The Pacific Coast and Conversations with Women Geographers

Abstract:

The eminent oral historian of geography, Wes Dow, passed away in 2011. As the creator of Geographers on Film, he interviewed many women during an era when their status in the discipline was marked by a struggle for parity with men, and although he was discerning in his interviews, he was egalitarian, profound, wise, and kind. Before the end of the 20^th century, included among those he interviewed who served in APCG academic institutions were Risa Palm, who in 1984, became only the second female to be elected president of the AAG (more than 60 years after Ellen Churchill Semple held the office); Gail Hobbs, a stellar leader in California community college geography and NCGE president; and Susan Hardwick, admired as a mentor by a number of women in the discipline, and also an NCGE president.

In an effort to follow the tradition of Geographers on Film, Conversation with a Geographer was founded shortly after Dow’s death. Women have taken part in the vast majority of filmed dialogues, and among them are several geographers who were raised, studied, or taught in the westernmost AAG regional division. Through their remarks in the only oral history series devoted to American geography, offered here is a glimpse of some women geographers shaping the discipline today.

Keywords: History of Geography, Women in Geography

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