Gannett, Henry [key], 1846–1914, American geographer, b. Bath, Maine, grad. Harvard (B.S., 1869; M.E., 1870). His first work as a topographer was on the Hayden Survey. After 1882 he was chief geographer of the U.S. Geological Survey. Through his work as geographer of the U.S. censuses of 1880, 1890, and 1900 and the Philippine, Cuban, and Puerto Rican censuses, he became interested in place names. His efforts to resolve difficulties caused by confusion of names led to the establishment (1890) of the U.S. Board of Geographic Names; he served as the board's chairman until 1910. Gannett is distinguished as one of the founders of the National Geographic Society (president, 1910–14), the Geological Society of America, and the Association of American Geographers. His books include Physiographic Types (1898–1900) and Topographic Maps of the United States Showing Physiographic Types (1907).
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