1928-1978 Fifty Years of Service to Geography

Dr. Robert G. Buzzard conceived the idea of a professional fraternity in the field of geography while he was a student at the University of Chicago just prior to World War I. He dropped the matter when he was unable to find a group of students who could be interested in forming such an organization. During 1924-25, when Dr. Buzzard was a graduate student at Clark University, a local organization which came to be known as the Clark Geographical Society, made up of persons with a graduate degree from Clark, sparked the interest of many geographers. He found only lukewarm interest in his proposal for a professional fraternity in geography, however. A group of teachers, of which Dr Buzzard was one, discussed the need for such a fraternity during the meeting of the National Council for Geographic Education in Madison, Wisconsin in 1925. Other professional fraternities were growing vigorously at this time. Dr. Buzzard decided to experiment with a group of geography students at Illinois State Normal University by founding a Geography Club. The lack of interest in a local club, however, rekindled his desire to propagate a national organization. He discussed the idea on several occasions with Illinois State Normal President David Felmly, whose constructive advice was woven into plans for the organization.