Cartography pioneer, UW scholar dies at 89

The scholar who created what is universally considered “the map of the world” has died at the age of 89.

Arthur Robinson was a professor of geography. His acclaimed Robinson Projection, devised in 1963 and purchased by the National Geographic Society in 1988, configures the earth as an ellipse, presenting, he said, “the best portrait that I could.” He also put the emphasis on the world’s most populous temperate zone, making it the most accurate part of the map. In addition to the National Geographic Society, the U.S.government and its agencies also use the Robinson Projection.

In addition, Robinson helped develop the cartography program at UW–Madison into one of the world’s best known and most respected. After joining the department in 1946, he established the department’s Map Library, “at a time when most universities didn’t have large, well-established map collections,” says Jaime Martindale, current map and geographic information systems (GIS) librarian.

Martindale says that Robinson worked on fascinating holdings, including many thematic maps from the World War II era. He recounts his experiences in an oral history available for listening at Steenbock Memorial Library on campus.

During his lengthy career Robinson produced 15 books and monographs, including the influential textbook “Elements of Cartography.” He served as president of the International Cartographic Association and as vice president and president of the Association of American Geographers. He received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, his master’s degree from UW–Madison and his Ph.D. from Ohio State University. UW–Madison awarded him its Lawrence Martin Professorship of Cartography in 1967.

The Department of Geography held a memorial service in mid-November for Robinson and the late David A. Woodward, co-director of UW–Madison’s Cultural Map of Wisconsin project and editor of “The History of Cartography” series. Donations in memory of Robinson may be made to the Arthur H. Robinson Map Library or the History of Cartography Project Fund at the Department of Geography.