death_date death_place birth_place birth_date image article_title name occupation
march 16 , 2008 kalamazoo , michigan kalamazoo , michigan april 15 , 1916 meader with tiger.jpg mary meader
 rachael mary upjohn light meader aerial photographer , explorer , and philanthropist
mary meader

rachael mary upjohn light meader -lrb- april 15 , 1916 -- march 16 , 2008 -rrb- was an american aerial photographer and explorer .
heir to the upjohn company fortune , she is best known in aerial circles for her 1937 -- 1938 35,000-mile -lrb- 56,000 km -rrb- flight in which she photographed unprecedented images of south america and africa .
her african photographs were later featured in the book `` focus on africa '' .
in her later years , she also became known in her native kalamazoo , michigan , for her philanthropy to western michigan university , the university of michigan , and various kalamazoo charities .
