Zonia Baber

American geologist, geographer, researcher and university teacher

Mary Arizona "Zonia" Baber (August 24, 1862 – January 10, 1956) was an American geographer and geologist. She is best known for forming a way for teaching geography.[2]

Zonia Baber
Born
Mary Arizona Baber

(1862-08-24)August 24, 1862
DiedJanuary 10, 1956(1956-01-10) (aged 93)
Burial placeEvergreen Cemetery, Lansing, Michigan[1]
EducationUniversity of Chicago (BS)
Occupation(s)Geologist, Teacher, Innovator, Principal, Geographer, Activist
TitleFounder of the Chicago Geographical Society

Baber first worked as a teacher of geography and as a principal in a private school.[3] She began working at the University of Chicago in 1895. She got her Bachelor's degree there in 1904.

In 1898 Baber formed the Geographic Society of Chicago. She was the President and helped the Society for 50 years.[4] In 1948 she received a lifetime achievement award.

Baber also cared about social issues. She was called a feminist, anti-racist and anti-imperialist.[5] In 1926 she represented the women of Puerto Rico to help women get the right to vote. She worked as chairman of the Pan-American Committee of the International League for Peace and Freedom.[6]

References

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  1. Ancestry page about Zonia, December 22, 1862
  2. Bailey, Martha J. (1994). American Women in Science:A Biographical Dictionary. ABC-CLIO, Inc. ISBN 0-87436-740-9.
  3. Marilyn Ogilvie and Joy Harvey, ed. (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. Great Britain: Routledge. pp. 65-66. ISBN 0-415-92038-8. Retrieved 3 June 2011.
  4. Geographic Society of Chicago. "Our History". Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  5. Monk, Janice (25 May 2008). "Practically all the geographers were women". Presentation at Society of Woman Geographers Triennial. Archived from the original on 6 January 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2011.
  6. Photographs from the Records of the National Woman's Party. "Baber, Zonia". The Library of Congress, American Memory. Retrieved 4 June 2011.

Further reading

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  • Pittser, Sharan E. (1999). "Early Women Geography Educators, 1783-1932". Journal of Geography. 98 (6): 302–307. doi:10.1080/00221349908978944.