Arthur H. Robinson

Arthur H. Robinson (January 5, 1915 – October 19, 2004) was an American geographer and cartographer. He was born in Montreal, to American parents, but made his career at the University of Wisconsin in the United States. During World War II he served as director of the map division of the Office of Strategic Services(OSS).In 1941, when Robinson joined OSS, there were no cartographers as we know them today. Robinson engaged geographers with some interest in mapping and the group developed their techniques on the job. (Robinson,1979, pp.98-99). Robinson oversaw the creation of 5,000 hand-drawn maps and attended the Allied conferences at Quebec and Cairo in 1943 and 1944 as chief U.S. map officer. For his efforts Robinson received the Legion of Merit from the U.S. Army in 1946. (Current Biography, p. 469).

Academic career

After World War II Robinson joined the geography department at the University of Wisconsin. He sought to establish cartography as a recognized discipline and ultimately the university granted both undergraduate and masters degrees in cartography. (Robinson, 1979, p.102). The Wisconsin cartography program has conferred more than 100 masters and 20 doctoral degrees, and many of the doctoral recipients created respected cartography programs at other universities. (Slocum, et. al., p. 24).

Related Topics:
University of Wisconsin - Cartography

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