Ellsworth Huntington
Encyclopedia
Ellsworth Huntington was a professor of geography
at Yale University
during the early 20th century, known for his studies on climatic determinism, economic growth
and economic geography
. He served as Presidents of the Ecological Society of America in 1917, the Association of American Geographers in 1923 and the President of the Board of Directors of the American Eugenics Society
from 1934 to 1938.
He taught at Euphrates College
, Turkey
(1897–1901); accompanied the Pumpelly
(1903) and Barrett (1905–1906) expeditions to central Asia
; and wrote of his Asian experiences in Explorations in Turkestan (1905) and The Pulse of Asia (1907). He taught geography at Yale (1907–1915) and from 1917 was a research associate there, devoting his time chiefly to climatic
and anthropogeographic studies.
In 1909, Huntington led The Yale Expedition to Palestine
. It was his mission to determine "step by step the process by which geologic structure, topographic form, and the present and past nature of the climate have shaped man's progress, moulded his history; and thus played an incalculable part in the development of a system of thought which could scarcely have arisen under any other physical circumstances.
He was on the original standing committee of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles from 1941.
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
during the early 20th century, known for his studies on climatic determinism, economic growth
Economic growth
In economics, economic growth is defined as the increasing capacity of the economy to satisfy the wants of goods and services of the members of society. Economic growth is enabled by increases in productivity, which lowers the inputs for a given amount of output. Lowered costs increase demand...
and economic geography
Economic geography
Economic geography is the study of the location, distribution and spatial organization of economic activities across the world. The subject matter investigated is strongly influenced by the researcher's methodological approach. Neoclassical location theorists, following in the tradition of Alfred...
. He served as Presidents of the Ecological Society of America in 1917, the Association of American Geographers in 1923 and the President of the Board of Directors of the American Eugenics Society
American Eugenics Society
The American Eugenics Society was a society established in 1922 to promote eugenics in the United States.It was the result of the Second International Conference on Eugenics . The founders included Madison Grant, Harry H. Laughlin, Irving Fisher, Henry Fairfield Osborn, and Henry Crampton...
from 1934 to 1938.
He taught at Euphrates College
Euphrates College
Euphrates College was a coeducational high school in Harput , a town in the eastern Turkey, founded and directed by American missionaries for mostly the Armenian community in the region....
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
(1897–1901); accompanied the Pumpelly
Raphael Pumpelly
Raphael Pumpelly was an American geologist and explorer.-Early life and ancestors:He was born on September 8, 1837 in Oswego, New York, into a family with deep New England roots that trace back to Thomas Welles , who arrived in Massachusetts in 1635 and was the only man in Connecticut's history to...
(1903) and Barrett (1905–1906) expeditions to central Asia
Central Asia
Central Asia is a core region of the Asian continent from the Caspian Sea in the west, China in the east, Afghanistan in the south, and Russia in the north...
; and wrote of his Asian experiences in Explorations in Turkestan (1905) and The Pulse of Asia (1907). He taught geography at Yale (1907–1915) and from 1917 was a research associate there, devoting his time chiefly to climatic
Climatology
Climatology is the study of climate, scientifically defined as weather conditions averaged over a period of time, and is a branch of the atmospheric sciences...
and anthropogeographic studies.
In 1909, Huntington led The Yale Expedition to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. It was his mission to determine "step by step the process by which geologic structure, topographic form, and the present and past nature of the climate have shaped man's progress, moulded his history; and thus played an incalculable part in the development of a system of thought which could scarcely have arisen under any other physical circumstances.
He was on the original standing committee of the Foundation for the Study of Cycles from 1941.
Further reading
- Fonaroff, L. Schuyler. "Was Huntington Right about Human Nutrition?" Annals of the Association of American Geographers Vol. 55, No. 3 (Sep., 1965), pp. 365-376in JSTOR
- Martin, Geoffrey J. Ellsworth Huntington: His Life and Thought (1973)
- Spate, O. H. K. "Ellsworth Huntington: A Geographical Giant: Review," Geographical Journal Vol. 140, No. 1 (Feb., 1974), pp. 117-119 in JSTOR
External links
- The Secret of the Big Trees: Yosemite Sequoia and General Grant National Parks (1921) by Ellsworth Huntington
- Articles authored in Harper's Magazine