25 Facts About George Cressey

George Babcock Cressey was an American geographer, author, and academic.

In 1931, Cressey received a second PhD from Clark University in geography.

George Cressey then joined the faculty of Syracuse University, where he remained for the rest of his professional career.

At Syracuse, George Cressey wrote on a variety of subjects, but focused on "population problems as related to the worldwide distribution of land and arable resources," and primarily studied Asia, though he traveled to 75 countries on six continents, over the course of his career.

George Cressey served as chair of the department and helped to develop the geography graduate program at Syracuse into one of the best in the country.

George Cressey was highly involved in a number of professional organizations, serving as President of the International Geographical Union and the Association for Asian Studies, and as Honorary President of the Association of American Geographers.

George Cressey was born in Tiffin, Ohio, on December 15,1896.

George Cressey's father, Frank G Cressey, was a Baptist minister and his mother, Frances Babcock, the first woman to graduate from the University of Chicago, taught Latin at Denison University.

George Cressey then entered the University of Chicago, where he studied under the noted geologist Rollin D Salisbury, receiving a Master's degree in 1921 and a PhD in 1923, both in geology.

George Cressey used his time in China to travel in East Asia, visiting Mongolia and the Ordos Desert with particular frequency.

George Cressey's trips were often dangerous and took him far from other Westerners; during one of his trips, in Hebei, he was beaten and robbed by a group of bandits.

George Cressey finished the book shortly before leaving China and gave the manuscript to the Commercial Press in Shanghai to prepare for publication.

In 1929, George Cressey left China, returning to the United States for a year of study at Harvard University.

George Cressey began to reconstruct his book, China's Geographic Foundations, from his original notes, finishing it in 1934.

George Cressey taught and lectured on Asia, for the Army's training program at Syracuse University, and lectured publicly on East Asia throughout the country.

In that capacity, George Cressey worked with the National Academy of Sciences to help establish Chinese universities, and promote better relations with China.

George Cressey brought Asian scholars and graduate students to Syracuse, and used his department's funds to send maps and books to the geography departments within Asian universities.

Ironically, at the same time that George Cressey was accused of communist sympathies, the Chinese government included him on its list of its capitalist enemies.

In 1951, George Cressey retired as chairman of the geography department at Syracuse and became Maxwell Distinguished Professor of Geography, a newly created position.

George Cressey served as Honorary President of the Association of American Geographers in 1957 and president of the Association for Asian Studies in 1959 and 1960.

In 1955 and 1956, George Cressey held a Fulbright Fellowship in Iraq and in 1957 and 1958 he served as a Smith-Mundt Professor in Lebanon.

From his research and travel during these fellowships, George Cressey wrote the book Crossroads: Land and Life in Southwest Asia, which was published in 1960.

George Cressey focused in detail on the role of natural resources for the countries of the region, concentrating particular attention on the role of water and water shortages.

George Cressey promoted the study of China, hoping to educate a new generation of geographers with knowledge of China and East Asia.

George Cressey died of cancer on October 21,1963, at his home in Syracuse, New York.