History of the Geography Department

Brigham Young University has offered geography classes since its opening. BYU’s first president Karl G. Maeser taught many of the core geography classes.

• Geography was originally part of the Geology Department, with Elliott Tuttle and a couple geology professors teaching courses in geography.
• 1953: the BS Geography degree introduced in the Geology & Geography Department.
• 1954: Robert Layton (Cartography, Human Geography) and Albert Fisher (Human Geography) hired
• 1955: The independent Geography Department was created, housed in the Eyring Science Building, consisting of three full-time faculty, chair: Elliott Tuttle.
• 1956: Keith Duke (Regional Geography) hired as our 4th professor (he left for Stanford in 1960)
• 1957: We moved to the new David O. McKay Building
• 1958: Marion Millett hired as our 5th professor

• 1960: we moved to the Jesse Knight Building; the first Master's degree is awarded by the department
• 1961: Russell Horiuchi (Human Geography) hired, Chair: Robert Layton (for the next 20 years!); the University standardizes the 3-digit course numbering system, a few classes have miraculously survived from then to the present with the same number! (101, 120, 211, 312)
• 1962: we moved to the Heber J. Grant Building, our home for the next 19 years
• 1964: Alan Grey (Physical Geography) hired
• 1965: Melvin Aamodt (Human Geography) hired as our 6th professor
• 1966: Dale Stevens (Regional, Physical Geography) hired as our 7th professor
• 1968: We introduce a more well-defined Master of Science Degree program
• 1969: Richard Jackson (Human Geography, Planning) hired

• 1970: Lloyd Hudman (Human Geography, Tourism) hired; Dr. Horiuchi called as a mission president in Japan.
• 1972: Thomas Hinckley (Cartography) hired
• 1974: Two new majors are introduced in Planning and Cartography, along with a Planning/Cartography Associate Degree; Kelly Nielsen hired as our first full-time staff cartographer, providing services for faculty in the department, across the campus, and the Church (including the maps for the 1981 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants).
• 1976: We introduce a new emphasis (Bachelor and Associate) in Travel & Tourism
• 1979: Several new degree programs replace the emphases: BS Resource Management, GS Geography Teaching, BS Travel & Tourism, BS Planning, MS Cartography, MS Planning

• 1980: the department weather station was established, now the David James Memorial NWS Weather Station
• 1981: we moved into the 6th floor of the new Spencer W. Kimball Tower, where we still live; BS Cartography introduced; Chair: Russell Horiuchi (-1988)
• 1987: Perry Hardin (GIS) hired (the first new faculty in 16 years); he soon created the Geographic Information Systems lab; Jeff Bird hired as the new staff cartographer
• 1988: Robert Ford hired, Chair Dale Stevens (-1995)
• 1989: Associate degrees are eliminated in our department and across the university

• 1990: Jim Davis (Human Geography/Tourism) hired as our 8th professor
• 1991: Matthew Shumway (Human Geography) hired as our 9th professor; the Planning and Resource Management degrees combined
• 1992: Chad Emmett (Human Geography) hired; the masters degrees are merged into a single program with 3 emphases
• 1993: Cartography degree renamed to Cartography and Geographic Information Systems
• 1995: We lose Dale Stevens in a bicycle accident; new chair Richard Jackson (-2000)
• 1996: Brandon Plewe (GIS) hired; BS Cartography and Geographic Information Systems renamed to Geographic Information Systems
• 1997: Sam Otterstrom (Human Geography, Planning) hired
• 1998: Jeff Durrant (Human, Physical Geography) hired; Travel and Tourism changed to an emphasis in BS Geography

• 2000: Mark Jackson (GIS) hired, Chair Matthew Shumway (-2012)
• 2001: Matthew Bekker (Physical Geography) and Renee Gluch (GIS) hired as our new 10th and 11th faculty positions; the emphasis in Environmental Studies introduced; the staff cartographer position is replaced by the student-staffed Mapping Services Lab, which eventually evolved into ThinkSpatial.
• 2003: The first Chauncy Harris Distinguished Lecture; Global Studies added as the third emphasis of BS Geography, Planning renamed "Urban, Rural, and Environmental Planning"
• 2004: Clark Monson (Physical Geography) hired
• 2006: The Planning and GIS degrees become emphases of the BS Geography; Geospatial Intelligence added as a 6th emphasis
• 2007: Ryan Jensen (GIS) hired
• 2008: The Geography Teaching degree is eliminated

• 2010: We award our last Master's degrees after furloughing the program to focus more resources on undergraduate education.
• 2011: Michael Clay (Planning) and Clark Monson (Physical Geography) hired, bringing our department to 12 full-time faculty
• 2012: Ryan Jensen becomes our 7th chair
• 2013: ThinkSpatial started as a student-run GIS/Cartography consulting agency
• 2014: Daniel Olsen (Tourism) hired
• 2019: Jim Davis retires.
• 2020: Ruth Kerry (Environmental Science) hired.
• 2021: David Simpson (Planning) hired, Daniel Olsen becomes our 8th chair.

Today the geography department offers 6 major emphases and 4 minors. We have 12 full-time faculty members and a number of adjunct professors. We are a part of the college of Family Home and Social Science and work with many different cities and governments on a variety of projects.