Gladys Mary Wrigley | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1885-09-14)September 14, 1885 York, England |
| Died | October 9, 1975(1975-10-09) (aged 90) New Milford, Connecticut |
| Alma mater | University College Wales, Aberystwyth (B.A., 1907) Yale University, (PhD., 1917) |
| Awards | Distinguished Achievement Award, American Association of Geographers, 1951 |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geography |
| Institutions | American Geographical Society |
| Thesis | Roads and Towns of the Central Andes |
| Doctoral advisor | Isaiah Bowman,Ellsworth Huntington |
Gladys Mary Wrigley (14 September 1885 – 9 October 1975) was the first woman to receive a PhD ingeography in theUnited States of America, fromYale University in 1917. She was editor of the journalGeographical Review from 1920 to 1949, and the annualWrigley-Fairchild prize for best article in the journal is named in her honour. She was the first recipient of an individual award from theAmerican Association of Geographers in 1951.
Wrigley was born inYork, England, in 1885. She went to school in Yorkshire, and then studiedgeology atUniversity College Wales, Aberystwyth. She was reportedly influenced by the professor of geography and zoology,H. J. Fleure, during her studies, and graduated with a B.A. in 1907. In 1911, Wrigley won a scholarship to the United States, and registered as a graduate student atYale University, where she took courses in geography,anthropology andhistory.[1]
In 1913, she registered for a PhD at Yale, under the supervision ofIsaiah Bowman andEllsworth Huntington. When she completed her thesis in 1917, this was the first doctoral dissertation by a woman in the field of geography in the United States.[2][3]
Wrigley worked for theAmerican Geographical Society for her whole career. She was first employed in 1915 as a research assistant toIsaiah Bowman, who was at that time the director of the society. During this time Wrigley published a number of papers in the society’s academic journal,Geographical Review.[4][5][6]
In 1920, Wrigley was appointed editor of theGeographical Review; a post she held for nearly thirty years, and through which her influence on academic field of geography was substantial. In particular, she developed a formidable reputation for the quality of her editing.[7]In 1951, Wrigley was the first individual to be recognized by the American Association of Geographers, when she was the recipient of the distinguished service medal. This award was collected on her behalf by her successor, Wilma Fairchild.[8][9]
Over the course of her long tenure as editor, Wrigley wrote nothing for the journal, although she 'was there on every page, indeed in every line'. Much of her extensive and lively correspondence with authors, as well with Bowman, is preserved in archives of the American Geographical Society, and elsewhere.[10] After stepping down as editor, Wrigley wrote a long essay on the practices of editing, and the practicalities of assembling a journal. Her motto for the journal wasubique (meaning 'everywhere' in Latin), and this drove her to seek out papers on diverse places, and of topical interest.[11]
In her retirement, Wrigley lived in southernConnecticut. For a while, she shared a home with Marion Hale, an editorial assistant at theGeographical Review.[10] Wrigley died in October 1975, aged 90, inNew Milford, Connecticut.[9]
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