Cyrus Cornelius Adams (January 7, 1849 – May 5, 1928) was an American geographer, journalist, and author. Adams served as the second president of the American Association of Geographers and was a prominent member of the American Geographical Society.[1][2][3] Adams began his career as a journalist, and did not have any formal geography education.[1] Adams is noteworthy as an early economic geographer, and published textbooks on the topic.[3]
Cyrus Cornelius Adams | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Cyrus Cornelius Adams | |
| Born | January 7, 1849 |
| Died | May 5, 1928 (aged 79) New York City, US |
| Alma mater | University of Chicago, graduating in 1876. |
| Occupation | Geographer |
Education
editAdams first attended the University of Minnesota. He then attended the University of Chicago, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in 1876.[1]
Career and publications
editAdams began his career as a journalist. While in college, he worked as a reporter for the Chicago Inter Ocean. He was on the editorial staff for the New York City-based newspaper, The Sun, from 1880 to 1903, and served as an editor for Goldthwaite's Geographical Magazine from 1891 to 1892.[2][1] He became interested in geography by covering topics related to Africa and the Arctic during this time, specifically related to exploration.[1][3]
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While covering exploration, Adams maintained relationships with several prominent explorers. Through his coverage of African exploration, he was described as having formed a close relationship with Welsh-American explorer Henry Morton Stanley.[4] Adams was also described as having a close friendship with Arctic explorer Robert Peary, serving as a "mouthpiece" for Peary's plans and results. Adams 1893 publication in the The Geographical Journal served as a technical description of the Peary expedition to Greenland of 1891–1892. Peary named Mt. Adams in the Inglefield Gulf after Adams.[1]
Adams joined the American Geographical Society in 1892 Bulletin of the American Geographical Society from 1908 to 1915.[1][2] He contributed to the creation of the Geographical Review.[3]
Adams was a founding member of the American Association of Geographers and served as the second president of the organization from 1906 to 1907.[1][3]
Select publication
editAdams is noteworthy for publishing two early textbooks on economic geography, A text-book of commercial geography in 1901 and An elementary commercial geography in 1902.[1][2][5][6][4] Throughout his career, Adams published several articles in magazaines, newspapers, and peer-reviewed journals.[1]
| Article title | Date | Publisher | Identifier | Citation(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Railroad development in Africa | 1893 | Engineering Magazine | [1] | |
| David Livingstone, 1813-1873: African development | 1902 | Beacon Lights of History | [1][4] | |
| What Stanley lived to see accomplished | 1904 | Beacon Lights of History | [1] | |
| Foundations of economic progress in tropical Africa | 1911 | Bulletin of the American Geographical Society | doi:10.2307/199996 | [1] |
| The African colonies of Germany and the War | 1911 | Geographical Review | doi:10.2307/207488 | [1] |
| Lieutenant Peary's Arctic Work | 1893 | The Geographical Journal | doi:10.2307/1773913 | [1] |
| Maps and Map-Making | 1912 | Bulletin of the American Geographical Society | doi:10.2307/200674 | [1] |
| The commercial geography of Europe | 1897 | The Chautauquan | [1] | |
| The trend of American commerce | 1897 | The Chautauquan | [1] | |
| Distribution of manufacturing in the United States | 1897 | The Chautauquan | [1] | |
| The geographical position of Germany | 1897 | The Chautauquan | [1] | |
| The Sargasso Sea | 1907 | Harper's Magazine | [1] | |
| The United States—Land and Waters | 1903 | National Geographic | [1] | |
| Some Phases of Future Geographical Work in America | 1907 | Bulletin of the American Geographical Society | doi:10.2307/197369 | [1] |
Personal life
editAdams was the son of Cyrus and Cornelia (Stevens), but due to the absence of his parents, he was raised by his aunt and uncle in Bloomington, Minnesota.[1][4][Note 1] Adams married Blanche C. Dodge in 1877, and had a son and daughter with her.[1][4]
See also
edit- Gamma Theta Upsilon – International geography honor society
- Marilyn Raphael – Trinidadian climatologist
- Rebecca Lave – American critical physical geographer
- Waldo Tobler – American geographer
- Yi-Fu Tuan – Chinese-American geographer (1930–2022)
Notes
edit- ^ Multiple sources mention Cyrus was raised by his aunt and uncle due to the absence of his parents, but do not specify why they were absent.
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Joerg, W. L. G. (1931). "Memoir of Cyrus Cornelius Adams". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 21 (3): 171–178. doi:10.1080/00045603109357068. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "CYRUS C. ADAMS, 79, GEOGRAPHER, IS DEAD; Former Editor of the American Geographical Society Bulletin Wrote Textbooks". The New York Times. The New York Times. May 5, 1928. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Leadership throughout the years: Presidents of the American Association of Geographers". American Association of Geographers. Retrieved October 15, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Hannan, Caryn (2008). Illinois Biographical Dictionary. State History Publications. pp. 2–3. ISBN 9781878592606. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ Chisholm, Geo. G. (1902). "Reviewed Work: A Text-Book of Commercial Geography Cyrus C. Adams". The Geographical Journal. 19 (6): 747–749. doi:10.2307/1775791. JSTOR 1775791. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
- ^ "Book Review: An Elementary Commercial Geography". Journal of Education. 59 (10): 155. 1904. doi:10.1177/002205740405901014. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
