Marcus Baker (September 23, 1849 – December 12, 1903) was an American naturalist, explorer of

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S. ...

, journalist, and

newspaper editor An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

Early life and education

Baker was born September 23, 1849, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and graduated from the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

. After graduating, he worked as an instructor of mathematics at the

from 1871 to 1873. On May 25, 1899, he married Marian Una Strong in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Career

In 1872, he was hired by

William Healey Dall William Healey Dall (August 21, 1845 – March 27, 1927) was an American naturalist, a prominent malacologist, and one of the earliest scientific explorers of interior Alaska. He described many mollusks of the Pacific Northwest of America, and ...

to be a naturalist on an expedition to Alaska, where he collected

topographic Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary scien ...

and

hydrographical Hydrography is the branch of applied sciences which deals with the measurement and description of the physical features of oceans, seas, coastal areas, lakes and rivers, as well as with the prediction of their change over time, for the primary ...

data. He would continue to go with Dall to Alaska every year until 1888, when he co-founded the

National Geographic Society The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world. Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, an ...

and one of the first editors of the

National Geographic Magazine ''National Geographic'' (formerly the ''National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as NAT GEO) is a popular American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. Known for its photojournalism, it is one of the most widely ...

. He was one of the 15 original signers of the articles of incorporation for the National Geographic Society in 1888. Baker was well known for his work in geology and cartography.

Baker's home

Baker's home in DC was built in 1889 at 1905 16th Street NW. It is a 4,000 square foot five-bedroom townhouse with a two-bedroom, lower-level apartment. The house's molding and woodwork has been restored to preserve the house however, a media room with surround sound and a home theater, a garage, and outdoor decks were added.

Organizations

In 1890 Baker was named to the newly created

US Board on Geographic Names The United States Board on Geographic Names (BGN) is a federal body operating under the United States Secretary of the Interior. The purpose of the board is to establish and maintain uniform usage of geographic names throughout the federal govern ...

by President Benjamin Harrison in Executive Order No. 28, as a member from the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), formerly simply known as the Geological Survey, is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, ...

Death

On December 12, 1903, he suffered a heart attack and died in Washington DC. Mount Marcus Baker in the Chugach Range of southern Alaska is named after him.

References

External links

* * 1849 births 1903 deaths National Geographic Society founders People from Kalamazoo, Michigan American geographers American male journalists University of Michigan alumni National Geographic people {{US-journalist-19thC-stub