150 Years of Geography at SSC

The Golden Age: 1907-1920

Salem became part of the fabric in the growth of professional American geography, largely through the work of Sumner W. Cushing.

1907 - Sumner W. Cushing joined the faculty to teach geography. His legacy includes:

Innovative teaching methods that emphasized observation and analysis rather than memorization.

Field research along the coast of Maine, the Central Plateau of France, the block mountains along the southern coast of Japan, and the Madras coast of India.

Nine articles published in professional journals and three books (some co-authored with Ellsworth Huntington of Yale University).

1911 - Douglas B. MacMillan presented a lecture on A Trip to the North Pole.

1913 - William Morris Davis, renowned geographer and geomorphologist from Harvard University and the first president of the Association of American Geographers, presented a lecture on the Influences of the Geographic Environment.

1913-1914 - Carl Ortwin Sauer received an appointment as a temporary full-time faculty member to replace Sumner W. Cushing while he was on leave. Sauer would later move on to the School of Geography at the University of California – Berkeley and become one of America’s best known cultural geographers. His work on cultural origins and diffusion is still considered basic reading for college geography students.

1914 - Richard E. Dodge of Columbia University presented a lecture on Some Aims in Teaching Elementary Geography.

1915-1917 - Ellsworth Huntington, geographer from Yale University noted for his research and books on climate and culture, delivered lectures on Turkey and the Turks and Panama.

1916-1918 - R.H. Whitbeck of the University of Wisconsin presented a series of lectures on the Iron Age and The Teaching of Geography.

	150 Years of Geography at Salem State College
	1854 -1907 \| 1907 - 1920 \| 1920's - 1950 \| 1950 - 1971 \| 1971 - Present Home \| Readings \| Faculty
The Golden Age: 1907-1920 Salem became part of the fabric in the growth of professional American geography, largely through the work of Sumner W. Cushing. 1907 - Sumner W. Cushing joined the faculty to teach geography. His legacy includes: Innovative teaching methods that emphasized observation and analysis rather than memorization. Field research along the coast of Maine, the Central Plateau of France, the block mountains along the southern coast of Japan, and the Madras coast of India. Nine articles published in professional journals and three books (some co-authored with Ellsworth Huntington of Yale University). 1911 - Douglas B. MacMillan presented a lecture on A Trip to the North Pole. 1913 - William Morris Davis, renowned geographer and geomorphologist from Harvard University and the first president of the Association of American Geographers, presented a lecture on the Influences of the Geographic Environment. 1913-1914 - Carl Ortwin Sauer received an appointment as a temporary full-time faculty member to replace Sumner W. Cushing while he was on leave. Sauer would later move on to the School of Geography at the University of California – Berkeley and become one of America’s best known cultural geographers. His work on cultural origins and diffusion is still considered basic reading for college geography students. 1914 - Richard E. Dodge of Columbia University presented a lecture on Some Aims in Teaching Elementary Geography. 1915-1917 - Ellsworth Huntington, geographer from Yale University noted for his research and books on climate and culture, delivered lectures on Turkey and the Turks and Panama. 1916-1918 - R.H. Whitbeck of the University of Wisconsin presented a series of lectures on the Iron Age and The Teaching of Geography.
Department of Geography \| Salem State College \| 150 Years...