In Memoria:  Dianne Garrett Powell

We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of long-time member and supporter, Dianne Garrett Powell.  Dianne passed in San Antonio on on November 14th surrounded by her family.  Dianne had a very successful career in marketing with a strong client base. She is survived by her husband Boone Powell and many family members.  Dianne was the daughter of Jenkins and Virginia Garrett, founders of the Texas Map Society.  Her father developed a massive collection of books, manuscripts and documents relating to Texas that was donated to Special Collections at the Library of the University of Texas at Arlington.  During all those years of passionate collecting, Virginia wanted to collect something too, so she picked maps.  

Raised by history-loving and avid collecting parents, Dianne caught the bug. Over the years, she also developed a major map collection focused on Texas and the Southwest that she donated to the same institution.  She became very knowledgeable in cartographic history and became very active in the world of maps. Dianne worked for years to continue to advance the collection at UT Arlington.  She served as President of the Texas Map Society and served on the Steering Committee of the Phillips Society Fellowship eventually becoming President.  This is the support organization for the Library of Congress’ Geography and Map Division.  She was a Life Member of the Society for the History of Discoveries and benefited our organization in many ways. The academic world of maps and geography is sustained through the generous efforts of people like Dianne.

Perhaps Dianne's most important volunteer work was with theTexas Water Mission, as she travelled to Honduras several times to support its mission of delivering clean water to communities in need.

Dianne leaves a legacy of learning, philanthropy, and enthusiasm for maps, and she will be deeply missed.

   In Memoria:  Richard Melvin

In Memoria:  Donald W. Perkins 1931-2021

Donald Wyndom Perkins was an active and dedicated member of the Society for the History of Discoveries, serving as treasurer from 2008 to 2014.  He passed away on January 11, 2021.  Washington Post Obituary   

In Memoria: Norman J. Thrower 1919-2020

Norman J. Thrower had a profound impact on the study of geography and cartography, receiving multiple awards over the years, including:  Fellow of the Society for the History of Discoveries (2002), the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of American Geographers (1998), the Helen Wallis Award from the International Map Collector’s Society (1997), and the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship (1962).  In 1993, he received the Cross First Class of the Orden del Merito Civil from H. M. King Juan Carlos of Spain.

Norman joined the geography faculty at UCLA in 1957, serving there until his retirement.  During that time, he authored, co-authored, and edited eleven books and over 150 other contributions on cartography and geographical discoveries.  He also chaired ten doctoral and seventeen MA committees.  Several of his students have gone on to build distinguished careers in their chosen fields.

Of the many books he has written, perhaps his best know is Maps and Man (1972), enlarged as Maps and Civilization:  Cartography in Culture and Society (1996), published by the University of Chicago Press, and since 1999 in its second edition.  It is considered to be the premier one-volume history of cartography.  His other major academic contributions include The Complete Plattmaker:  Essays on Chart, Map, and Globe Making in England in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries (1978); The Three Voyages of Edmond Halley in the ‘Paramore’, 1698-1701 (Hakluyt Society, 1981); Sir Francis Drake and the Famous Voyages, 1577-1580 (1984); A Leaf from the 1619 French Edition of the Mercator-Hondius World Atlas (1985); Standing on the Shoulders of Giants:  A Longer View of Newton and Halley (1990); and A Buccaneer’s Atlas:  Basil Ringrose’s South Seas Waggoner (with Derek Howse, 1992).  Additionally, he served as SHD president and on the council for a number of years.  For more information on Norman Thrower’s outstanding career and contributions, please visit the SHD Fellows page for a short biography.

In Memoria: Roy Bridges

Roy C. Bridges was a longtime member of SHD whose academic work focused on British institutions and personnel in East Africa in the mid-nineteenth century.  He authored numerous publications, served with distinction as President of the Hakluyt Society, and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Historical Society.  He will be greatly missed. An obituary for Professor Bridges prepared by the Hakluyt society.