Thelma Glass

Civil rights pioneer and longtime geography professor Thelma Glass has died at the age of 96.

Glass was a professor of geography at Alabama State University, where she taught for over 40 years. She was the last surviving member of the Women’s Political Council, which helped organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955-56, a key event in the civil rights movement.

Glass graduated with honors from the Alabama State Teachers College in 1941. She later attended the Teachers College at Columbia University, where she earned an M.A. in 1947.

John Knight, executive vice president and chief operating officer at Alabama State University, was one of Glass’s students. “She had such a pleasing personality, you felt welcome. You felt a sense of warmth. And she always challenged you academically to be the very best,” Knight was quoted as saying.[i]

Glass was the focus of a chapter written by Jan Monk and Sunita George with Juanita George, “Teachers and Their Times: Thelma Glass and Juanita Gaston,” published in The South’s Role in the Making of AmericanGeography: Centennial of the AAG, 2004, edited by J.O. Wheeler and Stanley Brunn.

Glass’s main interests in geography included local and regional research in economic, cultural, and physical geography; excellence in education to prepare students for careers in teaching, government, and industry; and the introduction of geography into senior high schools in Alabama. She was well known on campus as a teacher-activist willing to put the values she espoused into action. Glass was deeply committed to the development and future success of her students and sought to introduce them to a broad-based education through the contextualization provided by geography education.

In 2011, Glass received ASU’s Black and Gold Standard Award, a non-annual award that is given to the school’s most notable alumni. She received many teaching awards throughout her career. An auditorium is named for Glass on the Alabama State University campus.

[i] Johnson, Scott. “Civil Rights Pioneer Glass Dies.” Montgomery Advertiser, July 25, 2012. www.montgomeryadvertiser.com. Accessed August 1, 2012.

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Russell (Russ) B. Adams

Russell B. Adams, retired associate professor of geography, University of Minnesota, died on June 20, 2012, in Minneapolis, Minn., at the age of 86 following a long illness. In his final years he kept his mind busy by reading the entire Encyclopedia Britannica from start to finish, and regularly reading Science magazine cover to cover.

Adams was born on January 1, 1926, in Enderlin, N.D. Following U.S. Army service (1945-47), he entered the University of Minnesota where he earned his B.B.A (1949), B.S. (1952), M.A. (1955), and Ph.D. (1969). He interspersed his academic pursuits with applied geography activity off campus that drew on and enhanced his precocious mathematical and statistical skills: high school teacher (1952-3); programmer-analyst with Remington-Rand Univac (1957-8); assistant director of the Twin Cities Area Transportation Study (TCATS) with the Minnesota Department of Highways (1958-61); working with John R. Borchert on the Urban Research Program of the Upper Midwest Economic Study (1961-63); and wide-ranging consulting activity on rural transportation, urban development, and computer security problems. Besides his professional work, Adams was a nationally ranked chess and cribbage expert.

He joined the faculty of the Department of Geography at the University of Minnesota in 1964, and in 1968 traveled extensively in the Soviet Union. Upon returning he assumed responsibility for the department’s courses on the USSR in addition to his regular courses in economic geography, advanced quantitative methods and transportation geography. He is survived by his three sons, Alexander, Byron, and Andrew, and their families.

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John Winberry

Geographer John Winberry died on March 8, 2012.

Winberry earned a PhD from Louisiana State University in 1971. He spent his entire professional career at the University of South Carolina, where he taught cultural geography and regional geography courses from 1971 until his retirement in 2004. Winberry served as Chair of the Geography Department from 1990-1993, and Associate Dean of the Graduate School from 1999-2002. At various times, he also served as Director of Graduate Studies for the Geography Department, Director of Undergraduate Studies, Acting Director of the Latin American Studies Program, Assistant to the Director of the Walker Institute of International Studies, and Associate Dean of the Graduate School. He retired in 2004 as Distinguished Professor Emeritus.

Winberry was known for his passion in researching and teaching across the broad field of geography, which took him to Mexico, India, England, Ireland and Brazil. His U.S. research concentrated on the American South. He co-wrote the college-level textbook South Carolina: A Geography, and his 75 published writings reflect a wide range of interests, including log houses in Mexico, the kudzu vine in the U.S. South, the culture of indigo in South Carolina, sea turtle farming in the Cayman Islands, Confederate monuments in courthouse squares, and even an examination of varieties of South Carolina barbecue. He participated in local organizations, notably the Loblolly Society, The Thomas Cooper Society, and the Torch Club’s Columbia chapter.

Winberry was editor of the Southeastern Geographer (1988-1991) and earned theSoutheastern Division of the Association of American Geographers (SEDAAG)Outstanding Service Award for LifetimeAchievement in 2001.

John J. Winberry (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(6): 29.

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Robert G. Raskin

Robert G. Raskin died on March 2, 2012 at the age of 55.

Raskin was Research Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California from 1997 to 2006, and since 2006 had served as Supervisor of the Science Data Engineering and Archiving Group, Instrument Software and Science Data Systems, at JPL.

Raskin received a PhD in atmospheric science from the University of Michigan in 1992. He was the co-founder and first chair (2008-2009) and board director (2009-2011) of the AAG’s Cyberinfrastructure Specialty Group (CISG). Raskin made significant contributions to broadening the connections between cyberinfrastructure (CI) and geography over the past 20 years. He was an expert in geoinformatics, which combines theoretical knowledge of Geographical Science with the technical innovation of Computer Science, and in the field of data interoperability in the Earth and environmental sciences. He was lead developer of the POET (https://poet.jpl.nasa.gov/) user interface for online data access from the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC), a tool used for many years by PO.DAAC and various ESIP/MEASURES efforts. Raskin had also served as Vice President, Chair of the Products and Services Committee, Chair of the Information Technology and Interoperability Committee, Chair of the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, Chair of the GIS Cluster, and Organizer of the Interagency Forum on Data Preservation and Stewardship for the Earth Science Information Partner (ESIP) Federation.

Raskin was well known through the development of Semantic Web Terminologies for Earth and Environmental Science (SWEET), and his paper on knowledge representation in SWEET was acknowledged as the one of the top 10 most cited articles published between 2005 and 2010 by Computers & Geosciences (see https://sweet.jpl.nasa.gov/ontology/). Raskin organized and chaired over 20 sessions at AAG Annual Meetings covering a wide range of advanced CI topics, including geospatial semantics, virtual organization, spatial decision support systems and high performance computing. He co-edited special issues in two prestigious GIScience journals – International Journal of Geographic Information Science, and Computer, Environment and Urban Systems – capturing the state of research progress taking place in cyberinfrastructure and fostering significant discussion on future research.

In addition to his exceptional research achievements and tireless service, Raskin demonstrated a keen desire to inspire and guide young researchers to successful careers.

Robert G. Raskin (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(6): 28.

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Richard J. Houk

Richard J. Houk, aged 90, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Geography at DePaul University in Chicago, died on February 18, 2012.

Houk was the longest serving faculty member in the history of DePaul University. He joined DePaul in 1946 and continued teaching until 2010. He founded the Department of Geography in 1949, and established the DePaul Geographical Society as a student club in 1961. Houk served as a mentor and inspired countless students and faculty members.

In 1941, Houk received his B.A. in geography from Indiana University, and in 1950 earned a Ph.D. in geography from Northwestern University, writing his dissertation on “The Portuguese Maritime Fishing Industry.” A veteran of the Second World War, because of his ability to speak Spanish and Portuguese, he was selected for duty with the Weather Service at a secret air base in the Azores in 1944.

During his long career Dr. Houk received many awards, honors, and recognitions. In 1963 he was awarded the decoration of Caballero del Orden de Merito Civil by the Spanish Government in recognition of years of unique efforts to increase and improve good relations between the U.S. and Spain. He was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship and in 1967 and in 1968 he lived in Portugal and studied its agricultural industry. A veteran traveler, over his lifetime he visited over one-hundred countries on six continents and led tour groups to many of these. His signature course was “The Iberian Impact: Spain and Portugal.” The photo at left shows Houk teaching at DePaul University during the 1967-68 academic year.

Richard J. Houk (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(5): 20.

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Alvin A. Munn

Alvin Munn died February 3, 2012 in Fort Myers, Florida.

Munn earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1942. After service with the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II, Munn received a master’s degree from the University of Chicago. In 1948, he moved to Washington, D.C., where he eventually became senior geographer with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). Munn also earned a degree from the National War College, in 1966. As DIA senior geographer, he regularly briefed the Director of the DIA and the U.S. Secretary of Defense and served as a U.S. representative to NATO. As a member of the Military Geographic Documentation Working Group, he conducted key intelligence briefings and was actively involved in decision making during the Cuban Missile Crisis and other critical situations.

Munn published the article, “The Role of Geographers in the Department of Defense” in the August 1980 edition of The Professional Geographer, in which he estimated that 500 people with geography degrees were working for the Department of Defense (DOD) around the world. In the article, Munn stressed that the reputation enjoyed by geographers at the DOD was based on their ability to synthesize many sources of data from a wide range of sciences and provide cogent analyses.

An active member of the AAG, Munn served as association treasurer in 1967. He was a 63-year member of the AAG, having joined in January of 1949.

Alvin A. Munn (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(6): 28.

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Allen Hellman

Allen David Hellman was born in Dollar Bay, Michigan on November 29, 1921 and after leading a very full life passed away in his sleep on December 29, 2011. A veteran of WWII, he served with the first group of rescue pilots in the Pacific theatre, and was promoted to Commander of Naval Reserves while teaching geography at the University of Southwest Louisiana in Lafayette. His formal education culminated with Ph.D. in Geography through the University of Michigan while married to the late June Iris Dement.

Moving to San Marcos to become the chairman of the Geography Department at Texas State University, then Southwest Texas State University, were wonderful years, as Dr. Hellman’s leadership and support through administration began to orchestrate the framework for where the department is today.

Allen’s other interests during his professional career extended to involvement with NASA’s moon mission projects, aerial and infrared photogrammetry, remote sensing, and aerial cartography in addition to petroleum exploration. During this time he met and married Majorie Wheatly, who proceeded him in death.

His best friend and the love of his life was the late Gloria Motovick who watched Allen swim competitively on the international level into his 70’s and enjoyed many travels together.

He is survived by his family: Donald and Debbie Hellman of California, John and Susan Hellman Franzetti and grandchildren Canyon, Dakota, Gianna Gortva and husband Ricky, and John and Renae Hellman and grandchildren Sarah and Zach of Manor, Texas.

The family expresses a heartfelt “thank you” to Texas State University, the First Presbyterian Church family and their “Sunshine Girls”, and to those showing such kindness during his later years.

Published by Legacy.com, and originally published by Austin American-Statesman on Jan. 8, 2012.

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Elen M.C. Cutrim

Elen Maria Camara Cutrim, Professor of Geography at Western Michigan University (WMU), died after a long battle with cancer at the age of 62. Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Cutrim earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Pontifical Catholic University in 1970, an M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Utah in 1975, and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Michigan in 1983.

Cutrim began her academic career at institutions in Belem, Brazil, where she served as an instructor of civil engineering, an Assistant Professor of geology, meteorology and geophysics, and finally headed the Department of Meteorology at the Federal University of Para, while directing Belem’s Regional Meteorological Training Center of the World Meteorological Organization.

In 1990, Cutrim joined Western Michigan University’s Department of Geography first as adjunct and later as a tenured faculty, and was promoted to Professor in 2006. She was fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and French. She primarily taught and conducted research on South America, meteorology and global climatic change. Two special areas of focus included precipitation climatology of Michigan and Brazil and meteorology and climate as they relate to the interaction of atmosphere and land cover in Brazilian Amazonia. Cutrim received grant funding from such organizations as the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in support of her research.

Cutrim was active in several professional and academic organizations, including the AAG, American Meteorological Society Board of Higher Education and American Geophysical Union. She also served on the NSF/Unidata Users Committee, and was a past president of the WMU chapter of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi. She also was instrumental in helping found WMU’s Martin Luther King Jr. Committee.

Elen M.C. Cutrim (Necrology). 2011. AAG Newsletter 46(4): 29

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Sidney Jumper

Sidney R. Jumper, Professor Emeritus of the Department of Geography at the University of Tennessee, passed away on December 9, 2011.

Jumper received his PhD in 1960 from the University of Tennessee and joined the faculty of the department later that decade. In 1977 he was appointed Head, a position he held for 18 years. Under his leadership the department added new faculty lines and secured funding for a free-standing geography building located in the center of the campus. He also advocated for increased emphasis on research and graduate education in the department.

In 1986, Jumper and the late Theodore Schmudde established the Tennessee Geographic Alliance, one of seven pilot alliance programs in the United States. Today the Tennessee Geographic Alliance boasts nearly 5,000 members and has spent over $3.6 million on improving K-12 geography education in Tennessee.

Jumper was active in the Southeastern Division of the AAG (SEDAAG) and served as editor of the Southeastern Geographer. His contributions to SEDAAG resulted in his receiving the Honorary Life Membership Award in 1981 and Outstanding Service Award in 1987 from that division. In 1997, Tennessee’s governor named Jumper the Tennessee State Geographer. In 2000, Jumper was honored with AAG Distinguished Service Honors. A year later, the National Geographic Society established the Sidney Jumper Grant for Teaching Research in his honor.

For over thirty years, Sidney Jumper’s tireless efforts improved the status of our discipline and the quality of geography education at all levels of instruction.

Sidney Jumper (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(3): 36.

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William Horbaly

Fifty-year AAG member William Horbaly, 91, of Charlottesville, North Carolina, has died.

Horbaly was born in Cleveland, Ohio, on January 24, 1920, the son of immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. He earned a PhD in geography from the University of Chicago, and a portion of his graduate study was completed at Charles University in Prague.

During the Second World War, Horbaly served as a United States Army tank commander in the 749th Tank Battalion, which received a Presidential Unit Citation for meritorious service in France. Horbaly saw action in France and Germany and was awarded the Bronze Star.

After returning from the war, Horbaly spent his professional career in federal government service with the United States Department of Agriculture. During his time as an Agriculture Attaché‚ he was assigned to the State Department and was stationed in Moscow for five years and Beirut for four. Upon his retirement from federal service Horbaly was the Assistant Administrator to the Secretary of Agriculture and was in charge of United States Agriculture Attaches stationed overseas.

William Horbaly (Necrology). 2012. AAG Newsletter 47(3): 36.

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