George Kish
Encyclopedia
Professor George Kish was an internationally recognized authority known for work in geography
and the history of cartography
. His professional papers are held at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor.
Kish was affiliated with the University of Michigan
, Ann Arbor, for 46 years as a teacher and researcher. He came to the University in 1939 as a research assistant in geography and was appointed an instructor of geography in 1943. He was promoted to professor in 1956, and was named the William Herbert Hobbs distinguished Professor of Geography in 1981.
Kish was a Fulbright Research Professor in Italy
in 1951-52, and again in 1963. He lectured at the United Nations University in Cambridge, the Stockholm School of Economics
, and the Academy of Sciences of both Poland
and Hungary
, and at universities in Rome
, Florence
, Naples
, Bari
, London
, Oxford
, and Liege. He was the curator of maps at the Clements Library for several years.
Kish's many awards included the Andrée Plaque for Polar Studies from the Swedish Geographical Society, the Greater Linnaeus Silver Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, The University of Michigan's Henry Russel Lectureship and the Honors Award from the Association of American Geographers. In 1981, he received the Jornard Prize of the Paris Society of Geography, an honor awarded just once each decade. He also was a Commander in the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
Kish was born in Budapest, Hungary on November 24, 1914. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1948. Kish received his bachelor of science degree in 1935 from the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris
. He received his master of arts
degree from the University of Paris-Sorbonne
in 1937, a master of science
degree from the University of Budapest
in 1938, and a doctor of science degree from the University of Budapest in 1939. He received his Ph.D.
in geography from the University of Michigan in 1945. Kish died after a brief illness in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on July 11, 1989.
Kish published more than 140 articles in English, French, German, Italian, and Hungarian, as well as several books. He is author of the Bibliography of International Geographical Congresses, 1871 - 1976. His last book, La Carte: Image des Civilizations, was published in Paris in 1980.
Kish was married to a Canadian physician, Elvina Anger Kish, and is survived by his daughter, Susan Kish of Zurich, and her family.
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and the history of cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
. His professional papers are held at the Bentley Historical Library in Ann Arbor.
Kish was affiliated with the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
, Ann Arbor, for 46 years as a teacher and researcher. He came to the University in 1939 as a research assistant in geography and was appointed an instructor of geography in 1943. He was promoted to professor in 1956, and was named the William Herbert Hobbs distinguished Professor of Geography in 1981.
Kish was a Fulbright Research Professor in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
in 1951-52, and again in 1963. He lectured at the United Nations University in Cambridge, the Stockholm School of Economics
Stockholm School of Economics
The Stockholm School of Economics or Handelshögskolan i Stockholm is one of Northern Europe's leading business schools. Its Masters in Management program is ranked no. 2 in Northern Europe and no. 13 in Europe by the Financial Times...
, and the Academy of Sciences of both Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, and at universities in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, and Liege. He was the curator of maps at the Clements Library for several years.
Kish's many awards included the Andrée Plaque for Polar Studies from the Swedish Geographical Society, the Greater Linnaeus Silver Medal from the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, The University of Michigan's Henry Russel Lectureship and the Honors Award from the Association of American Geographers. In 1981, he received the Jornard Prize of the Paris Society of Geography, an honor awarded just once each decade. He also was a Commander in the Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
Kish was born in Budapest, Hungary on November 24, 1914. He was naturalized as a U.S. citizen in 1948. Kish received his bachelor of science degree in 1935 from the Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He received his master of arts
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
degree from the University of Paris-Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
in 1937, a master of science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree from the University of Budapest
University of Budapest
The Eötvös Loránd University or ELTE, founded in 1635, is the largest university in Hungary, located in Budapest.-History:The university was founded in 1635 in Nagyszombat by the archbishop and theologian Péter Pázmány. Leadership was given over to the Jesuits...
in 1938, and a doctor of science degree from the University of Budapest in 1939. He received his Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in geography from the University of Michigan in 1945. Kish died after a brief illness in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on July 11, 1989.
Kish published more than 140 articles in English, French, German, Italian, and Hungarian, as well as several books. He is author of the Bibliography of International Geographical Congresses, 1871 - 1976. His last book, La Carte: Image des Civilizations, was published in Paris in 1980.
Kish was married to a Canadian physician, Elvina Anger Kish, and is survived by his daughter, Susan Kish of Zurich, and her family.
Publications
- History of Cartography, 200 35mm slides with descriptive booklet
- A Source Book in Geography, Harvard Press
- Economic Atlas of the Soviet Union
- North East Passage: Adolf Erik Nordenskiold, His Life and Times (1973)
- Heart of Asia: The Life of Sven Hedin by George Kish (1984)
- History of American Academic Cartography
See also
- University of MichiganUniversity of MichiganThe University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...