Graham Westbrook Rowley (October 31, 1912 – December 31, 2003) was an

Arctic explorer Arctic exploration is the physical exploration of the Arctic region of the Earth. It refers to the historical period during which mankind has explored the region north of the Arctic Circle. Historical records suggest that humankind have explore ...

, hailed as "one of the last true explorers of North America" (The Telegraph).

Early life and family

Rowley was born on October 31, 1912, in

Manchester, England Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The two ...

. As the youngest of four, Rowley always had a playful, ambitious edge; which only helped his future highly demanding career. He met his wife Diana at the Royal Geographical Society in Cambridge, where she was a student editor, and after many failed accounts on asking her to go out on a date with him, she finally gave in and they were inseparable from that day forth. They married twice, once in 1944 (a civil wedding before he left for the army) and again in 1945 in a Church setting. Together they had three healthy daughters: Anne, Sue (Susan) and Jane. Rowley and Diana were married for 69 years, and shared their passions for the Arctic together.

Education

He attended

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Iris ...

, and received his B.A. from the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

in 1934 and his M.A. from the same institution in 1936. From 1936 to 1939, Rowley engaged in an archaeological excavation in the Eastern Canadian Arctic. During this time, he discovered new islands in Fox Basin, carried out the original exploration of the Baffin Island coast, crossed Baffin Island by a new route, and excavated the first major site in Dorset culture. Because of his work with the Inuit and Dorset peoples, Rowley had a large island and river in the Arctic named after him. He served in the Canadian Army in World War II and received the Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1945. A Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, Rowley was awarded the Society's prestigious

Massey Medal The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS) awards the Massey Medal annually to recognize outstanding personal achievement in the exploration, development or description of the geography of Canada. The award was established in 1959, by the Ma ...

in 1963 for his geographical work. As a scientist with the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development in the early 1970s, he created a training program for Northern scientists and developed ground and air support services for scientific groups working in the Arctic. He was made an honorary member of the American Polar Society in 1985, due to his countless advancements and discoveries in the field. He died in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Ontario, Canada on December 31, 2003, surrounded by his wife, daughters and grandchildren.

Publications

* ''Cold Comfort: My Love Affair with the Arctic'' (1996)

References

Royal Canadian Geographical Society fellows American Polar Society honorary members Massey Medal recipients Members of the Order of the British Empire Members of the Order of Canada 1912 births 2003 deaths Alumni of the University of Cambridge {{UK-explorer-stub

Early life and family

Education

Publications

See also

References