Existing comment:
A Legacy of Service
Six generations of one stories family have been inextricably linked to the National Geographic Society since the organization was established in 1888 "for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge." Gardiner Greene Hubbard, one of National Geographic's 33 founders, was elected its first president. His son-in-law, inventor Alexander Graham Bell, succeeded him as president in 1898. Bell saw the organization as one that would allow anyone interested in the world to participate. Bell understood, as his son-in-law and National Geographic magazine's first full-time editor, Gilbert H. Grosvenor, stated years later, that: "The simplest man takes pride in supporting research." Members of the Grosvenor family who followed employed their energy, imagination, and enthusiasm to expand the reach of the Society, whose mission today is to inspire people to care about the planet. Gilbert Grosvenor's son, Melville Bell Grosvenor, transformed the magazine into a full-color publication, launched the Society's book division, and ushered National Geographic into the world of television. His son, Gilbert M. Grosvenor, who stepped up to the editor's post in 1970 until assuming the role of Society president in 1980, tackled controversial stories avoided by earlier editors, started World magazine for kids, and established an education foundation to expand geographic literacy for young people. The most recent Grosvenor to serve the organization is Gilbert M. Grosvenor's daughter, Dr. Alexandra Grosvenor Eller, who was elected to the Board of Trustees in 2009. A physician with an interest in promoting health across the globe, Grosvenor Eller says that the Society "has always been an integral part of my life and has shaped my vision of the world as an interconnected community." |