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| Excerpts from comments by Monica Barnes The Society of Woman Geographers was founded in 1925 at a time when women were barred from full membership in most professional and social organizations. From its inception at a tea party in New York City, the SWG has grown into an international organization with over five hundred members. Geography is the theme uniting us, and by this we mean all areas of research involving travel or the intensive study of a particular region. Over the years we have had members active in anthropology, archaeology, biology, ecology, geology, oceanography, art, literature, aviation, and aerospace. To be elected to Active Membership in the SWG, a candidate must not only be well-traveled, she must have made a permanent record of her work. This can take the form of popular or scientific articles, books, films, or exhibitions. Currently, women resident in almost forty countries are members of SWG. In addition to New York, we have groups in Washington, D.C., Chicago, the San Francisco Bay Area, Southern California, Florida, and the Pacific Northwest. One of the most important aspects of SWG's work is our fellowship programs. These began in New York in 1958. We now support female graduate students from Rutgers and from Hunter College. Our New York Fellowship Committee is ably chaired by Hunter Geography Professor Sara McLafferty. In addition to the New York fellowships, there is a National Fellowship Fund which last year supported students at Berkeley, UCLA, and Penn State. For information on membership in the SWG contact Monica Barnes, Chairwoman of the New York Group at 103225.12@compuserve.com. or see our website www.iswg.org. |
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