I. B. G

The author's reminiscences of geography and geographers from the early twenties to the early thirties are considered with respect to events that led to the foundation of the Institute of British Geographers. Reference is also made to the influence of other geographical organizations (Geographical Association, Royal Geographical Society, and Section E of the British Association for the Advancement of Science) in relation to these developments. Though not precisely defined, formative stages leading in 1933 to the inauguration of the I.B.G. extended over a period of some years, through the latter 'twenties'. In his presidential address R. O. Buchanan-one of the leading founder members-placed on record some aspects of the early history and of the positive action taken by the small London group of geographers, of which he was a member. Since it was the writer's privilege to participate in many of these early events the present opportunity is welcomed, in this our Jubilee Year, to recall some personal reminiscences and reflections of those years. My own student days, in fact, date back to 1920 at University College, London, with memories of the inception of honours degree courses in geography closely following World War I, and of the problems that later beset that band of 'first generation geographers' (as we sometimes called ourselves) and who, collectively, played an important part in the foundation of our Institute. Two fellow students of those early days at U.C.L. in due course became our first Honorary Secretary and Treasurer in 1933 in the persons of H. A. Matthews and A. Austin Miller-both with interests in climatology-(though it should perhaps be noted that in his student days the latter, like S. W. Wooldridge, read geology not geography, later marrying a fellow pioneer honours geographer and forthwith adopting the new discipline in which-as he had remarked to me-he 'saw an immense future'). Fifty years on young I.B.G. members may now express surprise that fully a decade passed before the obvious need for a corporate body of academic geographers was met; but many were the hurdles to be overcome so long as the subject was viewed, as then all too widely, as 'an upstart of parasitic origins', unworthy of recognition as a university discipline in its own right and best left under the wing of either geology, history or economics, or carved up piecemeal between these older disciplines. To add to this initial difficulty the heads of the newly created honours schools-often out of sympathy with each others geographical viewpoint-showed little if any common identity in matters of curriculum structure and methodology. Moreover, they had to develop our discipline under the duress of the aftermath of World War I, and with regard to a totally 'New World' of changed national and political persuasions. Reaction to these difficulties differed widely according to both local conditions and rivalries and the varied pioneering points of view present; my own early experiences reflected some of the effects of that early departmental isolation. Thus, at University College, London, as Professor Lyde once confided, only some three hundred pounds was available at the outset to meet their needs in setting up the new honours school (including staffing, equipment, library books, etc.). In my student days at U.C.L. the honours course comprised of a wide range of Lyde's own thoughtprovoking lectures and seminars supplemented for all other aspects of the subject by courses Trans. Inst. Br. Geogr. N.S. 8, 27-35 (1983) Printed in Great Britain This content downloaded from 157.55.39.32 on Mon, 10 Oct 2016 04:31:25 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms

Formative assessment · Pedagogy · Political science · Sociology · Geographic Information Systems Studies · Historical Geography and Geographical Thought

• Geography's other histories? Geography and science in the British Association for the Advancement of Science, 1831– c .1933

  Open Access•Charles W J Withers, Carl Withers et al.•Transactions of the Institute of…•2006

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