Gruening Glacier is a broad glacier

Glacier

A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...

 descending southeast between steep rock walls to the northwest part of Hilton Inlet

Hilton Inlet

Hilton Inlet is an ice-filled inlet, 12 nautical miles wide, which recedes about 22 nautical miles west from its entrance between Capes Darlington and Knowles, along the east coast of Palmer Land. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service in 1940, and named for Donald C...

, on the east coast of Palmer Land

Palmer Land

Palmer Land is that portion of the Antarctic Peninsula which lies south of a line joining Cape Jeremy and Cape Agassiz. This application of Palmer Land is consistent with the 1964 agreement between US-ACAN and UK-APC, in which the name Antarctic Peninsula was approved for the major peninsula of...

. Discovered by the United States Antarctic Service (USAS) in a flight down this glacier from East Base on December 30, 1940. Named for Ernest H. Gruening, Director of the Division of Territories and Island Possessions, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, during the inception of the USAS, and member of the Executive Committee

Executive Committee

Executive Committee may refer to:* The Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland, a government body in the United Kingdom 1921–1972* The Northern Ireland Executive, a government body in the United Kingdom...

 by which the USAS was directed, later U.S. Senator from Alaska.