unan-
imous vote.
The trustees also announced
that DR.. GroSvenor's son, DR..
Melville Bell Grosvenor, was
elected vice president of the So
ciety and associate editor of the
National Geographic Magazine.
He has been senior assistant ed
itor for a long time.
DR.. La Gorce has been the as
sociate editor since 1911. He has
been vice president of the society
since 1920.
DR.. La Gorce was young
newSpaperman in Washington
vited him to join the staff in
1905. He has served with the
society continuously for the 49
years since that time.
Life Trustee.
For two years he was its
assistant secretary. From 1907
until 1911, he was assistant edi-
tor of the magazine and then
he was elected associate editor.
He has seen the National Geo.
graphic Society membership
grow from 10000 to more than
2 million. in the United States
and every country of the world.
He has been associated closely
with DR.. Grosvenor in develop
ing the society's worldwide scien-
tif1c and educational program.
DR.. La Gorce is a life trustee
of the organization, for which
he has travelled widely. He is the
author of many books and
articles on subjects of geography
and natural history.
He holds degrees from George
town University. George WASH
ington University, the Univer-
sity of Lima. Peru. and Miami
University. He has been hon.
ored by various universities
and geographical societies for
his contributions to geographic
knowledge
Mount La Gorce and a lake
and glacier in Alaska are named
for him. So are mountain range
and a peak in the Antarctic.
And so. too. is the La Gorce
Country Club at Miami Beach,
Fla, where he and Mrs. La
Gorce spend winter vacations.
Here Since Childhood.
DR.. La Gorce was born in
Scranton. Pa. son of Col. and
Mrs. Gabriel H. de la Gorce.
but he has lived in Washington
since childhood. At the age
of IA, he already was an expert
MISUNDERSTANDING that proved
valuable particularly in his early
newspaper days.
Friends know him to be a
fervent disciple of Izaak Wal
ton. and he is recognized as an
authority on both fresh-water
and saltwater fishes. His hobby
IS collecting arms and armor
Weapons. both primitive and
modern. line his office walls.
DR.. La Gorce has many inter-
ests In addition to his duties at
the National Geographic. he is
a trustee of the Corcoran Gallery
of Art. a trustee of the University
of Miami and a director of the
Riggs National Bank. He was
president of the Alfalfa Club in
1953-54 and is chairman of the
board of the Committee of One
Hundred. Miami Beach. He is a
fellow in the Royal Geographic
Society of Great Britain. and
chevalier in the French Legion of
Honor.
DR.. Melville Bell GroSvenor,
new vice president and associate
editor. is a great-grandson of
Gardiner Greene Hubbard,
founder and first president of
the society, and a grandson of
Alexander Graham Bell, inventor
of the telephone and second
president of the society.
Naval Academy Graduate.
He is a graduate of the Naval
Academy and the author of nu-
merous geographic articles. He
joined the society staff in 1924.
DR.. Thomas w. McKnew is
secretary of the society and
Robert V. Fleming. president of
the Riggs National Bank. is
treasurer.
DR.. and Mrs. Grosvenor and
DR.. and Mrs. La Gorce were
honored at dinner in the Chevy
Chase Club last night by the
board of trustees. DR.. McKnew
presented DR.. GroSvenor with a
large, handsomely bound and
embossed leather book with fe-
licitations from the trustees and
the $40 National Geographic
employees.
Guests at Dinner.
Attending the dinner we're
board members and their wives
and members of the Grosvenor
and La Gorce families. The
guests included:
Grosvenor Blair, DR.. and Mrs.
LYMAN j. Briggs, Rear Admiral
and Mrs. Richard E. Byrd, Rear
Admiral and Mrs. L. o. Colbert.
g. ? ;I1;on Gr0Sven0r COvilln